The 2025 WSOP begins on May 27 and will conclude on July 16, offering 100 exciting events with varied buy-ins to cater to all types of players. Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP, emphasized to continue breaking last year’s records. “In 2025, the WSOP schedule is better again, with something for everyone who loves the game,” Stewart said. 

This will be the first series of WSOP under the new ownership of GGPoker’s parent company–NSUS Group Inc. In mid-2024, NSUS Group paid a massive $500 million to Caesars Entertainment to acquire the prestigious series. Although ownership changed, the main staff remained the same as the prestigious Horseshoe Las Vegas venue. 

The 56th Annual WSOP begins on May 27 with Event #1: $1,000 buy-in Mystery Millions, which guarantees a $1,000,000 top Bounty, and a $1 Million  for the eventual winner. The event boasts five starting flights, with late registration open until Level 12. Eventually, the festival concludes with a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Turbo on July16, 2025.

WSOP 2025 Main Event (July 2–July 16,2025)

As always, the series will be highlighted by the Main Event. The $10,000 buy-in event runs from July 2 to July 16, 2025. There will be four Day 1 flights (July 2–5), which will be followed by multiple Day 2s leading to the final table and the eventual crowning of the champion.

The 2024 WSOP main event was the largest one in the history with a record turnout of 10,112 entries resulting in $94,041,600 prize pool. The largest share of the prize pool went to the 38-year-old Jonathan Tamayo claiming a staggering $10 million and his first bracelet as the champion.

New, Better, and Exciting 2025 WSOP

Just like in 2024, this year the series is adding new formats and events to its list as Stewart said: “The WSOP schedule is better again, with something for everyone who loves the game.” The 2025 WSOP introduces new events and exciting formats, including the “Battle of the Ages” ($1,000 buy-in, June 22). This specific event split players into 50+ on Day 1A and 21-49 on Day 1B age groups. Players withstanding both starting flights will battle against each other on Day 2. 

WSOP raised its stakes during the 2024 WSOP Paradise, introducing a $25k Super Main Event with a $50 million GTD. This time, they are doing the same thing, but for Mixed-game enthusiasts, the series is introducing a new $25k PLO/NLH mixed high rollers, adding to the excitement of poker enthusiasts. 

Additionally, the T.O.R.S.E. format makes its debut, replacing limit hold’em with triple draw deuce-to-seven lowball in the mixed-game rotation with a $3,000 buy-in. Traditional H.O.R.S.E. events remain on the schedule with buy-ins of $1.5k, $10k, and $25k. 

In 2024, WSOP added NLH/PLO Double Bomb Pot to its events list and it was very successful, this time the Double Bomb Pot makes its return with a $1,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot Eight Max.  Here is a list of several exciting new events players can look forward to at the upcoming World Series of Poker 2025:

Tournaments for Every Bankroll

The 2024 WSOP Paradise faced criticism for its high buy-in-only tournaments, thus excluding ordinary players from dreaming of participation in the series. While WSOP always features low buy-in events, of the 100 events this time, 49 have buy-ins of $1,500 or less, while 30 tournaments cost more than $10k. 

There are 13 high rollers with buy-ins of $25,000 or more, including three six-figure buy-in events: the $250,000 no-limit hold’em on June 15, the $100,000 pot-limit Omaha on June 11, and the $100,000 no-limit hold’em on July 1. The crown jewel of all this high-roller action is the $250k High Roller. 

PokerGO will once again be the exclusive live broadcast provider for the 2025 WSOP, with a complete streaming schedule to be released soon.

A Large Indian Contingent Expected

Last year, we saw a large number of Indian players competing for WSOP glory. For the first-time in history, India racked up a record 219 cashes, which included two victories. Team India’s performance was highlighted by the super high roller victory achieved by Snathosh Suvarnna, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win a $250k High Roller for a career-best $5.4 million and his career-second gold bracelet. Poker veteran Aditya Agarwal won Event #82: $1,000 No Limit Hold’em for a sum of $189,661 and his maiden bracelet. This year, we expect a bigger Indian contingent continuing their record-breaking run from from 2024 into WSOP 2025.

