Zdenek Zizka Marches On to Poker Stardom With the BSOP $100,000 Super High Roller Main Event Title
While his friend and countryman was, as usual, the center of attention, it was Zdenek Zizka who made sure his name would be in the headlines today at the final table of the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) Super High Roller Series R$500,000 ($100,000 US) Super High Roller Main Event.
Zizka was everything that Martin Kabrhel was not. While Kabrhel’s nonstop chatter could be heard across the room, Zizka barely uttered a word all day. Where Kabrhel’s polarizing antics were worthy of highlight reels and sparked controversy, Zizka remained stoic throughout the final table, letting his chips and cards do all the talking for him.
His approach worked, as the young Czech star continued his road to poker stardom by capturing the title and R$6,000,000 ($1,200,000 US) top prize, by far the biggest score of his career.
BSOP $100,000 Super High Roller Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (R$) | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zdenek Zizka | Czechia | R$6,000,000 | $1,200,000 |
| 2 | Felipe Boianovsky | Brazil | R$3,800,000 | $760,000 |
| 3 | Renan Bruschi | Brazil | R$2,700,000 | $540,000 |
| 4 | Martin Kabrhel | Czechia | R$2,000,000 | $400,000 |
| 5 | Ottomar Ladva | Estonia | R$1,500,000 | $300,000 |
| 6 | Gabriel Tavares | Brazil | R$1,193,600 | $238,700 |
“To be honest, I completely don’t know what it means yet,” Zizka said after defeating Brazilian superstar Felipe Boianovsky heads-up, still taking in the enormity of the moment. “It just means like another great piece from another new country, and it will definitely mean a lot.”
Zizka had been a star since he was a teenager, but not in poker. He was a backgammon prodigy, becoming a grandmaster and recognized as one of the best players in the world. He was runner-up in the 2022 Backgammon Championship and has branched off into coaching, even writing a popular strategy book, "The Zizka Method," for the game.
Poker was a different story. Zizka is a relative newcomer to the game, his first recorded cash coming just two years ago. Before the start of 2025, Zizka’s largest career score was for less than $20,000.
But so far this year, Zizka has become one of the top breakout players. He added a WSOP bracelet by defeating Shaun Deeb heads-up in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event this summer. He also made three final tables at the WSOP Europe in September, and had cashed for more than $1 million. His win today, though, prevailing over 36 of the top players from around the world, was nearly equal to all his previous live earnings combined and firmly establishes his reputation as a name to watch in the future.
Despite all his success, Zizka hasn’t fully appreciated how much he’s learned and grown as a poker player over the past 12 months. “To be honest, I have no idea. I always just try to do my best and that’s all the game,” he said. “I like the game since I was a little kid, so I just enjoy playing everything."
Final Table Action
The final six players returned to the WTC Sheraton in Sao Paulo today at 4 p.m. after surviving the money bubble late yesterday. Zizka, thanks to taking down a three-way all in with aces while approaching the final table, began as the massive chip leader with 7,495,000, more than double his closest challenger.
His lead wouldn’t last long, however, as Boianovsky won a flip with ace-king against Zizka’s tens to double up and overtake Zizka atop the leaderboard. Kabrhel then shoved from the cutoff over a raise from Boianovsky, and Gabriel Tavares called for 960,000 on the button while Boianovsky got away. Tavares showed two queens, but Kabrhel had kings to send Tavares to the rail in sixth place.
Ottomar Ladva then tangled in a pot against his two Czech opponents, betting 450,000 on the river. Kabrhel folded, but Zizka moved all in. Ladva called for an additional 355,000 with two jacks, but Zizka had flopped a set of threes and improved to a full house on the turn to win the pot and eliminate the Estonian in fifth.
Zizka and Boianovsky were far in front during four-handed play as Kabrhel and Renan Bruschi hung back and waited for the right spot. The two chip leaders were involved in nearly every pot, usually against each other. “This is like heads-up. We are like spectators, Renan,” Kabrhel said to Bruschi.
Zizka reopened a big lead when he made a big call with just a pair of threes on the river, while Boianovsky could only show queen-high. Zizka then flopped another set of threes in a pot off Boianovsky, moving up to 11,000,000.
Bruschi finally got involved when he snapped off Zizka on the river with a full house to climb up to 5,000,000 right before the players went off on break. When they returned, Bruschi and Kabrhel, the two table nemeses who had a heated argument yesterday after Bruschi accused Kabrhel of intentionally marking cards, played a pot that reverberated around the entire room.
Kabrhel was down to 830,000 and shoved all in with two nines, but Bruschi had two jacks as he was poised to silence Kabrhel. The flop, though, gave Kabrhel a set and the lead. “Casino Royale! Vamos!” he shouted, until a jack arrived on the turn to give Bruschi a set.
The hundreds of players inside the room, watching the action on the big screen, erupted in celebration and greeted Kabrhel’s fourth-place elimination with a round of boos as he made a quick exit from the tournament area.
The three remaining players briefly paused to discuss a deal before Bruschi hit a flush on the turn to double off Zizka and take the chip lead. Boianovsky retook a big lead when he made a king-high straight against Zizka’s jack-high straight.
Bruschi got another double off Boianovsky, while Zizka fell to the short stack. He then moved all in for 2,800,000 on the button, and Boianovsky reshoved in the small blind. Bruschi took one peek at his cards and snap-called for 5,400,000 with ace-king. Zizka had two sevens, and Boianovsky turned over two nines as he was in the lead with a chance to secure the trophy if he could win this flip. Bruschi picked up a flush draw on the flop, but it was Zizka who spiked a set on the turn to take the lead. He tripled up, while Boianovsky took the side pot to send Bruschi to the rail in third place.
Boianovsky led 9,600,000 to 8,400,000 at the start of heads-up, and widened the gap when he flopped two pair and shoved the river, where Zizka gave up top pair. Boianovsky then shoved again on the river, but this time Zizka called for 1,600,000 with a pair of aces. Boianovsky could only show a missed flush draw and handed over the double up, and with it the chip lead heads-up.
Zizka began to pull away until Boianovsky got in his last 4,100,00 with ace-nine, while Zizka had two tens. Boianovsky needed an ace to keep Brazilian hopes of keeping the title on native soil alive, but he missed the board and Zizka took down the pot to win the title.
Kabrhel was the first person to join in Zizka’s celebration. “Having his support definitely means a lot. Nice feeling,” Zizka said about having Kabrhel in his corner.
Zizka was making his first visit to Brazil for this series, and had already made the final table of the $20,000 Super High Roller a few days ago. “So far I enjoy it. I had one more deep run, so I can’t complain,” he said. He promises he’ll try to return next year and defend his title.
The BSOP promised to hold the biggest poker festival in Latin American history with the Super High Roller Series, and they came through. Zizka brought the series to an end, etching his name in the record books and continuing his rapid rise in the poker world.
That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the BSOP $100,000 Super High Roller Main Event. Stay tuned for continuing coverage of the $6,000 BSOP Championship here in Sao Paulo.