Alan Pham Crosses $1 Million in Earnings With WPT Australia Championship Victory
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The World Poker Tour returned down under this month for the WPT Australia festival that ran Sept. 18-Oct. 1. at The Star Sydney casino. The series culminated with the $5,500 AUD buy-in WPT Australia Championship, which drew 600 entries for a prize pool of $1,961,000 USD and saw Alan Pham to win $364,958 USD and have his name etched on the Mike Sexton Champion's Cup.
The six-handed final table, which was streamed on YouTube, consisted of all Australians, including runner-up Jordan Bautista, who took home $243,013 USD as he was denied his first major title. The Aussie affair also included Jiaxu Chen, Corey Kempson, Luo Ming Liu and Jarrod Thatcher.
2025 WPT Australia Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (AU) | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Pham | Australia | $588,211 | $364,958 |
| 2 | Jordan Bautista | Australia | $371,693 | $243,013 |
| 3 | Jarrod Thatcher | Australia | $273,928 | $179,094 |
| 4 | Luo Ming Liu | Australia | $203,971 | $133,356 |
| 5 | Corey Kempson | Australia | $153,458 | $100,330 |
| 6 | Jiaxu Chen | Australia | $116,656 | $76,270 |
We Did It, Pham
According to WPT updates, it took 145 hands for Pham to secure the victory. It pushes Pham above $1 million in Hendon Mob earnings and marks an improvement on his previous best cash, a victory in a 2023 Asian Poker Tour Vietnam event for $84,606.
The same year, Pham won a WPT Prime Gold Coast High Roller for $47,710. Now, he has a WPT Main Event title to his name.
"It feels surreal, it feels like a dream!" Pham told WPT anchor Lynn Gilmartin after his WPT Australia Championship victory.
Pham entered the final table second in chips with more than a hundred big blinds, behind only Bautista with nearly double his stack. Bautista scored the first two knockouts as his pocket sevens flopped a set to crush the king-jack of Chen, and he soon after eliminated Kempson.
Next, it was the eventual champion's turn for a knockout as Pham's pocket jacks stayed far in front of the queen-eight of Liu. Bautista further picked things up from there as his Big Slick pipped the king-jack of Thatcher to send him out in third place for $179,094.
A lengthy heads-up battle then ensued as Pham slowly chipped away at Batuista's lead before eventually making a full house to take the lead. The final hand saw Bautista three-bet jamming into a flopped two pair to be drawing slim with ace-high, and the turn had him drawing dead to confirm his runner-up finish.
The WPT Australia Championship has a rich history that last year saw longtime poker pro and former tennis pro James Obst winning the title and $398,512.
This year's festival also included a $20,000 AUD Super High Roller, a $5,000 AUD Mad Max 8-Handed event and the $1,500 AUD buy-in Australian Poker Cup.
Check out the final table action of the WPT Australia Championship on YouTube.
*Photos courtesy WPT
