WSOP Glory at Last: PokerGO Founder Cary Katz Wins $2,500 NLH Freezeout
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PokerGO founder Cary Katz has been a regular on the high roller scene for more than a decade, so it may have surprised some to see his name among the entries in Event #83: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout.
After three long days of action at the 2025 World Series of Poker, Katz was among the final four players who bagged up for an unscheduled day at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Looking back on his decision, Katz told PokerNews that he had a feeling about this particular event.
“I wasn't even supposed to play it. I didn't even have it on my schedule. I was going to rest this weekend and just get ready for the Main [Event]. But you know, I said I had a feeling I kind of want to play this.
“I like freezeouts. I'll go over to late register the freezeout and see what happens. And it was a good decision. I'm glad I took my shot.”
With the WSOP Main Event going on around them, Katz overcame an early chip deficit and a loud Brazilian rail to defeat Breno Drumond in heads-up play.
Despite boasting over $40 million in earnings and numerous victories, Katz had yet to get his hands on a WSOP gold bracelet. That career-first came in a field of 1,299 entries, taking home the largest share of the $2,890,275 prize pool.
“It feels amazing. I just wanted to enjoy every moment. I had a feeling the whole event that, sometimes you just know when you're going to run well.”
Event #83: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cary Katz | United States | $449,245 |
| 2 | Breno Drumond | Brazil | $298,690 |
| 3 | Jaehoon Baek | South Korea | $213,800 |
| 4 | Preston McEwen | United States | $155,010 |
| 5 | Gary Hasson | Belgium | $113,860 |
| 6 | Michel Molenaar | Netherlands | $84,730 |
| 7 | Pawel Brzeski | Poland | $63,910 |
| 8 | Razvan Belea | Romania | $48,860 |
| 9 | Mihai Manole | Romania | $37,860 |
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Family Affair
Katz claimed his first WSOP bracelet after several close calls over the years, including a trio of runner-up finishes. The first came back at the 2013 World Series of Poker, when his kings were cracked by jacks in Event #19: $5,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em.
The second was in 2017, as Katz came up short in Event #52: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. The most recent chance came in 2023, where Event #29: $100,000 High Roller resulted in more heartbreak.
This time, Katz would not be denied. He took the chip lead early in the extra day and finished the job in front of his family and the PokerGO production team.
“It means everything to me to have my family there. I had my wife there, I had my son there, my daughter was there. My other daughter was there last night, my son-in-law was there, so it was quite an experience.”
The Katz family was cheering on against a loud crew of Brazilians, who tried to propel Drumond to victory.
“I was almost rooting for them to win hands just so I could hear the cheering, because I was feeding off it. It was beautiful. That was just special, the Brazilians bring so much.”
”Fortunate” Extra Day
Drumond held the chip lead as play concluded a night earlier, while Katz was happy to bag up for the unscheduled day.
“I thought he was playing very well and very aggressively, and I was getting really tired at the end of Day 3. So it was fortunate for me that the time ended and I could come back, get a decent night's sleep, and start back up on Day 4.”
The timing worked out nicely for Katz, who found an early double to start the day and watched Drumond earn a pair of eliminations. Preston McEwen and Jaehoon Baek fell on the opening level, leaving at a chip disadvantage to start heads-up play.
After taking command and having fun with the opposing rail, Katz sealed the victory when his pocket threes won a flip to send Drumond out in second place.
“I'm just I was just thankful that he didn't have a pair when he called me.” As Katz celebrated, Drumond had more work to do as his stack was waiting in the WSOP Main Event. The extra day of action cost him a third of his chips, but the second-place prize of $298,690 offered a bit of consolation.
Katz earned $449,245 for his efforts, and can now focus on taking his own shot in the Main Event.
“I decided this year to shake it up a little bit, decided to skip day one, just kind of like conserve my energy. Coming with 75 bigs on Day 2, it seemed like the right move for me. I won't be that emotionally invested in it, so I can just kind of, I want to just play it loose and just have at it.”
The scheduling worked out well, as Katz can now enter the largest event of the series as a WSOP bracelet winner.
In this Series
- 1 Who Won $64K and the First 2025 WSOP Bracelet?
- 2 David Shmuel Wins First WSOP Bracelet in Omaha Hi-Lo for $205,333!
