Nathan Thrush Becomes The River King After BPO Pro-Am $32K Victory
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After two intense days of action here at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, the 2025 Bar Poker Open (BPO) Vegas World Championship has come to an end with Nathan Thrush claiming victory in the $1,000 Pro-Am and taking home a five-figure payday of $32,624.
The final day saw only eight players return from a field that started with 125 competitors, all fighting for a piece of the $111,250 prize pool.
Thrush came into the final table as the overwhelming chip leader and kept piling on the pressure, eliminating half the table on his way to victory. He gained the title by defeating a young but experienced Kaiwen Wei in a heads-up match, Thrush sought max value with the best hand and folded the worst making him an extremely tough opponent to play. Although this is not the biggest score of his career, Thrush felt extremely grateful to have taken the title in such a tough field.
“I feel amazing, I just keep it simple” said Thrush after the win. However, nothing was simple about how he played in the final stages of this tournament. Thrush was also impressed by his newly minted nickname "The River King" after he burst the money and final table bubbles by spiking the river.
“I like it, I hope it gets me into some good home games.” Thrush added.
2025 Bar Poker Open Pro-Am Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Thrush | United States | $32,624 |
| 2 | Kaiwen Wei | United States | $20,025 |
| 3 | Carlos Sáez | Spain | $11,959 |
| 4 | Samy Boujmala | France | $7,509 |
| 5 | Conor O'Rourke | Ireland | $5,563 |
| 6 | Zachary Lipeles | United States | $4,784 |
| 7 | Cosme Gomez | Spain | $4,144 |
| 8 | John Paoloca | United States | $3,671 |
From $30 Home Games to the $1K Grind
Long before his great run at the BPO, Thrush was just a casual player grinding $30 tournaments in his hometown of Susanville, California. Despite being of age in the poker boom, Thrush did not get into poker until much later.
“I remember making a bad play and someone would call me a donkey” Thrush laughed. "Now, I think back to myself it offended me a bit at the time, but maybe I was a donkey."
Before taking poker more seriously Thrush used to enjoy playing sports and as he stands at 6’7, basketball was his main choice.
The very accomplished Thrush, now based in Florida, labels himself as a semi-professional as he splits his time up between independent contract work and playing poker. A very humble but disciplined man especially when it comes to bankroll management.
“I stick to the $1,000 level mostly it’s where I feel comfortable and competitive,” he explained. “I’m not trying to jump into high rollers or anything. There are still a lot of players better than me out there, but at this level, I do pretty well.”
What started as a casual hobby turned into a serious pursuit. Over time, Thrush began studying the game more, talking hands with friends online, and eventually subscribing to Jonathan Little’s training site.
“He teaches you what you need to know without overcomplicating it,” Thrush said. “That really helped shape my game.” His measured approach has paid off with a few scores north of $30,000 already under his belt, with two of those coming inside this year.
The Turning Point: Folding Top Pair Heads-Up
Thrush trusted his instincts and made a massive fold that preserved his chip lead. “I just didn’t feel like I was good there,” he recalled. “If I call and I’m wrong, he [Kaiwen Wei] becomes chip leader and has all the momentum. Folding let me stay ahead and in control, it was a disciplined move, and one that ultimately cleared the path to victory in my opinion”
So what's next for the Pro-Am champion?
“I’m just going to keep grinding the $1Ks, play within my bankroll, and keep studying”. You can find Thrush grinding the WSOP schedule and his next event will be the $1,500 Monster Stack. “When I’m done with the schedule, I live in Florida right next to the beach and I plan to go there to relax after this grind”.
