During a final table that included a past PPC champion, multiple WSOP bracelet winners, mixed-game masters, and a young online legend, it was the man who just plays poker for fun who outlasted the field in Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship.
Veerachai Vongxaiburana, a day trader who admits he only plays poker as a hobby, was the last man standing in a field of 402 of some of the top names in poker after defeating four-time bracelet winner Phil Hui in a long heads-up match to win his first WSOP gold bracelet and $784,353 top prize.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veerachai Vongxaiburana | United States | $784,353 |
| 2 | Phil Hui | United States | $522,878 |
| 3 | Marco Johnson | United States | $360,711 |
| 4 | Shawn Rice | United States | $253,276 |
| 5 | Viktor Blom | Sweden | $181,069 |
| 6 | Christopher Demaci | United States | $131,841 |
| 7 | Noah Kelley | United States | $97,806 |
| 8 | Brian Battistone | United States | $73,950 |
Vongxaiburana was a relative unknown at the start of the tournament, but now will have the title of bracelet winner forever attached to his name. “It sounds great. I’ve been playing a long time, and it’s nice to finally win one,” Vongxaiburana said.
“It was a very tough field. I’m sure they have a lot more experience, but luckily I ran pretty good and the cards fell my way.”
The 51-year-old, who now calls Las Vegas home, had WSOP results dating back to 2013 but had never made a live final table before today. Not only was the prize his first-ever six-figure score, but it was more than double his previous career earnings combined.
While he has a career outside poker, Vongxaiburana admits he’s far from a poker newcomer and has devoted considerable attention to the game over the years. “I’ve been living here for 16 years, so I’ve been playing more than I’ve been working,” he said.
“I just play for fun. I play a lot, mostly Pot-Limit Omaha, some Big O. I like Big O. I don’t play much else. I don’t play a lot of the mixed games.”
Vongxaiburana more than held his own in this tough field. He had the chip lead after Day 2 and spent most of the last three days near the top of the counts. “I ran really good. I ran really good from start to finish, pretty much,” he said.
Day 4 Action
Day 4 began with five players remaining out of the 402-entry starting field. Marco Johnson had the chip lead with 5,950,000, while Viktor Blom (5,095,000) was in second and Vongxaiburana (4,910,000) followed in third place.
Vongxaiburana went on a tear at the start of the day, winning most pots including one where he shoved the turn on Blom as he climbed up past 9,000,000 early. Blom made a full house to double off Vongxaiburana and move back up to 5,000,000, then filled up once again to win another big pot off Vongxaiburana as the Swedish online superstar took the chip lead.
It proved short-lived, however, as Johnson was all in for 2,370,000 on the river and Blom called. Johnson turned over quads and a wheel to scoop the pot and double up, dropping Blom back to a short stack.
Vongxaiburana found himself all in for 5,400,000 against Johnson and took three-quarters with a rivered straight and nut low. Blom doubled up once again before Shawn Rice opened a pot to 500,000 and Blom potted to 1,580,000 in the small blind. Hui repotted in the big blind and Rice called for his last 2,200,000, while Blom also called off his last 740,000. Hui had two aces and neither Blom nor Rice could connect with the board as Hui scooped the pot to send both players to the rail. Blom, making his fourth final table appearance this series but still looking for his first bracelet, claimed fifth place and Rice fourth as the bigger stack.
Hui held the chip lead with 11,300,000 as the final three headed off on a break. Soon after returning, Johnson got his last 2,700,000 in the middle with a pair of aces, but Vongxaiburana had top two pair and a low to scoop the pot and bust Johnson in third. It was a bittersweet result for Johnson, whose last of his two WSOP bracelets came nearly a decade ago and who was appearing at his 15th final table since then without a win.
Vongxaiburana led 13,500,000 to Hui’s 10,500,000 at the start of heads-up. Both players were content to limp and keep most pots small as they remained virtually level in the counts for the first stages of the match.
Vongxaiburana finally opened a lead when he made a full house with a low and Hui called his 1,000,000 bet on the river. Hui then bet 1,700,000 on the river, but Vongxaiburana came back with an all-in raise and Hui, with around 5,900,000 remaining, folded.
Hui made the nut flush and a low to scoop a double up and climb back into contention, soon moving back into the lead. Just before players were preparing to go on another break, Vongxaiburana bet 500,000 on the turn from the big blind and Hui raised to 2,000,000. Vongxaiburana called to the river where he led out for 800,000. Hui potted again and Vongxaiburana snap-called for 7,300,000 with a ten-high straight and nut low. Hui mucked a smaller straight to drop down to an extreme short stack.
Hui doubled up once when he spiked a wheel on the river, but the next hand got his last 5,300,000 in the middle with a pair of sixes and straight draw against Vongxaiburana’s straight draw. The turn was safe for Hui, but Vongxaiburana spiked his straight on the river to secure the bracelet.
Vongxaiburana acknowledged the difference in pedigrees between himself and the 2019 PPC champion, who fell one spot short of his fifth bracelet. “He’s tough. I know he has a lot of experience. I assume he was trying to grind me down. I was trying to do the same. Luckily, I had that big double up right at the end. That was good,” he said about his match with Hui.
Vongxaiburana isn’t sticking around to go bracelet-hunting once again. He’s headed out of town later this week, but says he’ll be back to play a select few events. “I’ll probably play the $10,000 PLO and the Main Event. I don’t know if I’ll play any other events,” he said.
That concludes PokerNews' coverage of the Big O Championship. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the 2025 WSOP.