- 3 Furth Wins Second WSOP Bracelet; Denies Kabrhel in $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
- 4 GTO Study Sees Antonio Galiana Win Second WSOP Bracelet in $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em
- 5 Persistence Pays Off: Dan Heimiller Wins $1,500 Seven Card Stud for Third WSOP Bracelet
- 6 Artur Martirosian Wins WSOP $25,000 Heads Up Championship ($500,000)
- 7 Benny Glaser Adds to His Legacy With Bracelet No. 6 in Event #8: $1,500 Dealers Choice
- 8 Michael Wilklow: Once a Mystery, Now a Millionaire (and WSOP Bracelet Winner)
- 9 Kenneth Kim Storms Back to Win His First WSOP Bracelet
- 10 Father-Son WSOP Bracelet Duo Made as Yosef Fox Wins $10,000 Mystery Bounty
- 11 Five Bracelets in Five Years: Brad Ruben Wins the $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw ($138,080)
- 12 Ryan Bambrick Denies Daniel Negreanu to Claim Second WSOP Bracelet
- 13 Christopher Staats Denies David Jackson in WSOP $1,500 6-Handed NLH for $414,950
- 14 Corey Thompson Nearly Wins Two WSOP Online Bracelets Right Off the Bat
- 15 Cristian Gutierrez Wins $600 PLO Deepstack For His First Bracelet and $193,780
- 16 Lou Garza Mounts Memorable Heads-Up Comeback to Clinch Second WSOP Bracelet
- 17 Benny Glaser Goes Back-to-Back (Again) for 7th Bracelet in $1,500 Mixed
- 18 Zachary Zaret Overcomes Stacked Final Table to Win First Bracelet
- 19 Michael Lavin Steamrolls the Competition on Way to a Second WSOP Bracelet
- 20 Ryan Hoenig Goes Wire-to-Wire to Win Event #18: $10,000 Dealers Choice Championship
- 21 Bohlman's Breakthrough: Mixed Game Vet Wins 2nd Bracelet in $2,000 NLH ($436,044)
- 22 Blaz Zerjav Wins Maiden WSOP Bracelet in $25,000 6-Handed High Roller
- 23 Aloisio Dourado Claims Redemption with First WSOP Bracelet in Record-Breaking Badugi Event
- 24 Mixed Game Maestro Xixiang Luo Bags $290,400 and Third WSOP Bracelet
- 25 Nick Guagenti Crushes Chino Rheem’s Triple Crown Bid in $10K Stud Victory
- 26 Beginner's Luck? Surely Not. Chang Lee Wins $25,000 High Roller ($1,949,044)
- 27 Penalized Poker Player Wins WSOP Bracelet Despite Color Up Controversy
- 28 LA Poker Player Outlasts 16,300 Opponents to Win 2025 WSOP's Colossus
- 29 Igor Zektser Scoops His First Bracelet in Event #27: $1,500 Big O
- 30 A Few Cocktails on the Road to First WSOP Bracelet for Mark Darner
- 31 Rising New Jersey Poker Star Captures First WSOP Bracelet
- 32 Jason Koon Moves to Third on All-Time Money List w/ WSOP $50,000 High Roller Win
- 33 Toy Charizard, Pink Slipper Carry Canadian Family Man to WSOP Victory
- 34 Nick Schulman Joins Poker's Immortals With Bracelet No. 7 in the $10K 2-7 Championship
- 35 Ukraine's Renat Bohdanov Spikes Gutshot to Win Second WSOP Bracelet
- 36 John Racener Claims Third WSOP Bracelet For His Third Son
- 37 Philip Sternheimer Tears Up After Ending 13 Year Bracelet Chase
- 38 Joao Vieira Avenges WSOP Paradise Loss to Win WSOP $100K High Roller ($2,649,158)
- 39 Andrey Zhigalov Wheels In Second Bracelet in Event #39: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. ($197,923)
- 40 Ian Johns Slays 'Isildur1' to Win WSOP Limit Hold'em Championship for a Second Time
- 41 Fourth Bracelet & $647K for Seniors High Roller Champ David "ODB" Baker
- 42 Carlos Leiva Defeats Weisman on Way to Winning WSOP $1,000 PLO Bracelet Event
- 43 A Father's Day Special: Allan Le Denies Shaun Deeb in $1,500 Razz
- 44 Seth Davies Wins $250K WSOP Super High Roller for First Bracelet and $4.75M Score
- 45 V for Vongxaiburana as 'Hobby' Player Beats Pros to $10k Big O Bracelet
- 46 Hellmuth Denied as Jason Daly Wins Second Bracelet in $2,500 Omaha/Stud Hi-Lo
- 47 Joey Couden Wins Second Bracelet in $500 SALUTE to Warriors ($187,937)
- 48 Tyler Patterson Grabs Second Bracelet in $3K 6-Handed NLHE for $574K
- 49 Klemens Roiter Finishes the Job for First Bracelet in Event #37: $1,500 MONSTER STACK
- 50 Brian Rast in Seventh Heaven w/ Miraculous Comeback in WSOP $10k Razz Championship
- 51 Texan Punches Ticket to WSOP Main Event with $1.5K Freezeout Bracelet Win