Here is the Full Schedule for WSOP 2025. 

Source – WSOP

Keep Following PokerProNews for the latest updates and results from the world of poker.

The post 100 Events, New Twists: WSOP Unveils The Much-Awaited Schedule For 2025 first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

We saw many Indian pros competing for the coveted APT trophies, and an impressive six of them etched their names into APT history. Kunal Patni, Natural8 India Ambassador and Director, led Team India’s tally with two titles at the recently concluded festival.

Patni secured two Asian Poker Tour titles in the series, bringing his total APT title count to six. This ace poker pro from Mumbai collected close to $70,000 on the back of two title victories and two cash finishes in the series. With his latest performances in the series, Patni surpassed $1.2 million in live poker tournament earnings.

Kunal Patni’s Power-Packed Performance At APT Manila Classic 

Patni has been on an absolute heater for the past 7–8 months, consistently winning and cashing across Asian tournaments. His first APT title of the recently-concluded series came on Day 3, when he outlasted a 377-entry field to win Event #9: PHP 20K Mystery Bounty Hunter – sponsored by Natural8. For the victory, Patni collected $14,069 and claimed his fifth APT trophy.

A few days later, Patni followed up that victory by shipping Event #75: PHP 150K NLH Single-Day High Roller. He triumphed over a field of 85 entries, securing his second title of the series and his sixth career APT title. For the victory, Patni earned a whopping $52,271.

Indian Winners at the 2025 APT Manila Classic 

Team India made a strong impact in the series, scoring more than two dozen of final table finishes and six title victories. Kicking off things for Team India was Raju Jaruplavath, who won the very first event of the ongoing APT series – Event #1: PHP 12K Philippines National Cup. Following him were Kunal Patni, Birangat Singh Gambhir, and $ 52,271 Jayant Deshmukh, who emerged victorious in the Natural8 India APT Manila Classic – India Exclusive Tournament. It was an online tournament which saw 283 entries, with the final 9 set to fly to Manila to play the final table in Manila. However, one of them could not fly to Manila to play the coveted tournament. 

Deshmukh collected $2,448, his first APT title, and a seat in the Main Event. On the festival’s final day, Avinash Tauro won India’s sixth trophy in Event #99: PHP 9K Hyper Turbo. He overcame a field of 39 entries (35 unique) to notch up his first live title and PHP 1,08,155. Here is a quick look at the Indian players who won trophies at the recently-concluded APT Manila Classic. 

Keep Following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories of Indian poker pros.

Source: Asian Poker Tour

The post APT Manila Classic: Kunal Patni Tops the List of Indian Winners with Two Titles first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

In this report, you will discover Ben Heath’s early life, introduction to poker, poker career, earnings, net worth, and personal life. 

Ben Heath: Early Life and Poker Introduction

Born in 1992, Benjamin Frank Heath grew up in Brighton, England. His journey into poker began while studying mathematics at Warwick University, where he was introduced to the game. He started playing casual home games with friends, which eventually led him to explore the world of online poker.

Determined to improve his skills, Heath took poker seriously and sought mentorship from Charlie Carrel, widely recognized as one of the best non-GTO players. Under Carrel’s guidance, Heath significantly improved his gameplay both online and in live tournaments, establishing himself as one of England’s rising poker stars.

Ben Heath’s Poker Career and Milestones

As soon as Heath turned 21, he began competing in live poker tournaments, earning his first recorded cash of $65 in the 2013 Genting Newcastle Recurring Tournament £50 NLH. The following year, he made his first major final table at the 2014 EPT London £770 NLH UKIPT Main Event, finishing in 9th place for $15,915. In 2015, Heath won his first EPT trophy by taking down the €1,100 NLH event at EPT Malta, securing a $63,544 payday.

