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WSOP 2025: 7 Most Memorable Moments of the First Week
Benny Glaser, Brad Ruben, Artur Martirosian, Tomas Zanot and others feature in our recap of the first week of the World Series of Poker.
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Benny Glaser Is a Six-Time WSOP Champion
Benny Glaser has once again confirmed his status as one of the best mixed-game players in the world and there was no better place to showcase his wide-ranging poker skills than Event #8: $1,500 Dealer’s Choice, a tournament featuring 20 different games.
Glaser entered the final day as the chip leader with 14 players still in contention. He remained consistent throughout, spending most of the day near the top of the chip counts. In the end, Glaser defeated Matthew Schreiber heads-up, securing his sixth WSOP bracelet.
Last month, Glaser didn’t win a single SCOOP title on PokerStars — the first time that’s happened since 2018. He also lost his record for the most SCOOP titles (11) after Simon Mattsson delivered a brilliant performance, winning five events and raising the bar to 14.
But balance in the universe was restored.
Previous Bracelets:
- 2023: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball Championship ($311,428)
- 2021: $10,000 Razz Championship ($274,693)
- 2016: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship ($407,194)
- 2016: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better ($244,103)
- 2015: $1,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit) ($136,215)
Brad Ruben Gets His Fifth Gold
Brad Ruben topped a field of 532 entries in Event #12: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, earning his fifth WSOP bracelet.
Ruben’s victories span multiple formats: two in online PLO, one in Razz, one in Dealer’s Choice, and now one in No-Limit 2-7 Lowball.
He’s young and hungry for glory and more bracelets. He said he wants to set the record for most wins in this decade. With five bracelets in five years, he has a lot of hard work (and a little luck) ahead of him.
Ryan Bambrick Stops Two Poker Legends
All eyes were on the final table of Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. Viktor Blom entered as the chip leader, with Daniel Negreanu chasing his eighth WSOP bracelet.
But luck wasn’t on their side. Instead, the spotlight shifted to dark horse Ryan Bambrick, who played a solid game and outlasted both legends.
According to his Hendon Mob page, Bambrick hadn’t played many live events since winning his first bracelet in the $1,500 PLO event back in 2018. But he looked confident throughout the final table and now he’s a two-time WSOP champion. His prize for first place was $470,437.
Thomas Zanot Is the Ultimate Luckbox
Two $1,000,000 bounties were awarded during Day 2 of the $1,000 Mystery Millions — and the lucky winners were Tyler Montoya and Thomas Zanot.
But in Zanot’s case, this wasn’t the first time he hit absurd luck. In January 2023, he won a $6.4 million Pai Gow jackpot by completing a seven-card straight flush with a Joker card. Absolutely stunning!
Bruno Furth Pulls Off a Chip-and-a-Chair Miracle
Caleb Bruno Furth won the $5,000 PLO event with an incredible stroke of luck. On the bubble of the final table, he was down to just one chip — equal to a single big blind. But that wasn’t the end for Furth. Instead, he pulled off a miraculous comeback, claiming his second WSOP bracelet and a $620,696 payday.
He also busted the always-annoying Martin Kabrhel in third place.
“It was not nice playing with you. Goodbye, Martin,” Furth said.
Fun fact: On Instagram, Bruno posts photos with people sitting next to him on airplanes. It’s pretty cool — though a bit sad the last update was 38 weeks ago.
Martirosian Wins $25,000 Heads-Up Championship
Artur Martirosian has once again proven that he’s a heads-up specialist — and a beast on the high-stakes scene in general.
Artur faced a brutal bracket but overcame every obstacle on his way to securing his third WSOP bracelet. Over three days, he defeated Jeremy Ausmus, Faraz Jaka, Kevin Rabichow, Chance Kornuth, Patrick Leonard, and finally, Aliaksei Boika.
One of Martirosian’s previous bracelets also came in a heads-up format — the $10,000 Heads-Up Championship at WSOP Online two years ago.
What Does Yosef Fox Say?
Yosef Fox is the new champion of Event #11: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold’em.
The final day started with a wild hand — Jacks beating Kings — which earned him the biggest bounty possible: $250,000. But Fox didn’t stop there. He went on to win the entire tournament, taking home over $1,000,000 in total.
It was undoubtedly the brightest poker moment of his life even though his son won a WSOP bracelet seven years ago. His reactions after opening the gold chest and after the win instantly went viral — check them out if you haven’t seen them.
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