Michael Lavin just experienced the kind of poker run that dreams are made of. The New Jersey player walked away with $267,373 for winning Event #20: $1,500 SHOOTOUT at the World Series of Poker—but the real shock came after. Thanks to a ClubWPT Gold Rush promotion, Lavin landed a surprise $1 million bonus, turning his WSOP win into a $1.26 million payout.
The shootout attracted 1,299 players and required each finalist to win two single-table freezeouts just to reach day 3. Lavin not only won the bracelet but did so in one of 11 Gold Rush qualifying events, making him eligible for the extra $1 million prize. The bonus came close to quadrupling his official tournament winnings and instantly became the biggest moment of his poker career.
Good to know
- Lavin picked up his second WSOP bracelet, the first coming online in Pennsylvania in 2021.
- He ranks fourth all-time in WSOP Circuit ring wins, with 17 titles.
- Twelve of the first 20 bracelets awarded at the 2025 WSOP have gone to previous winners.
Despite the pressure, Lavin handled the final stage with a measured approach. He made it to the final table without eliminating a single player. Starting in the middle of the pack, he stayed patient while watching Punnat Punsri, a high roller and Triton Series regular, pull ahead early.
Once the table shrank, things shifted quickly. Lavin gained traction with a key double-up when his ace-queen overcame ace-king thanks to a queen on the flop. Later, he flopped a set of nines against Jordan Westmorland’s aces in a crucial hand, setting the tone for what followed.
His momentum never slowed. He took out several players in a streak of well-timed showdowns—some with help from the deck. His pocket jacks held against Jason Wheeler’s ace-king. A lower pair beat higher cards. He cracked queens with trip nines. In three-handed play, he eliminated Punsri with ace-queen after flopping trips.
The last hand of the tournament felt like the cherry on top. Michael Rossitto and Lavin were nearly even preflop with ace-three versus ace-two. The flop changed nothing, but Lavin hit running twos to complete the victory in dramatic fashion.
Life-Changing Bonus from ClubWPT
While many poker fans were impressed by Lavin’s bracelet win, the attention quickly shifted to the extra $1 million he secured from ClubWPT. The online sweepstakes site had been handing out Gold Rush tickets all summer. Anyone who earned a ticket and went on to win one of the select WSOP events would cash in big. Lavin checked both boxes and made history.
“I still cannot believe it,” Lavin said after collecting his payout.
He became the first player to cash in on the $1 million Gold Rush bonus. The promotion boosted not only his bank account but also his profile in the poker world.
Final Table Results 2025 WSOP Event #20: $1,500 SHOOTOUT
| Result | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Michael Lavin | $267,373 |
| 2 | Michael Rossitto | $178,240 |
| 3 | Punnat Punsri | $130,560 |
| 4 | Linyang Song | $96,710 |
| 5 | Luis Yepez Carmona | $72,450 |
| 6 | Jason Wheeler | $54,900 |
| 7 | Jordan Westmorland | $42,080 |
| 8 | Drew Oconnell | $32,640 |
| 9 | Joel Vazquez | $25,610 |
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