Tag Archives: 2025 WPO

2025 WPO in Review

Scott Heiligman, 2025 WPO Champion

The 2025 Winter Poker Open was a 13-day series with ten trophy events, more than $600,000 in guaranteed money, and a ton of fun from start to finish.

Events: 10
Entries: 2,879
Guarantees: $605,000
Prize Pools: $1,426,570

Nearly 3,000 entries over those ten events, including the huge opener with 1,397 of them, and just shy of $1.5 million awarded.

Those are, once again, fantastic numbers and we cannot thank our players enough for another great turnout.

See you in April for the Tampa Poker Classic from April 23 – May 5; look for the tournament schedule to be released soon!

$1,700 WPO Championship: Scott Heiligmann – $127,020
Event 1 ($400 NLH): Don Manns – $66,163
Event 2 ($200 Bankroll Builder): Gabe Fuller – $8,740
Event 3 ($400 O8): Jay Kerbel – $5,295
Event 4 ($700 DeepStack Challenge): Ken O’Donnell – $30,190
Event 5 ($400 OE): Frank Muir – $4,263
Event 6 ($200 Bounty): Daniel D’Alessandro – $3,860
Event 7 ($400 PLO): Josh Nicholson – $6,580
Event 9 ($400 NLH): Ethan Mellish – $10,960
Event 10 ($250 Seniors): Robert Fiore – $5,898

Don Manns, 2025 WPO Event 1 Champion
Gabe Fuller, 2025 WPO Event 2 Champ
Jay Kerbel, 2025 WPO Event 3 champ
Ken O’Donnell, 2025 WPO Event 4 champ
Frank Muir, 2025 WPO Event 5 champ
Daniel D’Allesandro, 2025 WPO Event 6 champ
Josh Nicholson, 2025 WPO Event 7 champ
Ethan Mellish, 2025 WPO Event 9 champ
Robert Fiore, 2025 WPO Event 10 champ

Robert Fiore Goes Back-to-Back in WPO Seniors!

2025 Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 10
$250 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
$10,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  135
Prize Pool:  $27,675
February 3, 2025

Robert Fiore, 2025 WPO Event 10 champ

The last tournament on the 2025 WPO schedule was the popular $250 Seniors 50+ Event. The tournament drew 135 entries, nearly tripling the $10,000 guarantee, and we had a familiar face as the last player standing.

Robert Fiore earned the Event 10 title along with $5,898 in a heads-up deal, and he also set a little history by going back-to-back in this tournament. Fiore was the 2024 Pinktober Poker Open Seniors Event champ; now we’ll see if he can get three during the Tampa Poker Classic.

Congrats again Robert!

PlaceFirst NameLast NameCityStatePrize Amount
1RobertFioreSeminoleFL$5,898 *
2JulioNovoTampaFL$5,897 *
3DarrylWoodruffClearwaterFL$3,300
4RayLambertClearwaterFL$2,370
5JosephStevensMulberryFL$1,750
6VittarioIemoloSarasotaFL$1,330
7JasonKlapmanTampaFL$1,040
8JamesGibsonCrystal RiverFL$850
9JamesMorrisseyLand O LakesFL$710
10ThomasMcdonaldSeminoleFL$710
11RobertKosydarWimaumaFL$610
12RichardLaddHypoluxoFL$610
13JeffreyKohlmannBradentonFL$550
14RobertMclaughlinLithiaFL$550
15DanielLobatoClearwaterFL$500
16StephenBachmanHowellMI$500
17DavidCainLockportIL$500

Scott Heiligman Wins 2025 WPO Championship Outright for $127,020!

2025 Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 8
$1,700 WPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$300,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  425
Prize Pool:  $637,500
January 30 – February 3, 2025

Scott Heiligman, 2025 WPO Champion

The 2025 Winter Poker Open wrapped up its final weekend with the headliner, the WPO Championship, with a $1,700 buy-in and $300,000 guaranteed prize pool. The tournament drew 425 entries, more than doubling that guarantee, and Scott Heiligman conquered a tough final table to take the title outright for $127,020.

