Event #88: $50,000 High Roller
Day 3 Completed
2025 World Series of Poker
Event #88: $50,000 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2025 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$11,970,000
Entries
252
Level
29
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
17
Players Left
1
Level 29
: Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
The curtains have closed on Event #88: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
This year’s event attracted a record-breaking field to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, generating a prize pool of $12,159,000.
After more than 28 hours of play over three days, it was Vietnamese rising star Khoi Le Nguyen who triumphed over the 252-entrant field to claim the title.
As recently as August 2024, Nguyen’s largest live tournament buy-in was just $500. A remarkable combination of sharp decisions, well-timed opportunities, and a bit of good fortune has propelled him rapidly up the stakes. In the process, Nguyen has also soared to the top of his country’s all-time money list, with his victory today crossing him over the $4,000,000 lifetime earnings landmark.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khoi Le Nguyen | Vietnam | $2,686,913 |
| 2 | Alexandre Reard | France | $1,791,267 |
| 3 | Sergio Aido | Spain | $1,242,660 |
| 4 | Jun Obara | Japan | $879,939 |
| 5 | Vinny Lingham | United States | $636,279 |
| 6 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | $470,036 |
| 7 | Martin Zamani | United States | $354,901 |
| 8 | Matthew Wantman | United States | $274,023 |
| 9 | Sam Soverel | United States | $216,467 |
Winner's Reaction
Remarkably, this event was never on the radar for Nguyen until fate intervened and gave him a reason to consider it.
“I feel amazing, obviously. I didn’t even plan to play this event."
"A lot of things happened in the past week. I won a tournament last week, coming back from half a big blind, so I had some money, but still not enough bankroll to play this event.”
“I had a look at the numbers on the Vietnamese Hendon Mob chart, and I estimate that if this event has enough registration and I happen to win it, then I might be Vietnamese number one, so I thought, let’s just do it, whatever.”
Time to Tell His Parents
When asked what it means to be top of the live earnings charts for his home country, Nguyen gave an unexpected response.
“It’s pretty funny because my parents don’t even know I play poker. I don’t think I can hide from that now, maybe they’ll get the news and we will see how they react.”
Nguyen then humbly reflected on his meteoric rise in the game, expressing disbelief at winning a $50,000 High Roller on his very first attempt.
"I have been very lucky to run deep in mid-stakes events. You just have to be very lucky, and yeah, this year I have been incredibly lucky. I still think I am a bit better than the average player pool, but I know I make a lot of mistakes, horrendous mistakes, but luck helps me out a bit."
"It's crazy to win [the $50,000 high roller]. To compete with the best people and win, but there is still some uncertainty, even though I won, I feel like there is a lot of luck in my win rather than a lot of skill. Compared to the world-class [players], I am still far behind, but it's crazy to win my first $50,000 event and my first bracelet. Still a lot to work on. "
On His Good Luck Charm
Nguyen had a small toy turtle with him, which he kept on top of his chips throughout the final table. He shared that it was something he bought as a young chess player, deliberately symbolic, reminding him to be slow and steady.
Final Table Action
It took a couple of hours of nine-handed play before the final table saw its first elimination. Sam Soverel the first to fall as his pocket jacks ran into the pocket queens of Fahredin Mustafov.
Within half an hour of Soverel’s departure, both Matthew Wantman and Martin Zamani had been shown the exit door.
Mustafov was the next to fall, falling victim to eventual champion Nguyen when he got all the chips in versus a dominating ace preflop.
Alexandre Reard sent Vinny Lingham to the rail next, and Jun Obara shortly followed him.
A short-stacked Sergio Aido battled hard to try and gain some ground on his two remaining opponents. Alas, he eventually succumbed to Nguyen in a blind versus blind battle.
Nguyen went into heads-up as the chip leader, but immediately lost his advantage when Reard doubled through him to take the ascendancy.
The two traded blows until one titanic hand saw almost all of the chips pushed in Nguyen's direction.