That same year, the British poker pro finished in 6th place in the 46th WSOP $3,000 NLH 6-Handed event, earning an impressive $77,591. His first six-figure score came in 2016 when he finished 8th in the PCA $25K NLH High Roller, taking home $140,940. He wrapped up the year with another big cash, finishing 3rd in the WPT £5K NLH Devilfish Cup UK for $127,947.

Heath began 2017 in style by winning the PCA $15,300 NLH 8-Max event, collecting $141,440. Later that month, he finished 2nd in the 2017 Aussie Millions Poker Championship, earning a massive $755,229. He ended the year on another high note, pocketing $230,844 for a 4th place finish in the PokerStars Championship €10,300 NLH High Roller.

After a brief break in 2018, Heath reached a major milestone in 2019 when he won his first WSOP gold bracelet in the 50th WSOP $50K NLH High Roller, securing a seven-figure payout of $1,484,085. In August 2019, he rounded out the podium in his first Triton Poker Series in London, finishing 3rd in the £100K Main Event and pocketing $1,642,935.

Heath started 2020 with another million-dollar score, finishing 4th in the partypoker MILLIONS $250K Sochi Super High Roller. As the pandemic halted live poker, he took a brief hiatus but returned in 2021, coming close to winning his second bracelet. In the 2021 WSOP $250K Super High Roller, he finished in 2nd place, earning a massive $2,018,148. His biggest score of 2022 came at EPT Barcelona, where he finished 4th in the €100K Super High Roller for $721,109.

In 2023, Ben Heath secured multiple six-figure and seven-figure cashes in high-stakes poker tournaments. His biggest score came in December when he finished 5th in the $1,400 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas, earning $1,583,100. Earlier in October, he placed 5th in the $106,000 NLH 8-Handed event at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Monte Carlo, adding $858,000 to his bankroll.

Heath played in a handful of events in 2024 but ended up making it his best year yet with a career-best payout. At the 2024 WSOP Paradise, he finished 2nd in the $500K NLH Triton Million at the WSOP Paradise, earning a staggering $8,160,000. His deep run was particularly remarkable, as he was the short stack with less than five big blinds during the final table. However, he managed to double up multiple times, battling his way to a heads-up duel for his second bracelet.

Ben Heath’s Net Worth in 2025

The British poker pro has accumulated lifetime poker earnings of over $31 million from just 139 cashes. This places him 2nd on England’s all-time money list and 25th on the global all-time money list. Beyond playing poker, Heath is an ambassador for Phenom Poker, a decentralized online poker site, and serves as a coach at GTO Lab. While there are no official reports on his net worth, it is estimated to be in the millions.

Ben Heath’s Personal Life

Ben Heath resides in Brighton, UK, and frequently travels worldwide to participate in high-stakes poker tournaments. Regarding his personal life, Heath is married to his longtime girlfriend, Spanish actress Elisabeth Larena. The couple tied the knot in 2022 in Venice, Italy.

Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories of poker pros.

The post Ben Heath Net Worth 2025: Career Earnings, WSOP Wins & More first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.

Leung has over a decade of experience in the poker industry. He  has played an important role in the growth of Poker in Asia since the mid-2000s. This industry leader article will focus on Fred Leung – from his early days to becoming the CEO and contributing to the growth of poker in Asia.

About Fred Leung And His Journey

Fred Leung is a seasoned entrepreneur with extensive experience in gaming, poker, and NFTs. Currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Asian Poker Tour since July 2022, he has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s direction and contributing to the growth of poker in Asia. 

Beyond this role, he worked as a consultant for the International Blockchain Monetary Reserve, where he provided expertise in financial and blockchain-related projects. Fred also co-founded Gold Standard Pho, a venture in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he served as COO for nearly three years.

As we mentioned earlier, Leung has over 10 years of experience in the poker industry, which began in 2008 when he joined PokerStars as the Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager for Live Events Asia which highlights his deep industry knowledge. He was the man behind the success of the Macau Poker Cup and APPT Manila was his final event with PokerStars. 

