Zerjav Wins Second Bracelet of Summer as Huck Seed Narrowly Misses Out

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Jun 28, 2025 3 min read

Blaz Zerjav continued his breakout summer with a second bracelet win at the 2025 World Series of Poker, taking down Event #69: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 Or Better at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

Zerjav, who previously won Event #22: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed High Roller, now adds a mixed-game title to his growing resume. He earned $153,487 for the victory, capping off what has already been a magical run.

He defeated Huck Seed heads-up to seal the win, denying the 1996 WSOP Main Event champion a fifth career bracelet. Seed, chasing his first title since 2003, pushed Zerjav in a back-and-forth duel but ultimately came up short.

$1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Final Table Results

Winner’s Reaction

Zerjav told PokerNews that winning his second bracelet of the summer was “thrilling” and something “he never dared to dream of.” Not many players even play both high-buy-in No-Limit Hold’em events and lower buy-in limit events, and Zerjav managed to score a victory in both in one WSOP.

When asked to compare the two events, he said that they were “completely different. It's a different format. It's a different type of players, a different type of game, I'd say, but this one is also special.”

Zerjav also commented on playing against Seed. “He is really tough to play against. I enjoyed every moment of it, and learned a few things.”

Final Day Action

Play began today with 11 players chasing the bracelet. That quickly became nine when Vasu Amarapu and John Comeau were eliminated in 11th and 10th place, respectively.

The players were then all on one combined table. The first elimination at the nine-handed table came in a huge confrontation between Michelle Konig, Denis Strebkov, and Aaron Lugibihl, which saw Lugibihl bust and finish in ninth. Konig then jumped up the chip ranks and immediately proved she was a force to be reckoned with.

That elimination meant that the remaining eight players all played at the official final table. The eight players played for a while and saw Seed double up, before Michal Frejka was eliminated in eighth place.

A turning point came five-handed, when early chip leader Jay Kerbel lost several key pots and was ultimately eliminated in fifth place by Seed.

The final four players shared plenty of banter, with Seed leading the table talk as chips changed hands frequently. Konig bowed out in fourth after doubling up Seed and then losing the rest of her stack to Sergei Tolkachov and Zerjav.

Three-handed play was poised to be a battle, as three skilled players had things fairly even in chips. However, Zerjav made a straight in a huge pot against Tolkachov’s three queens, and Tolkachov was eliminated shortly after.

Heads-up play began with Zerjav in the lead. Seed quickly won some big hands early on during heads up, including winning the first scoop between the two players. At one point, Zerjav put his last bet into the middle on the river and Seed called, but the players chopped the pot.

Zerjav was able to get back in the match when he made tens and threes in a hand that went to showdown, and he was able to take down the entire pot. The Slovenian also raised on the river that prompted a fold that helped him get back in the lead.

After a scheduled break, Zerjav made a flush in a key pot that gave him a commanding lead. That led to the final hand, in which the players got all in on sixth street. Both players had two pair, but Zerjav’s tens and deuces were best. Nothing changed on the river, and Zerjav won the hand, the money and the bracelet.

That wraps up the PokerNews coverage for this event, but there is plenty more going on throughout the Horseshoe & Paris Las Vegas, so be sure to stay tuned to the site for updates on all WSOP bracelet events.

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