Ian Pelz is an American poker player from Boulder, Colorado, who is best known for winning the $300 Gladiators of Poker event at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for $420,680 and his first WSOP bracelet.
Pelz has live tournament cashes dating back to November 2009, although most of his cashes stem from 2016 onward.
In May 2018, he won a $400 buy-in event at the Colorado Poker Championship for $47,454. That only remained his largest haul until he finished 37th in the 2019 WSOP Main Event for $211,945.
At the 2025 WSOP, Pelz finished third in the $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed event for $85,431. After a night in Las Vegas celebrating, Pelz returned to the Horseshoe and Paris to collect his car from the parking lot. On a whim, and admittedly hungover from the night before, Pelz entered the $300 Gladiators of Poker. He went on to outlast 24,628 opponents to bank $420,680 and a bracelet.
Ian Pelz's Top Five Poker Results
| Date | Event | Rank | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2025 | $300 Gladiators of Poker WSOP | 1st | $420,680 |
| Jul 2019 | $10,000 WSOP Main Event | 37 | $211,945 |
| Jun 2025 | $3,000 LHE 6-Max WSOP | 3rd | $85,431 |
| May 2018 | $400 NLHE | 1st | $47,454 |