During his tenure, he is also reported to have worked closely with Rex Cheong – the CEO of Poker Dream (another popular live poker series in Asia, the 16th edition of which kicks off today in Jeju and runs all the way until 24th February. This series is highlighted by the USD 1,500,000 GTD Main Event. 

Fred Leung’s Poker Career

Leung is also a poker player, which is why he probably grabbed the opportunity to work at PokerStars. He went on to Macau participating in the first Macau Poker Cup in 2008, and found out that PokerStars is looking for a Marketing manager and quickly grabbed the opportunity. 

Fred Leung’s Role in the Growth of APT and Poker in Asia

Leung was announced as the chief executive officer of APT in 2022, with the brand’s aim to take APT to new heights. During his decade-long tenure at PokerStars as the Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager for Live Events Asia, Fred played an integral role in developing some of the biggest and most prestigious poker events in the region. He was a driving force behind the Macau Poker Cup, APPT, the iconic Red Dragon event, and the Asia Championship of Poker (ACOP), helping to establish these tournaments as premier fixtures in the poker world. 

After his role as the CEO, the Asian Poker Tour Taipei 2023 officially became the largest series in APT’s history in Taiwan, setting multiple records and awarding millions in prize money. The APT Taipei 2023 boasts an impressive 41 trophy event which saw 1,989 unique players from 42 countries and paid out a massive TWD 225,123,032 (~ $7,357,920) in prize money. It had the largest APT Women’s Event ever with 143 entrants, showcasing its popularity among women. 

In 2024, the previous record was shattered, as APT Taipei 2024 set a new milestone in the tour’s history, with an 11-day festival that attracted 2,776 unique players from 48 countries and regions. The series saw a remarkable 16,787 total entries across 98 trophy events, with competitors battling for a record-breaking prize pool of TWD 388.25 million (~USD 12.18 million). 

2024 Best Year for the Asian Poker Tour

In 2024, APT generated an impressive $43,347,576 in total prize pools, marking a 20.6% year-on-year increase from $35,947,668 in 2023. The tour achieved a significant growth with only five festivals compared to seven in 2023. Notably, total event entries surged to 53,257 across 513 events, reflecting a strong 15.9% year-on-year increase. 

It’s no lie, that after the signing of Fred Leung, the Asian Poker Tour reached new heights. 

The Asian Poker Tour Over The Years

The Asian Poker Tour (APT) was founded in 2006 by Capital Events Pte, a Singapore-based company. In 2008, it was acquired by AsianLogic, while Capital Events Pte continued to operate the tour. This acquisition brought the Korean Professional Poker Tour into the fold as a shareholder, allowing AsianLogic to manage both online and land-based tournaments while taking control of APT’s branding and digital assets.

In June 2022, APT Events Private Limited took ownership of the tour, signaling an expansion beyond Asia, and also saw a change in leadership, a decision which changed APT forever. Despite the transition, longtime APT veteran Lloyd Fontillas remained in a key leadership role as General Manager & Executive Tournament Director. Under its new leadership, APT continues to grow, cementing its reputation as one of the premier poker tours in the Asia-Pacific region.

In an Interview with last year, Fred Leung emphasized the brand’s commitment to growth and record-breaking achievements. Leung stated that they will look to beat every record, be it player participation or prize money. The 2024 APT season saw over 53,000 entrants from just five stops and paid out over $43 million in total prize pool. The Asian Poker Tour is currently hosting APT Manila Classic, the main event of which has already shattered records, drawing 1,202 entries to surpass the previous tour record for largest Philippines tournament set during the recent APT Manila 2024. We wish Leung all the best and continued success for APT. 

Keep following PokerProNews for more such inspiring stories of people in the poker industry.

The post Fred Leung: The Visionary CEO Driving APT’s Success first appeared on Global Poker News Daily: PokerProNews.com.