Veerachai Vongxaiburana Takes WSOP Event #44: Big O and $784K Prize

Veerachai Vongxaiburana, a 51-year-old day trader from Las Vegas, has claimed his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet after outlasting a tough field in Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship. He topped 401 other entries and walked away with $784,353—the biggest win of his poker career.

Good to know

• Vongxaiburana had just one prior WSOP cash in a $10K event before this win.
• The final prize pool reached $3.8 million.
• Turnout jumped 21% from last year’s inaugural Big O Championship.

Before this event, Vongxaiburana had only one deep run in a $10,000 buy-in tournament. Despite limited experience at this level, he showed composure and confidence throughout the Big O Championship. His style focused primarily on pot-limit Omaha and Big O, rather than the broader mix of games often seen in WSOP tournaments.

“I just play for fun. I play a lot, mostly pot-limit Omaha, some Big O. I like Big O. I don’t play much else,” he told PokerNews reporters after the win.

His victory pushed his total live tournament earnings above $1.2 million.

Deep field and big names

The second edition of the Big O Championship attracted 402 entries—up from 332 the year before. The $3.8 million prize pool paid out 61 places. Several well-known names made deep runs, including Erik Seidel (15th), Calvin Anderson (16th), and Dylan Weisman (14th). Jeff Madsen and Ben Yu also made the money, finishing 19th and 18th, respectively.

Play stretched into Day 4 after a group vote agreed to continue beyond the planned stop point. Only Shawn Rice opposed continuing but still returned the next day to finish fifth for a career-best $253,276. Viktor Blom, known online as ‘Isildur1,’ finished in fourth and earned $181,841—his fifth cash and fourth final table of the 2025 series.

Action-packed final table

The final day started with five players. Marco Johnson held the chip lead, but momentum shifted early. Johnson regained control briefly with quad aces, but was later eliminated in third after Vongxaiburana scooped a crucial pot with a set of fives and a qualifying low hand.

Vongxaiburana and four-time bracelet winner Phil Hui then entered heads-up play nearly even in chips. Both took turns pulling ahead. Eventually, Vongxaiburana landed a full double by scooping with a ten-high straight and the nut low, overtaking Hui and holding a strong lead from there.

In the final hand, Hui’s straight draw could not hold against Vongxaiburana’s stronger wrap. A queen on the river gave Vongxaiburana the win, ending Hui’s run in second place for $522,878.

Final Table Results 2025 WSOP Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship

1. Veerachai Vongxaiburana – $784,353
2. Phil Hui – $522,878
3. Marco Johnson – $360,711
4. Shawn Rice – $253,276
5. Viktor Blom – $181,841
6. Christopher DeMaci – $131,841
7. Noah Kelley – $97,806
8. Brian Battistone – $73,950

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