Seat 5: Michael Berk, 30, Las Vegas, Nevada (985,000)
Michael Berk was well-known in the Midwest poker circles before he moved to Las Vegas, just as did some of his opponents at this final table. Berk used to work in IT, but he turned poker pro a few years ago.
2023 was a breakout year for the then 28-year-old. That year, Berk went on to win the MSPT Riverside for $143,467 and then claimed a $229,000 payout slip for a 42nd place in the WSOP Main Event.
The next year was a little underwhelming for the grinder, but Berk bounced back with a strong start to 2025, becoming a regular in PokerGO’s five-figure buy-in events. His live cashes to date combine for an impressive $2.3 million, and he’s going to bolster that tally here at NAPT Main Event.
Third time seems to be the charm for Berk, who competed in the PokerStars-sponsored Main Event at Resorts World Las Vegas all three years since NAPT’s reintroduction. He missed out on paid places on his debut but took home $12,950 last fall. This time, he will walk away with a six-figure prize, which could prove a big step towards emulating the career of his favorite player: Michael Addamo.
Player bios courtesy of Jan Kores/PokerStars
Tournament Progression
Day 1: 273,000 (2/66, 1a)
Day 2: 522,000 (7/84)
Day 3: 887,000 (8/40)
Day 4: 1,785,000 (5/16)
Day 5: 985,000 (5/6)
Career statistics
Career earnings: $2,312,986
EPT/NAPT cashes: 1
Best result: 66th, 2024 NAPT
Key hands
With the final table approaching, Jesse Yaginuma committed most of his stack with a raise of 700,000 and Berk shoved all in. Yaginuma called with ace-five, while Berk showed two tens. Any suspense was completely evaporated when the flop gave Berk quads, sending Yaginuma to the rail in 11th place.
Berk then eliminated Richard Green in eighth place when his ace-queen won a race against Green's tens.