Our players helped put together a prize pool worth $637,500 and the last 55 players made the money for a Day 2 bag. David Moses took advantage of the best-stack-forward format to get paid twice, a min-cash for his smaller bag, and he finished 31st with his biggest.

The tournament quickly played down to its final table, and it became a battle. Nine tough players, including Ryan Hogan coming off a series in Hollywood where he cashed for more than $300K in two tournaments.

They played nearly four hours four-handed before Sandro Vianna De Sa was eliminated. Gabe Fuller was a masterful short-stacked player, working his way up to third when they finally sent him out.

Hogan had the chip lead at the start of heads-up play, but Heiligman battled back and took the title outright, winning a big tournament against tough players.

Congrats to Scott, and thank you to everyone who came out!

Results:

PlaceFirst NameLast NameCityStatePrize Amount
1ScottHeiligmanNaplesFL$127,020
2RyanHoganWinter GardenFL$84,520
3GabeFullerTampaFL$62,230
4SandroVianna De SaWinter GardenFL$46,280
5JohnKamisChicagoIL$34,770
6WilliamMedina DiazLand O LakesFL$26,380
7StephenDeesDaytonOH$20,220
8RustyWadsworth JrWeirsdaleFL$15,640
9DanClementeWesley ChapelFL$12,220
10FredParadisOldsmarFL$12,220
11VincentCensabellaWinter SpringsFL$9,640
12DakotaDiazSeminoleFL$9,640
13WayneLeonardTampaFL$7,860
14DavidMeagherMulberryFL$7,860
15AaronMederosTampaFL$6,500
16JeffreyTrudeau JrMount DoraFL$6,500
17ColbyCovingtonMiramarFL$5,460
18WilliamWolfTampaFL$5,460
19FilippKhavinSaint PetersburgFL$5,460
20RobertGillRiverviewFL$5,460
21JamesDoepkerFort ThomasKY$4,660
22MarkGlazewskiHernandoFL$4,660
23PhiNguyenTampaFL$4,660
24DionJagrooWinter GardenFL$4,660
25PaulSneadKings ParkNY$4,050
26DavidTuthillSt PetersburgFL$4,050
27MikeAhmadLutzFL$4,050
28JamesMaitaTampaFL$4,050
29DrewDodgeSpring HillFL$4,050
30StephenBriteBradentonFL$4,050
31DavidMosesAshevilleNC$4,050
32MitchMitchellSatellite BeachFL$4,050
33TamasHartmanTampaFL$3,580
34RJSullivanRiverviewFL$3,580
35JennFrankensteinLongwoodFL$3,580
36JamesCalderaroEnglewoodFL$3,580
37RayManciniSarasotaFL$3,580
38WasimAssafOrlandoFL$3,580
39MichaelLaakeApollo BeachFL$3,580
40BrianRayTampaFL$2,580
41PeterBozekSarasotaFL$3,220
42JaredReinstenTallahasseeFL$3,220
43ReeseCombsLutzFL$3,220
44SalvadorRamosOcalaFL$3,220
45PratikShahTampaFL$3,220
46MatthewWhiteNorth PortFL$3,220
47GustavoFelicio MachadoCampinas$3,220
48KumarKantamaneniRiverviewFL$3,220
49SihaoZhangUseldange$2,960
50KenFishmanTarpon SpringsFL$2,960
51DorianRios PavonLas VegasNV$2,960
52ChristopherHydenSt PetersburgFL$2,960
53MansoorKaderSt PetersburgFL$2,960
54DanielChalifourSpoffordNH$2,960
55DavidMosesAshevilleNC$2,960

Ethan Mellish Wins WPO Event 9 for $10,960 in Three-Way Deal

2025 Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 9
$400 No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$25,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  158
Prize Pool:  $52,930
February 2, 2025

