Hero Fold Propels Shannon Shorr To Victory At U.S. Poker Open

Shannon Shorr made an enormous laydown on the closing desk of the fifth occasion of the 2025 U.S. Poker Open.

The Alabama native acquired away from journey nines with a seven kicker when he was up in opposition to Yifu He’s journey nines with a ten kicker. Shorr’s hero fold propelled him ahead en path to profitable the $10,000 no-limit maintain’em occasion.

The 39-year-old poker professional out of Las Vegas secured $220,400 because the champion, rising his profession earnings to over $15.9 million.

Had Shorr known as He’s river wager with journey nines as an alternative of folding, he would have been left with simply 1,285,000 (21 huge blinds). Instead, the two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner’s spectacular fold saved him above 30 huge blinds forward of a rush of playing cards which surged him into the lead.

ShannonShorr</a> tha gawd with a magnificent laydown!<br><br>Watch the U.S. Poker Open presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/official_glp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">official_glp on PokerGO.

https://t.co/DN30aJ3bDV pic.twitter.com/OiBxDTVgGU

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 14, 2025

This was Shorr’s fourth title and seventh final-table end of 2025. This victory and the 420 Card Player Player of the Year factors that got here with it moved him into second place within the POY standings. He solely trails Jeremy Ausmus by 478 factors within the year-long race.

Just two weeks earlier than this triumph, Shorr took down the WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Las Vegas principal occasion for $207,615.

The fifth occasion of the USPO drew a 76-entry discipline, producing a prize pool of $760,000 paid to the highest 11 spots.

Big names like Stephen Chidwick (eleventh), Cary Katz (tenth), Jim Collopy (ninth), Darren Elias (eighth), and Chino Rheem (seventh) all made the cash solely to hit the rail late on day 1.

Day 2 motion started contained in the PokerGO Studio with simply 5 gamers in rivalry. Two-time Super High Roller Bowl champion Isaac Haxton was out in entrance, whereas Shorr was second.

Brock Wilson was the primary to fall, along with his A-5 suited working into the pocket aces of Eric Blair. Wilson paired his 5 on the flop however was unable to enhance any additional and was eradicated in fifth place ($53,200). This was his fourth closing desk of the 12 months, and third prior to now two weeks.

Before this deep run, Wilson recorded a pair of third-place showings in excessive curler occasions on the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, which mixed for a complete of greater than $433,000.

Shorr’s beforehand mentioned hero-fold throughout four-handed motion helped protect the vast majority of his stack forward of an enormous preflop cooler that noticed his pocket kings maintain in opposition to the pocket queens of Haxton. A five-bet preflop confrontation acquired all of the chips into the center. Shorr’s pair held up and he moved into the chip lead.

Haxton was quickly all-in with A5 dealing with the OkayJ of Blair. The flop got here down A65 to attach with each gamers in a serious means. Haxton led with two pair, however Blair had the nut flush draw and backdoor straight potentialities.

The 2 flip was a clean, however the 8 accomplished Blair’s flush and despatched Haxton packing in fourth place ($72,200). Haxton’s newest money gave him greater than $53.9 million in profession cashes, which is nice for ninth place on poker’s all-time cash record.

He was eradicated after Haxton in third place. His final 10 or so huge blinds went in with Okay9 from the small blind, and Blair known as with A8. Neither participant linked with a queen-high runout and He headed to the payout desk to gather $102,600 for his podium end.

This was his fourth money and second final-table end of the collection, having been the runner-up in occasion no. 4 for $201,300. With 319 PGT factors earned throughout these scores, He now sits second within the USPO collection standings.

Yifu He eradicated by Blizair1</a> to get it down to heads-up play. He finishes back-to-back final tables with a combined $303,900 in prize money. <br><br>Tune in now to watch the U.S. Poker Open presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/official_glp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">official_glp on PokerGO.

https://t.co/DN30aJ3bDV pic.twitter.com/XnukH4GkQv

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 14, 2025

Heads-up play started in a digital useless warmth, with Blair holding 4,825,000 to Shorr’s 4,675,000. The two traded the lead forwards and backwards earlier than Shorr seized the benefit for the ultimate time. In the final hand of the event, he open-shoved from the button with Q9 and Blair known as off his final 13 huge blinds with A2.

The board got here down 7323Q and Shorr spiked considered one of his few non-spade pair outs on the tip to lock up the pot and the title.

Blair took house $144,400 because the runner-up. He has now cashed in all 5 USPO occasions, with two final-table finishes ending in podium showings. With $330,975 in complete earnings and 331 PGT factors accrued to this point, Blair now sits atop the USPO collection leaderboard heading into the ultimate three occasions.

Final Table Results

Photo credit score: PokerGO.