Ladva Goes The Distance, Claiming BSOP $20,000 One-Day Super High Roller Title
Just two days ago, Ottomar Ladva surrendered a 14:1 chip lead heads up to finish second place in the $30,000 Super High Roller, and just a mere 12 hours ago, he bubbled the $50,000 Super High Roller event.
It's fair to say it has been a turbulent couple of days for the Estonian, and many would forgive him for treating himself to an evening off.
Ladva chose a different approach, opting instead to jump straight into the next available high-stakes tournament, the $20,000 One-Day Super High Roller, and after 15 hours of play, he can call himself a BSOP Super High Roller Champion.
Hosted at the WTC Sheraton in São Paulo, the latest instalment 2025 BSOP SHR Series attracted a 58-strong field, creating a $1,160,000 prize pool.
Finishing at nearly 6:30 a.m. local time, it was Ladva who claimed the $321,000 first-place prize, the trophy and the right to some well-earned rest.
$20,000 One-Day Super High Roller Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottomar Ladva | Estonia | $321,000* |
| 2 | Rodrigo Selouan | Brazil | $251,000* |
| 3 | Carlos Serrano | Colombia | $155,000 |
| 4 | Alisson Piekazewicz | Brazil | $118,000 |
| 5 | Affif Prado | Brazil | $91,000 |
| 6 | Rafael Mota | Brazil | $71,000 |
| 7 | Ivan Luca | Argentina | $57,000 |
| 8 | Allan Mello | Brazil | $44,000 |
*Denotes a heads-up deal
Ladva is no stranger to success in high-pressure, strategic environments. The 28-year-old poker convert is a chess Grandmaster who, at just 13, became the youngest ever winner of the Estonian Chess Championship—an event he would go on to win three more times.
He has since shifted his focus from the chessboard to the poker table, transferring those skills with remarkable success. According to The Hendon Mob, he has amassed more than $3 million USD in lifetime earnings - a figure that sees him sit second on Estonia’s all-time money list.
A regular presence on the high-stakes circuit, Ladva already boasts multiple $25k victories and continues to cement his status as one of poker’s rising stars.
Winner's Reaction
After a marathon day that stretched fifteen hours, Ladva offered some insight as to how his day had started poorly, but ultimately finished on a high note.
“Yeah, I'm just super tired, but also happy. The day started pretty badly; I bubbled to $50k, so I jumped right into this and ended up playing 15 hours of poker, which is way too much, but then the result is pretty good.”
Coming off a tough runner-up finish in the $30k event — one that ended in improbable circumstances — some players might have framed this result as redemption, but he dismissed that notion entirely.
"I don't really think about it like that. I ran pretty badly in the $30k heads up, and that is how it goes sometimes."
His perspective is shaped not only by experience at the tables but also by the unique foundation he brings from another discipline. As a chess grandmaster competing in elite poker fields, he sees a clear connection between the two games, advising that his discipline from playing chess carries over, which is an invaluable asset in poker.
Despite the lengthy test of endurance today, there will be little time for rest, as Ladva will be in the queue to join the $100,000 Super High Roller tomorrow.
"'I will be trying to get some rest [before the $100k]" were his parting thoughts.
Final Table Action
Once the final nine players were confirmed, action paused briefly for a quick photoshoot of the final table lineup. With only eight places paid, however, one player would leave with nothing more than that photo as a souvenir.
When play resumed, it took almost no time at all for the bubble to burst. Within the first few hands, Fabiano Kovalski became the unfortunate ninth-place finisher, ensuring the rest of the table locked up a payout.
It would take a full hour before the next elimination. Allan Mello called an all-in with ace-queen but lost out to the six-five suited of the then–chip leader.
Next to fall was Ivan Luca. The Argentine, appearing on his fourth final table of the BSOP Super High Roller Series, moved all in with ace-five suited but ran into the pocket kings of eventual champion Ladva.
From there, the pace accelerated dramatically.
Rafael Mota bowed out in sixth place after a one-two blow from Ladva. First, Ladva doubled through Mota—pocket queens against ace-king—and just a few hands later, he claimed the rest of Mota’s stack to send him to the rail.
Moments later, a short-stacked Affif Prado followed in fifth place, leaving just four contenders.
The start-of-day chip leader, Alisson Piekazewicz, was next to depart. Reduced to a short stack, he was eliminated by Rodrigo Selouan.
Next to fall, Carlos Serrano exited in third. Serrano was one of a few different players to hold the chip lead during the final table, but he had fallen down the ranks and was then unable to win a preflop flip.
With the clock having surpassed 6:00 a.m. local time, the remaining two players immediately began discussing a deal.
Because tournament rules required at least 10% of the prize pool to be played for, Ladva and Selouan agreed to chop the majority of the remaining prize pool and simply flip for the extra cash and the trophy.
Ladva held four-two offsuit but paired up to beat the jack-ten of Selouan, securing the title.
That’s all from this event, but don’t go anywhere— as PokerNews continues to bring you full coverage of the 2025 BSOP Super High Roller Series.