The 2025 U.S. Poker Open is midway completed, with greater than $3.8 million in prize cash awarded by the primary 4 occasions on the eight-tournament schedule. The most up-to-date to wrap up was the penultimate $10,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em occasion. A complete of 103 entries resulted in a prize pool of $1,030,000, with 15 gamers making the cash. Matthew Wantman emerged victorious ultimately, incomes $231,300 and his fourth profession PokerGO Tour title because the champion.
This was the fifth-largest rating of Wantman’s 376 recorded cashes. The Stoneham, Massachusetts native now has greater than $8.6 million in profession earnings. His largest payday stays the $443,475 he earned because the champion of the 2019 World Poker Tour Aria Summer Championship.
This was Wantman’s second final-table end of the sequence, having additionally positioned sixth in occasion no. 3. His back-to-back deep runs have been sufficient to maneuver him into the lead within the USPO series-long factors race, with 318 PGT factors and $285,800 in earnings so far.
Wantman additionally secured 600 Card Player Player of the Year factors with this triumph. This was his eighth closing desk of the 12 months. As a results of his sturdy begin on the circuit, he now sits inside the highest 50 within the 2025 POY standings introduced by Global Poker.
Two-time POY award winner Stephen Chidwick got here into the ultimate day of this match with the chip lead among the many remaining six contenders, with Wantman scorching on his heels.
CoinPoker ambassador Patrick Leonard was the primary to hit the rail on day 2. He referred to as a river shove from Chidwick with prime pair, solely to be proven a king-high straight. The bracelet winner from the UK earned $51,500 for his sixth-place displaying.
Isaac Kempton (fifth – $66,950) quickly adopted, along with his Okay-J dropping to the A-J of Yifu He. This was Kempton’s third money and second final-table end of the sequence.
Popular Japanese poker vlogger Masato Yokosawa’s run on this occasion was additionally ended by He. A battle of the blinds noticed He shove with 9
3 and Yokosawa name with A
J
. The board got here down Okay86
38 to provide He the winner. Yokosawa earned $92,700 because the fourth-place finisher. The WPT champion now has almost $1.9 million in recorded scores to his identify.
Wantman was the shortest stack when three-handed play started, however he received two huge pots off of Chidwick to depart the British match celebrity brief. Chidwick’s closing stand noticed him three-bet for all however 25,000 of his stack from the large blind with A2. He, who had opened from the small blind with A4, moved all-in and Chidwick made the decision for his closing chip. The board introduced 4 spades to provide He a successful flush, which despatched Chidwick packing in third place ($118,450). The two-time bracelet winner now has almost $65.2 million in profession earnings, the third-most of any participant in match poker historical past.
With that, He took roughly a 2:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Wantman. The early motion favored Wantman, who appeared poised to drag away a number of occasions, solely to have He battle his method again. Wantman held solely a slight chip benefit when the ultimate hand of the match was dealt. He raised to 600,000 from the button with Q6 and Wantman defended his huge blind with 87. The flop got here down 1077 and Wantman checked his journeys. He checked behind and the flip introduced the Q. Wantman checked a second time and He fired 900,000 along with his queens and sevens. Wantman referred to as and the 4 accomplished the board. Wantman checked but once more and He guess 1,500,000. Wantman check-raised to 4,000,000 and He referred to as all-in for 3,500,000 complete. Wantman revealed his three sevens to lock up the pot and the title.
He headed dwelling with $201,300 because the runner-up, the most important rating but for the Sunnyvale, California resident. He now has greater than $752,000 in profession cashes beneath his belt.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Matthew Wantman | $231,300 | 600 | 263 |
| 2 | Yifu He | $201,300 | 500 | 170 |
| 3 | Stephen Chidwick | $118,450 | 400 | 118 |
| 4 | Masato Yokosawa | $92,700 | 300 | 93 |
| 5 | Isaac Kempton | $66,950 | 250 | 67 |
| 6 | Patrick Leonard | $51,500 | 200 | 52 |
Photo credit score: PokerGO.
