Joey Couden Wins WSOP Event #45: Salute to Warriors for Second Bracelet

Joey Couden has added a second World Series of Poker title to his record by winning WSOP Event 45: $500 Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold’em, topping a massive field of 3,937 entries and taking home $187,937.

Good to know

• The event generated a $1.6 million prize pool.
• Over $155,000 will be donated to veteran charities from the entry fees.
• Couden eliminated the final six players in under an hour.

Couden’s victory came after three full days of play, where he started Day 3 with a rough patch. “To start the day, I had a bad first 30 minutes, maybe even 20 minutes, I lost like half my stack,” he told reporters. But he recovered quickly, doubling up and then staying steady until the final table.

Once there, Couden took full control. He came in with a chip lead and used it to pressure his short-stacked opponents as the blinds climbed. “Once it got sub 20 big blinds, it really just opened it up for me where I could put more pressure on everybody,” he explained.

Calm and focused at the end

With just five players remaining, Couden had a huge lead and coasted through the final stages. “At that time, me personally, I am just high on the moment. I’m not thinking about what is happening, just making the best decision I can in the moment,” he said.

That focus paid off. Couden eliminated every player from sixth place onward, finishing the job in under an hour.

In addition to the poker action, the event also had a charitable angle. $40 from every buy-in went to support military-focused organizations like the United Service Organizations (USO). With nearly 4,000 entries, the donations added up to more than $155,000.

WSOP Vice President Jack Effel opened the event with a tribute to veterans and returned at the end to present Couden with his oversized winner’s check.

Final table in a flash

Luciano Melo was the first to exit after his queen-ten lost to king-seven. Tim Caziarc followed after his ace-king couldn’t hold against king-four. Roger Hendren and Brandon Sowers were both eliminated by Couden, who then quickly dispatched Alexander Savchenko, Yu Hsiang Huang, and Ofer Saha in rapid succession.

Richard Buckingham, who started the final table with just eight big blinds, battled his way to second place but could not stop Couden, who sealed the win in just a few hands of heads-up play.

Final Table Results 2025 WSOP Event 45: $500 Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold’em

1. Joey Couden – $187,937
2. Richard Buckingham – $125,034
3. Ofer Saha – $92,221
4. Yu Hsiang Huang – $68,619
5. Alexander Savchenko – $51,511
6. Brandon Sowers – $39,015
7. Roger Hendren – $29,818
8. Tim Caziarc – $22,998
9. Luciano Melo – $17,901

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