The math was simple going into the final table of the $25K US Poker Open finale. Matthew Wantman — eliminated in 20th — was sitting on top of the leaderboard and hoping to hold on for the Golden Eagle trophy. Nacho Barbero and Shannon Shorr were the only two players who could catch him, and both needed a win to do it.
Barbero came onto the final table with the most chips (3,280,000) and Shorr was in third place (2,080,000). Sandwiched between them was Landon Tice (2,685,000). None of the other four players — Sam Laskowitz, Nick Petrangelo, Justin Saliba and Clemen Deng – had even a million in chips. And, while all eyes might have been on the Golden Eagle, there was $529,250 up top for the winner, whoever it was.
Short stacks fight it out
Deng was the shortest of the seven and fell first, taken out by the dominating ace of Saliba. Next, Petrangelo got lucky in a preflop all-in to bust Laskowitz in sixth. Laskowitz had the best of it with 
, but his lead was short-lived after Petrangelo hit gin on the 
flop with his 
. It left Laskowitz with just one out and it never came.
Down to five and Shorr started to make it all about him. Shorr had already made this an April to remember when he won his first ever live WSOP event, taking down the Circuit Horseshoe Main Event a couple of weeks ago. He added a US Poker Open title earlier this week.
Shorr took a firm grip on this final table after flopping a set of fours to bust Saliba in fifth, and then five-betting his way to the chip lead shortly after — although he was only a smidge ahead of Barbero.
His lead became more dominant when he took out Petrangelo in fourth. Shorr raised preflop and Petrangelo called from the big blind.
- Flop:
. Shorr bet and Petrangelo called. - Turn:
. Shorr bet pot and Petrangelo called. - River: . Shorr moved all-in and Petrangelo tanked.
Eventually, Petrangelo called with 
for a pair of nines. He was crushed by Shorr's 
for a rivered flush.
Nacho fast
Barbero hit back soon after to take a dominating chip lead, and it was a brutal hand that you can watch play out below. Set over set is never nice. On a big final table? Urgh.
And big hands kept colliding. All three players then found a big pair — tens for Tice, jacks for Barbero and queens for Shorr. Tice quit after a four-bet from Shorr preflop; Barbero moved all-in and Shorr held for a big double up.
And then, with stacks tightening but Tice still ahead, Shorr hit a miracle two-outer. In an all-in preflop pot, Shorr found himself with fives against Tice's aces. The 
flop was safe and Tice was close to taking a 2:1 lead into heads-up. The 
on the turn had other ideas.
After that, Tice was railed in third, dispatched by Barbero, who made two pair with 
on a 
board. The majority of the money went in on the river and Tice's was no good.
Shorr he can
The start-up heads-up saw the stacks even and Wantman already knew he'd lost the Golden Eagle. Barbero and Shorr were now playing for the $529,250 first prize and the $25K trophy, as well as the Golden Eagle trophy and the $25K PGT Passport.
It took Shorr less than 30 minutes to find his second big win of the US Poker Open and third big win in April. It's been an impressive Hendon Mob month for Shorr so far. Three cashes. Three wins. $957,265 in winnings. That should make for a more relaxed WSOP this summer.
Watch the final hand play out below.
2025 US Poker Open Event 8 results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shannon Shorr | $529,250 |
| 2 | Nacho Barbero | $346,750 |
| 3 | Landon Tice | $246,375 |
| 4 | Nick Petrangelo | $173,375 |
| 5 | Justin Saliba | $127,750 |
| 6 | Sam Laskowitz | $91,250 |
| 7 | Clemen Deng | $73,000 |
Images courtesy of PokerGO
