Christopher Thiel

Eloy Cabacas

The final tournament of the WSOPC at Grand Victoria in Elgin, IL has come to a pass. A total of 19 events awarded millions of dollars in prize money to hundreds of people all week, with Event #19: $400 Closer Double Stack being the last tournament to do so. 339 players came out to make the final prize pool a significant sum of $111,870, which the final 51 players saw a piece of. 

A day before, Christopher Thiel finished in the main at the final two tables after losing a flip to Cero Zuccarello. He initially was not going to play this series, but something changed his mind. 

"My best friend Oliwer(Sankiewicz)," he said "he inspired me, he came in second in the monster stack a few days ago and I came to watch his final table. After that, I felt that I wanted to do it too or else I would just stick to cash." 

Sankiewicz was one of two on Thiel's rail throughout the tournament as his friend Jake also came out to watch because Sankiewicz had texted him how well Thiel was doing in the tournament. Thiel continued in saying just how grateful he was to have such good and supportive friends. 

"Around the third break I took a big hit in chips," Thiel said when discussing some of the details of his own tournament path "that was the one point of the tournament where I felt most negative. After four more levels or so, I was able to climb back up."

"I am a cash game player," he said as far as his poker background is concerned "but I now I feel rejuvenated in my game. I feel how I did when I first started in the game." 

With a new high score, a new piece of jewelry, he also gets a seat to the WSOP Tournament of champions in 2025. 

"I cannot imagine not going to play the tournament," the new champion said with a smile beaming across his face. 

Final Table Results

1. Christopher Thiel - $23,178
2. Aish Ayyash - $15,457
3. Boshuang Gao - $10,613
4. Sarah Buckley - $7,453
5. Travis Hague - $5,356
6. Spence Madole - $3,941
7. Kimberly Thounsavath - $2,971
8. Jamie Payne - $2,295
9. Mousa Haddad - $1,819
10. George Pappas - $1,480

That will do it for our coverage of the WSOPC at the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, IL. Thank you so much for tuning in for all of the updates out here and be sure to follow along as the WSOPC travels to The Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stay cool and get lucky!

Robert J Williams

Eloy Cabacas

Event #18: $400 Big O saw a total of 97 players come out to make a prize pool worth $32,010 which the final 15 players saw. Only 10 players returned to play this morning with hope that they could become the inaugural Big O ring event champion. 

From 10 to 1, Robert J Williams stood alone at day's end with his first WSOPC ring. 12 years ago he finished in fourth place in an O8 WSOPC ring event, the closest that he had ever come to a ring at that point. With many cashes and titles in mixed game tournaments all around, he takes home his largest score of $8,688 along with the ring. 

"I've got a little bit of adrenaline right now," the new champion remarked on his mental state "I've had a few close calls. Lots of cashes, but I did win a Big O tournament down in St. Louis a little while ago." 

The vast majority of his cashes come from from hi lo variants. 

"I'm more comfortable in hi-lo than just high," he said "the main thing in this game is playing your cards and patience. Never give up, this game you can always get back in it." 

The 2025 WSOP Tournament of Champions now has a new entrant from the mixed game community and Williams is happy to make the trip out to claim a piece of the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. 

Final Table Results

1. Robert J Williams - $8,688
2. Darin Utley - $5,599
3. Derrick Ross - $3,711
4. Homi Syodia - $2,589
5. TJ Scarber - $1,893
6. Zayya Oshana - $1,453
7. Tim Coughran - $1,174
8. Ryan Scully - $1,001

Tim Capretta

Eloy Cabacas

The second most expensive tournament of the series materialized in the form of Event #17: $1,100 High Roller, which drew out 126 players out to comp for one of the last titles of the series. This created a prize pool of $122,850 which just the final 19 saw any piece of. Only 12 players came back to play today, with one standing above the rest by days' end. 

Conquering it all was Ohio's Tim Capretta who won his first WSOPC ring at for $31,134. A high roller is a fitting title for Capretta, who with this ring crosses the $1 million lifetime earnings milestone on Hendon Mob. His wins and cashes across the country have seen scores nearing $300k and he came into the day as one of the most experienced remaining players. 

"It was hard work," the new champion said just after winning the event "lot of roller coasters, up and down, four bullets in this thing and finally did something on the fourth bullet." 

The heads up match came down to two-time WSOPC champion Craig Trost and one hand stood out particularly as the defining moment of the heads up match. Trost held the chip lead up until this point in the match and rivered three nines in a very sizable pot, but Capretta had made nines full to scoop a massive double through him. 

"That was a pretty sick river card for Craig there, but he played quite solid," Capretta continued on how solid Craig's game was "he had my number all day today and most of yesterday. Finally got some good hands against him but hats off to him. I had a feeling it was going to be the two of us heads up." 

It was a stacked final table of midwestern legends like Jill Bryant and Aaron Johnson. 

Capretta's next poker trip will bring him to Las Vegas, but he is looking forward to the future where he will take his seat in the WSOP Tournament of Champions next year. 

Final Table Results

1. Tim Capretta - $31,134
2. Craig Trost - $20,595
3. Martin Ryan - $14,062
4. Aaron Johnson - $9,921
5. Niles Lawless - $7,240
6. Maxwell Sheridan - $5,472
7. Jill Bryant - $4,289
8. Brandon Meister - $3,491
9. Derek Nold - $2,954
10. Brian Fehrenbach - $2,604

Eloy Cabacas

The final event of the series has reached a final table. Event #19: $400 No-Limit Hold'em Double Stack Closer drew 339 entries creating a prizepool of $111,870. The remaining 10 players will continue playing until the winner takes home the first-place prize of $23,178.

Final Table Chip Counts by Seat:

1. Jamie Payne - 575,000
2. Travis Hague - 3,250,000
3. Boshuang Gua - 1,540,000
4. Kim Thounsavath - 1,840,000
5. George Pappas - 775,000
6. Sarah Buckley - 1,285,000
7. Christopher Thiel - 1,385,000
8. Spence Madow - 265,000
9. Mousa Haddad - 770,000
10. Aish Ayyash - 1,540,000