The players took a five-minute break upon the completion of that hand, and when they returned, Nguyen sat down to a 40-to-1 chip lead.
It seemed the writing was on the wall, and it took only one hand after the restart for Nguyen to wrap it up, taking home $2,686,913 and his first WSOP gold bracelet.
That concludes the PokerNews coverage for this event, but stay tuned for our continuing coverage of the 2025 WSOP.
Level 29
: Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
Khoi Le Nguyen raised from the button, and Alexandre Reard called all in for 1,100,000.
Alexandre Reard: 8♦5♠ 
Khoi Le Nguyen: Q♥3♠
Reard was behind the queen-high of Nguyen but held live cards. The 9♥7♣4♦ gave Reard a gutshot and the 10♦ turn improved him to an open-ender. However, the 4♠ bricked off on the river as queen-high held for Nguyen who eliminated Reard to take down the title.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,600,000
1,900,000
|
1,900,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level: 29
Blinds: 400,000/800,000
Ante: 800,000
Level 28
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Alexandre Reard raised to 1,500,000 on the button, and Nguyen called, defending his big blind.
The dealer spread a flop of 3♠4♥9♠, and when Nguyen checked, Reard continued for 1,000,000. Nguyen sprang the trap with a check-raise to 4,000,000, and Reard called.
The turn added the 2♣ to the board, and when Nguyen continued for 7,500,000, Reard moved all in, covering Nguyen's stack of 31,050,000. Nguyen called, and the players revealed their cards.
Khoi Le Nguyen: 4♣3♣
Alexandre Reard: 5♠4♦
The river bricked for Reard and Nguyen scooped a pot with nearly all the chips in play in it.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
73,700,000
39,100,000
|
39,100,000 |
|
|
1,900,000
39,100,000
|
39,100,000 |
|
|
||
Level 28
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Khoi Le Nguyen opened the button to 1,500,000 and Alexandre Reard defended his big blind.
The A♣Q♣9♠ flop checked through to the 10♥ turn which saw Reard lead for 1,500,000 and Nguyen called.
On the 8♦ river, Reard sized up with another lead for 4,000,000, and Nguyen quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
41,000,000
4,100,000
|
4,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
34,600,000
4,100,000
|
4,100,000 |
Level 28
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Alexandre Reard opened the button to 1,500,000 before Khoi Le Nguyen jammed for 22,225,000 effective from the big blind, and Reard quickly called.
Alexandre Reard: 6♠6♥
Khoi Le Nguyen: 2♠2♦
Reard was in good shape to double with the dominating pair as the A♦10♣7♠ flop came down. Nothing changed on the J♦9♦ runout as the French rail erupted in celebration as the players switch stacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
45,100,000
20,700,000
|
20,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
30,500,000
20,700,000
|
20,700,000 |
Level 28
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
The heads-up match between Khoi Le Nguyen and Alexandre Reard has begun.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
51,200,000 | |
|
|
24,400,000
3,600,000
|
3,600,000 |
|
|
||
Level 28
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Khoi Le Nguyen moved all in from the small blind, covering Sergio Aido's stack of roughly 6,000,000. Aido used two time extensions before deciding to call, putting his tournament life at risk.
Sergio Aido: K♠2♥
Khoi Le Nguyen: A♣9♣
The flop Q♥Q♣10♣ only served to improve Nguyen to a flush draw. The turn 7♥ didn't change anything, and although Aido improved to two pair on the K♣ river, Nguyen had also improved to a flush, eliminating Aido.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
51,200,000
10,200,000
|
10,200,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 28
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Sergio Aido moved all in for his remaining 3,600,000, and Khoi Le Nguyen called to put him at risk.
Sergio Aido: 3♠3♣
Khoi Le Nguyen: Q♠9♥
The runout was clean for Aido, who found a double up on the 5♠2♣7♥K♥4♥ board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,900,000
2,100,000
|
2,100,000 |
|
|
8,200,000
4,400,000
|
4,400,000 |
|
|
||
