Defending Champion Spotlight: Johannes Straver
A lucky queen on the turn crowned Johannes Straver as the winner of the $10,000 GGMillion$ NLH Championship at WSOP Paradise in 2024, completing a lifelong goal and earning his first WSOP bracelet.
Straver navigated a tough field of 532 entries, defeating Jon Vallinas heads-up to claim $807,430.
Event #12: $10,000 GGMillion$ NLH Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannes Straver | Netherlands | $807,430 |
| 2 | Jon Vallinas | Spain | $622,340 |
| 3 | Fabian Niederreiter | Germany | $479,890 |
| 4 | Arthur Conan | France | $370,040 |
| 5 | Wookuk Lee | South Korea | $285,340 |
| 6 | Abdelhakim Zoufri | Netherlands | $220,030 |
| 7 | Rui Neves | Portugal | $169,660 |
| 8 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $130,830 |
| 9 | Marc Rivera | Philippines | $100,880 |
Straver, who had previously finished second in the $5,000 Freezeout at the 2022 WSOP, pushed his career earnings above $4 million.
“It’s quite surreal… all the important all-ins just kept turning my way,” he said. “The last couple of years, I tried to play more live tournaments. To win one is super nice.”
The final table featured some of poker’s biggest names, including Phil Hellmuth, who was vying for his 18th bracelet but fell in eighth. Straver began three-handed play as the short stack but doubled through Vallinas and hit a straight to eliminate Fabian Niederreiter in third.
Heads-up, Straver and Vallinas exchanged blows, but a flush on the turn gave Straver the lead and ultimately the victory. “In poker, you cannot do it alone," said Straver. "I’m very happy with all my friends, even the ones who aren’t here."