2024 WPT World Championship Wynn Las Vegas: Engagement Party? Nah, $1 Million! Chase Bricker Ships Historic ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll

The World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas launched on December 3, and during these action-packed days, no fewer than 18 players have already snagged titles. The chatter around the casino halls has been nonstop. Zak VanKeuren clinched the WPT Prime Championship, Tirza Sanders picked up a big WPT Ladies Championship victory, and magician Richard Wilson, of all people, drove away in a $240,000 McLaren GTS – the place has been buzzing! But amidst the chaos, a different kind of story was unfolding: the ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll.

This $5 Million freeroll was a real eye-opener, the biggest in poker history. Almost 1,500 hopefuls took their seats at Wynn Las Vegas, some invited by the organizers, others fighting their way in through ClubWPT Gold satellites or lucky social media giveaways. There was no buy-in, but the stakes couldn’t have been higher. At the very top of the heap? A $1 Million first-place prize that eventually found its way into the pocket of 36-year-old Arlington, Texas resident Chase Bricker (cover image).

Chase Bricker is our newest @WPT made millionaire! 🏆

Chase Bricker wins the @ClubWPTGold $5,000,000 Invitational Freeroll, getting into the event for FREE and winning the top prize of $1,000,000. 💰

On top of that, he pulled four final table bounties to earn an additional… pic.twitter.com/kA0v5S2dnw

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) December 16, 2024

Before this life-changing score, Bricker’s career highlight had been a $74,037 payout from a $800 Mystery Bounty event at Texas Card House Dallas in 2022. To say this latest win dwarfs that number would be putting it mildly.

“Just a completely surreal moment. What an amazing three days. The tournament was incredible,” Bricker admitted. “Playing here at Wynn with my rail, just a first-class experience, something I’ll never forget. Obviously, my biggest score, life-changing money, so I’m living the dream right now.”

What makes this story even more remarkable is that Bricker almost missed the whole thing. He was supposed to be back in Texas for his sister’s engagement party. But fate, in the form of his persistent friend Kyle, brought a change in plans.

Bricker had been having a tough year at the poker tables, with little to show for his efforts in 40-50 tournaments. While he wasn’t planning on quitting his day job as a partner in a Dallas-area commercial HVAC servicing company, he couldn’t wait to close the book for 2024 and try again next year. Then came Kyle, convincing him to come to Vegas. Kyle himself had already earned a seat into the freeroll. All Bricker had to do was follow his friend’s lead and win a seat, too. Except Bricker kept striking out. One online attempt after another ended with nothing.

But Kyle wouldn’t let him off the hook. He got Bricker to come to Vegas anyway. And that’s when his luck changed. He won a raffle for a seat in the freeroll – a truly incredible turn of events. Ironically, Kyle, the catalyst for this whole adventure, busted out after just two hands.

Bricker might have some explaining to his sister and future brother-in-law, but with $1 Million in his bank account, he’s hoping they’ll understand his Vegas detour.

Runner-up honours went to another Texan, 47-year-old electrician Jason Christopher, who took home a not-too-shabby $250,000. Considering that the top 503 finishers split up the entire $5 Million prize pool, it was a serious payout day for a lot of players. The jumps in prize money got really steep at the end. The final table payouts were particularly eye-watering, with ninth-place finisher Jacob Stufflebean taking home $20,000 and the difference between first and second a staggering $750,000.

Adding to the drama, mystery bounty envelopes were up for grabs, ranging from absolutely nothing to a whopping $200,000. Christopher, who would ultimately take second place, drew the $0 bounty envelope—a brutal moment. He stared at a ticket loaded with zeros, and for a heart-stopping second or two, everyone thought he might’ve hit something huge. Talk about a punch to the gut!

Congratulations to Jason Christopher for winning back his buy-in! pic.twitter.com/LrlrvgEdXp

— ClubWPT Gold (@ClubWPTGold) December 16, 2024

The biggest bounty worth $200,000 went to Daniyal Gheba, who also placed third for another $125,000 in the bank. Fourth-place finisher Vic Avalonne had never cashed in a live poker tournament before. He was hoping to win enough to buy his mother, who is retirement age, a new home. While he didn’t quite reach that goal, his $175,000 prize is a fantastic start.

When the field narrowed to just Bricker and Christopher, Bricker had a commanding lead with 25.825 Million chips (43 BBs) against Christopher’s 10.60 Million (18 BBs). Christopher tried to turn the tables, but Bricker never let up.

