WSOP 2025: Chang Lee Dominates Record High Roller To Win 2nd Asian Bracelet 

The Asian poker pros continue to make waves at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Following Chinese pro Xixiang Luo‘s victory in Event #24: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot, South Korea’s Chang Lee topped a record field of 392 entries in Event #26: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller to become the second Asian to win a bracelet at the ongoing series. He beat Andrew Ostapchenko in heads-up to win $1,949,044 – his career-best and the largest top prize at the WSOP 2025.

This was his maiden WSOP bracelet victory coming in his second live WSOP event he ever entered. With the victory, he became the third high roller champion of the WSOP 2025, following the victory of the USA’S  Lou Garza in the $25,000 Mixed PLO/NLH High Roller for $1,302,233, and the Slovenian Blaz Zerjav’s thumping win in the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed High Roller for $1,734,717.

WSOP 2025 Event #26: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Recap

Event #26: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller of the 2025 WSOP was a three-day event running from June 7-9. The record-breaking turnout for the event resulted in a whopping $9,212,000 prize pool. The top 59 players were paid out, with Brad Owen (49th), Erik Seidel (45th), Ben Tollerene (39th), Jeremy Ausmus (22nd), Seth Davies (19th), Kiat Lee (16th), Jim Collopy (14th), Thailand’s Punnat Punsri (11th), and Joao Simao (10th) all falling before the final table.

The third and final day began with 18 players with Russia’s Anatoly Nikitin in lead, while Lee was in the middle of the pack. Lee worked his way to the top three by the time the final table of nine was set. Bracelet winner Byron Kaverman scored the first knockout, busting Webster Lim (9th – $141,218). Despite scoring the elimination, Kaverman (8th place) was the next player to fall after losing it with AJ against the K-Q of Matthew Frankland.

The next player to fall was Orpen Kisacikoglu whose A7 lost to the AK of Andrew Ostapchenko on a dry board. Lee scored his first elimination at the final table when he took out three-time WSOP champion Joe McKeehen, who pitted his K♣Q♠ against Lee’s A♠J♠ and failed to hold on through the river, falling in sixth for $325,757. The next elimination came in Japanese poker vlogger Masato Yokosawa, who exited in fifth place for $447,61).

It came down to three-handed play after the elimination of the UK’s Mathew Frankland, who fell in fourth place for $626,823.  Eli Berg was the short stack at the start of the three-handed play. He came down to less than10 big blinds and decided three-bet shove with J♦8♠ over Ostapchenko’s min-raise. Ostapchenko called with Q♣4♣. The board ran out Q♦7♣5♣J♣4♦, giving Ostapchenko a flush to score the knockout.

The heads-up began with Ostapchenko holding 31,500,000 to Lee’s 27,225,000. Lee won a big pot with aces full of eights to take the chip lead and extended it to three-to-two advantage. The final hand saw Lee raise to 1,350,000 with K♥4♥. Ostapchenko three-bet with A♦K♠ and Lee called. 

The flop brought 6♣5♥3♥. Ostapchenko check-called a bet from Lee and the K♦ fell on the turn. Both players checked and the 4♠ completed the board. Ostapchenko shoved for 10,100,000 and Lee snapped with his two pairs on the river to win the pot and the title. 

Ostapchenko took home $1,299,333 for his efforts. This was his career-best payday, taking his live earnings to more than $4.9 million.

Team India’s Sriharsha Doddapaneni Posts Impressive Score

It was an important event from Team India’s perspective with Indian pro Sriharsha Doddapaneni running deep in this high roller event. Starting Day 2 with just 21 big blinds, he did amazingly well to finish 31st for $61,882 (INR 53 Lakhs)—his career-best WSOP score and the top Indian score at this year’s series so far.

WSOP 2025 Event #26: $25K No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Final Table Payouts

Keep following PokerProNews for the latest updates and results from the ongoing World Series of Poker.

Sources: PGT Blog, CardPlayer and The HendonMob
Photo credit: WSOP / Regina Cortina.