- 52 Dennis Weiss Claims Victory in $25K PLO High Roller for $2,292,155
- 53 After 3 Runner-Ups, Matt Vengrin Finally Gets His WSOP Bracelet in $1.5K PLO
- 54 Mateos Makes History as 5th Youngest to Win 5 WSOP Bracelets
- 55 Emotional Kristopher Tong Uses Inspiration to Capture First WSOP Bracelet
- 56 Brett Lim to Sail Off into the Sunset After Senior's Championship Win
- 57 Benny Glaser Wins Three WSOP Bracelets in Three Weeks w/ Mixed Triple Draw Triumph
- 58 Dylan Linde Takes Down the $50k PLO High Roller for Third Bracelet and Career-Best Score
- 59 Welshman Wells Roars to Victory in $3K 9-Game Mix for Maiden Bracelet
- 60 Sebastiaan de Jonge the Sole Survivor in WSOP Battle of the Ages
- 61 Gavrieli Denies Bohlman Second Bracelet of the Summer in $3K Limit Hold'em
- 62 Craig Savage Bides His Time to Triumph in WSOP $500 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout
- 63 Yaginuma Overturns 9:1 Deficit to Win Millionaire Maker & 4th Bracelet
- 64 It's Déjà Vu as Aaron Cummings Goes Back-to-Back in $1,500 2-7 Triple Draw
- 65 Nedelcu Dominates Final Table to Win First Bracelet in $1,500 Eight Game Mix
- 66 Queen of the Felt: Shiina Okamoto Wins Back-to-Back WSOP Ladies Championships
- 67 Michael Mizrachi Makes History with Fourth $50K PPC Title at 2025 WSOP
- 68 Yilong Wang "Lucky Enough" To Win Bracelet In $3k No Limit Hold'em
- 69 Runs In the Family: Alex Wilkinson Finally Wins The $10k 2-7 TD Event
- 70 Rainer Kempe Speedruns First Bracelet In $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty
- 71 Zerjav Wins Second Bracelet of Summer as Huck Seed Narrowly Misses Out
- 72 Brazil’s Kerber & Patricio Win WSOP Tag Team Bracelet After 14-Year Journey
- 73 Andjelko Andrejevic Wins Maiden Bracelet in $5,000 6-Handed NLH ($855,515)
- 74 Lucky Eight for Lonny Weitzel as He Wins $1,000 Super Seniors Event
- 75 Ian Pelz Wins Gladiator Off One Hungover Bullet ($420,680)
- 76 Negreanu Denied as Aaron Kupin Wins First Bracelet in Mixed Big Bet
- 77 Michael Wang Completes One of WSOP’s Greatest Comebacks in $10K PLO
- 78 Just Like That! Martin Kabrhel Wins Fourth Bracelet in Mini Main Event
- 79 Qinghai 'The Terminator' Pan Comes Back for Extra Day & Wins $10K Stud Hi-Lo Championship
- 80 Shaun Deeb Wins Seventh WSOP Bracelet; Overtakes Player of the Year Lead
- 81 Fireworks in Las Vegas as Nick Ahmadi Wins PokerNews Deepstack Championship For $302,165
- 82 Mike Gorodinsky Wins Fifth WSOP Bracelet in $10K 8-Game Championship
- 83 Backgammon Pro Zdenek Zizka Denies Shaun Deeb Eighth Bracelet
- 84 WSOP Glory at Last: PokerGO Founder Cary Katz Wins $2,500 NLH Freezeout
- 85 Giuseppe Zarbo Wins $504,180 For $800 Summer Celebration Victory
- 86 "A Win with the Help of God" for Netanel Stern in Event #87: $5,000 Super Turbo Bounty ($618,377)
- 87 No Leaks in Fawcett's Game After WSOP Ultra Stack Triumph
- 88 Ferenc Deak Keeps Promise to Son With $1K PLO Mystery Bounty Bracelet Win
- 89 Slow and Steady, Khoi Le Nguyen Wins WSOP $50,000 High Roller
- 90 Kasparas Klezys Claims His First WSOP Bracelet in 6-Handed $1,500 PLO
- 91 Ian O’Hara Turns Up the Heat to Capture First WSOP Bracelet in Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship
- 92 Ryutaro Suzuki Ends Summer Grind With Victory in $3,000 T.O.R.S.E.
- 93 Joshua Boulton Bags Bracelet Before Boarding Flight Home With $311,349
- 94 Legends Never Fold: Nelson Mari Sanchez Strikes Gold in WSOP $777 Lucky 7’s
- 95 Mariano Balfagon Hits The Big Time Winning First WSOP Bracelet in $800 Deepstack for $252,386
- 96 Sam Soverel’s Speedy Sweep Secures Third Bracelet in $10k NLHE 6-Hand
- 97 Chad Eveslage Claims Fourth Bracelet in the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
- 98 Andrew Ostapchenko Wins Event #99: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $606,849
- 99 Lukas Zaskodny Wins Second Bracelet in the $1,500 The Closer Event
- 100 Mitchell Hynam Wins First Bracelet in Final Event of 2025 World Series of Poker