HEADS UP FOR $1,000,000https://t.co/ms8ZoAOpTm pic.twitter.com/SR5zUeGC8I

— ClubWPT Gold (@ClubWPTGold) December 16, 2024

On the final hand, Bricker raised from the button to 2.30 Million, and Christopher moved all in for 10 Million with . Bricker called instantly with . The final board rolled out . At that moment, Bricker knew it was all over. He leapt toward his friends on the rail, celebrating a victory that felt like something pulled straight out of a storybook.

You can watch the replay of the final table live stream below.

Final Table Results (USD) (Excluding Bounties)

1. Chase Bricker – $1,000,000
2. Jason Christopher – $250,000
3. Daniyal Gheba – $125,000
4. Victor Avallone – $75,000
5. Patrick Eskandar – $50,000
6. Tyler Hancock – $40,000
7. Josh Guindon – $30,000
8. Eric Zheng – $25,000
9. Jacob Stufflebean – $20,000

Final Table Mystery Bounties

• $200,000 – Daniyal Gheba
• $50,000 – Chase Bricker
• $25,000 – Daniyal Gheba
• $25,000 – Chase Bricker
• $25,000 – Chase Bricker
• $10,000 – Daniyal Gheba
• $10,000 – Chase Bricker
• $0 – Jason Christopher

Tirza Sanders Wins WPT Ladies Championship ($90,432)

If you look back at Tirza Sanders’ poker record, you’ll find her first recorded cash in 2011 at the Aussie Millions festival. It wasn’t a huge score—just a 15th-place finish in a modest event—but it marked the beginning of her journey. Fast-forward to this past weekend at Wynn Las Vegas, and Sanders pulled off the biggest moment of her career, taking down the WPT Ladies Championship for $90,432. That puts her on the verge of $130,000 in total tournament earnings, a milestone she can be proud of.

This tournament—already in its third year—carried a $250,000 guarantee. The response was overwhelming: 485 entries drove the prize pool up to $479,450. In the end, 60 players made the money. It was a field filled with known contenders. Alexandra Loveless finished 48th for $2,352, last year’s champion Lina Niu grabbed 28th for $2,924, bracelet winner Allyn Shulman went out in 12th for $5,222, and Mid-States Poker Tour champion Kyna England nearly reached the final table before placing 11th for $6,297.

By Sunday’s start, all 60 players who had locked up a payday were back at the tables, with Jenny Ding sitting comfortably atop the chip counts. But as the battle wore on and the field thinned, a new name rose to the top: Sinead Davenport took the lead by the time the official final table was set, while Sanders sat in fourth. That’s often where unexpected surges begin, and Sanders was about to make her move.

Her breakthrough came in a massive three-way all-in. Sanders held pocket jacks up against Sara Ralston’s pocket eights and Mikiyo Aoki’s King-Ten. When the cards ran out, Sanders’ jacks stood strong, knocking Aoki out in seventh place and denting Ralston’s stack. Krisha Augerot bowed out in sixth, and then Sanders made another stand, calling an all-in with King-Jack against Jenny Ding’s Queen-Eight suited. Sanders’ hand prevailed, and Ding hit the rail in fifth.

Sanders was on a roll. Next, she picked up and flopped the nut flush, sealing Sara Ralston’s fate when the latter turned over . With no outs left to find, Ralston exited in fourth. After that, Sanders found herself flipping pocket fives against Sinead Davenport’s Jack-Eight suited. It was a classic race, but the fives held up, sending Davenport out in third place. This final strike of good fortune gave Sanders a sizable lead heading into heads-up play, holding 9.15 Million in chips to Jana Delacerra’s 5 Million.

The final clash stretched over a couple of hours. Both players looked for that one key spot to end it. Finally, the decisive hand arrived. Sanders held , while Delacerra turned over . The final board came down . With her pair of kings, Sanders clinched the title, the cash, and the sort of achievement that separates a promising contender from a champion.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Tirza Sanders – $90,432
2. Jana Delacerra – $58,987
3. Sinead Davenport – $45,803
4. Sara Ralston – $35,833
5. Jenny Ding – $27,318
6. Krisha Augerot – $20,770
7. Mikiyo Aoki – $15,522
8. Camille Brown – $11,449
9. Shannon Fahey – $8,346

Vegas Magician Richard Wilson Wins 2025 McLaren GTS Worth $240K

In the days leading up to the massive $5 Million Invitational freeroll, ClubWPT Gold—WPT’s sweepstakes-based online poker platform—ran a series of prize drawings that had everyone’s attention. Players were earning Golden Passports into the big event, along with plenty of other perks. There were WPT chip sets, branded merchandise, and even seats in the Wynn Field Club for the December 16 Raiders vs. Falcons game at Allegiant Stadium. But amid all these great offers, one prize stood out from the rest: a brand-new 2025 McLaren GTS, valued at around $240,000.