Ethan Mellish, 2025 WPO Event 9 champ
PlaceFirst NameLast NameCityStatePrize Amount
1EthanMellishTampaFL$10,960 *
2AnthonyLicastroNaplesFL$8,850 *
3MostafaAboalmajedCairoFL$7,850 *
4KennethSohlTampaFL$4,460
5RobertWinslerSarasotaFL$3,320
6HughMembrinoVeniceFL$2,520
7CarlosMartirBrandonFL$1,960
8JulioLopez GalvezTampaFL$1,550
9LawrenceDowlingOrlandoFL$1,260
10WalterThornton IiiRiverviewFL$1,260
11BryanCuzinoNew Port RicheyFL$1,080
12RajeshMehtaTampaFL$1,080
13JeromeYoungbarFairlandIN$940
14KarlManouchakianTampaFL$940
15StevenSinclairTampaFL$850
16ChristopherBobinettIndianapolisIN$850
17MarkGlazewskiHernandoFL$800
18CharlesMitchell IiiSatellite BeachFL$800
19MikeAhmadLutzFL$800
20WasimAssafOrlandoFL$800

Championship: Scott Heiligman Defeats Ryan Hogan for the Title

$1,700 WPO Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $637,500 | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante

Scott Heiligman

With the board reading Tc8d3d9h, Scott Heiligman bet 2,000,000 and Ryan Hogan called.

The river was Qs, Heiligman checked, and Hogan moved all in. Heiligman thought for several moments before he called.

“Good call,” Hogan told him.

Heiligman showed Ts3s for flopped two pair and Hogan flipped over 9c7c. Heiligman was the player at risk for his last 4,650,000 to leave Hogan with only 650K.

Hogan doubled up twice before Heiligman was able dispatch him to take the prize of $127,020.

1st: Scott Heiligman – $127,020 + WPO Trophy
2nd: Ryan Hogan – $84,520

Full recap to come later.

Ryan Hogan

Championship: Gabe Fuller – 3rd Place ($62,230)

$1,700 WPO Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $637,500 | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  125,000/250,000 with a 250,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 425

Gabe Fuller

Scott Heiligman folded his button, Ryan Hogan moved all in from the small blind and Gabe Fuller called for about 1,000,000.

Hogan: AhQc
Fuller: KsJs

Fuller had two live cards, had a glimpse of a jack in the window, but both made a pair on the AsJd6s flop. The Ac turn and Qd river finished board, Hogan made a boat, and Fuller’s great run came to an end.

Ryan Hogan – 9,350,000 (37 bb)
Gabe Fuller – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($62,230)

Championship: Sandro Vianna De Sa – 4th Place ($46,280)

$1,700 WPO Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $637,500 | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 425

Sandro Vianna De Sa

Scott Heiligman moved all in for 2,650,000 from the small blind and Sandro Vianna De Sa called in the big blind.

Heiligman: QdTd
Vianna De Sa: 9h9d

Yet another flip at the final table and Heiligman slammed the door pretty hard when he flopped a diamond flush on the 8d5d3d board. It finished Kh turn and 2c river to send the pot to Heiligman.

Vianna De Sa was down to four bigs and eliminated by Gabe Fuller two hands later.

Scott Heiligman – 5,500,000 (28 bb)
Sandro Vianna De Sa – Eliminated in 4th Place ($46,280)

Championship: Scott Heiligman Doubles Through Gabe Fuller

$1,700 WPO Championship (Re-Entry)
Prize Pool: $637,500 | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 425

Gabe Fuller opened to 400,000 and Scott Heiligman moved all in for 1,575,000 from the button. The blinds folded and Fuller called with the bigger stack.

Heiligman: Ad8c
Fuller: 6c6h

Heiligman needed to improve to double up but missed the KhQh5d flop. The Ts turn was no help but he hit the As river to double.

Scott Heiligman – 3,650,000 (18 bb)
Gabe Fuller – 2,100,000 (11 bb)