That’s the one everyone was buzzing about.

Richard Wilson already had his Golden Passport before he ever stepped into the Wynn for the big freeroll. He’d taken care of that part. But on December 11, while making his way through the halls of the casino to confirm his spot in the tournament, he noticed the ClubWPT Gold Booth with its prize drum. Curiosity got the better of him, and he reached in to draw an envelope.

Inside, he found a card with one very special word: “JACKPOT.”

At first, he wasn’t entirely sure what he’d landed. He started celebrating, excited but still in the dark about what this truly meant. Then came the news: he and two other lucky players had each drawn “JACKPOT” envelopes. One of them would win the McLaren GTS. The other two wouldn’t leave empty-handed either since they’d get a shot at grabbing up to $50,000 in cash from the ClubWPT Gold Cash Booth. Wilson had just punched his ticket to a moment of high-stakes drama, and he didn’t even realize it when he woke up that morning.

A professional magician drew the Jackpot envelope at the Gold Booth!

Richard Lord now has a 1-in-3 chance of winning the McLaren GTS. pic.twitter.com/QZd6bifOLf

— ClubWPT Gold (@ClubWPTGold) December 11, 2024

Fast-forward to Sunday afternoon. The WPT World Championship and Ladies Championship were both underway, and the Encore Ballroom was packed with players, spectators, and staff. Suddenly, the play paused. Everyone wanted to see who would walk away with that sleek McLaren. It felt like the entire room held its breath.

The three JACKPOT winners stood front and centre. A briefcase came out, holding three sealed envelopes. One of those envelopes would turn someone’s life upside down—in a good way. The first two winners made their choices. Wilson ended up picking last. He reached out, took his envelope, and the moment of truth arrived.

A drumroll pounded in everyone’s ears. The envelopes were opened. In an instant, Wilson’s reaction told the whole story. He had won the McLaren GTS.

Richard Wilson pulls the @ClubWPTGold @McLarenAuto GTS @WynnLasVegas @WynnPoker! 🏎️💨 pic.twitter.com/bc75sISYD2

— World Poker Tour (@WPT) December 16, 2024

“I’m very, very excited,” Wilson managed to say once he caught his breath. “Thank you so much for making this opportunity possible.”

Later, he joked about the strange feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop: “For the last four or five days, I’ve been thinking, ‘Okay, at some point, I’m going to get a call saying they made a mistake, that someone else is getting the car.’ But now, it’s here!”

Indians at the WPT World Championship Wynn Las Vegas

Over the last few years, players from India have been pushing their way onto the international poker stage with increasing confidence. They’ve long been a formidable force on their home turf and throughout South Asia, but when it comes to the bigger battlegrounds of Europe and the US, their presence has often been more about trying to break through than outright domination. That said, things seem to be shifting at the ongoing WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, where a small but determined Indian contingent is making its presence felt.

As of now, Indian players have racked up (at least) ten cash finishes, including one run all the way to a final table. Bhargav Kakani leads the group with an eighth-place finish in the $1,100 Limit H.O.R.S.E., taking home $5,987 (~₹5.08 Lakhs). While an eighth-place finish might not grab headlines on its own, it’s a clear sign that Indian players are edging closer to the kind of results they’ve been working toward on American soil.

Among the notable names who have brought gold bracelets to India, Tarun Goyal, Abhinav Iyer, and Nipun Java have each cashed two events so far.

Tarun Goyal:

> 21st in $1,100 No Limit Hold’em – Turbo for $2,459 (~₹2.09 Lakhs)

> 788th in $1,100 WPT Prime Championship for $2,140 (~₹1.82 Lakhs)

Abhinav Iyer:

> 284th in $800 No Limit Hold’em for $1,793 (~₹1.52 Lakhs)

> 696th in $1,100 WPT Prime Championship for $2,480 (~₹2.11 Lakhs)

Nipun Java:

> 248th in $800 No Limit Hold’em for $1,924 (~₹1.63 Lakhs)

> 630th in $1,100 WPT Prime Championship for $1,940 (~₹1.65 Lakhs)

They aren’t alone. Others have also managed to slip past the bubble and into the payouts.

Vasu Amarapu: 1126th in $1,100 WPT Prime Championship for $2,480 (~₹2.11 Lakhs)

Aditya S: 713th in $1,100 WPT Prime Championship for $2,480 (~₹2.11 Lakhs)

Himmat Singh: 342nd in $800 No Limit Hold’em for $1,659 (~₹1.41 Lakhs)

Content & Images Courtesy: World Poker Tour

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