2024 WSOP Paradise: Tom Fuchs Surges to the Top in $50K NLHE High Roller to Claim Maiden Bracelet ($1.292 Million); Santhosh Suvarna Finishes 8th (~₹1.78 Crores)

After a marathon session spanning more than a dozen hours, the final table of Event #13: $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise concluded with a result that few would have predicted at the start of the day. It all went down at Atlantis Paradise Island, where a field of 130 players battled in a grueling contest to claim one of poker’s most coveted prizes: a WSOP bracelet.

From the first shuffle on Day 2, the air was thick with tension. The prize pool had swelled to $6.50 Million, and for the 29 players who returned that morning, there was everything to play for. Only 20 would see a profit on their efforts, guaranteed at least $105,370. Yet everyone had their eyes on the top prize: $1,292,000 and a place in WSOP history.

In the end, Tom Fuchs (cover image – left) stepped forward to take that life-changing amount, along with his first career bracelet. He was a newcomer to the high roller stage, but recent months had painted him as someone worth watching. Back at the Triton High Roller Series in Monte Carlo, he picked up $762,000 for a deep run in Event #12: $150K NLH 8-Handed that made seasoned pros take notice. That performance seemed to light a spark, because he then went on to cash in the $100,000 Triton Main Event for $296,500 and followed it up with another score of $50,000 in the $25,000 Super Main Event. Each time, he showed just a bit more confidence, as though working out the right tempo for his game.

On this decisive night, Fuchs was more than just a contender—he was a force. By the time heads-up play rolled around against Moonho Seo, the crowd around the table felt like they were witnessing a breakthrough. When the final card hit the felt and Fuchs raked in the last pot, he wasn’t alone in his celebration. His friend, high roller regular Mario Mosbock, as well as Fedor Holz and Thomas Muehloecker, were there, acknowledging a feat that didn’t come easy. Seo earned a well-deserved $996,200 for his runner-up finish.

While Fuchs’ triumph caught everyone’s attention, India’s own Santhosh Suvarna (cover image – right) also made his mark. Suvarna’s year had started with enormous promise, highlighted by a victory at EPT Paris and another WSOP bracelet win over the summer in Las Vegas. Yet his run at WSOP Paradise had been perplexing. For days, it seemed as if the cards just wouldn’t fall his way. A series of close calls and disappointing exits left many wondering if he would rediscover the form that made him a household name in Indian poker circles.

Finally, in Event #9: $25,000 WSOP Super Main Event, Suvarna booked his first cash at the series—$50,000 (around ₹42.46 Lakhs). Some might have seen it as just a small step, but for Suvarna, it was a reminder that he still belonged in these high-stakes arenas. Hungry for more, he threw himself into the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, determined to write a better ending this time.

As Day 2 of the $50,000 High Roller wore on, Suvarna’s stack ebbed and flowed as he took on some of the toughest opponents in the world. Hand after hand, hour after hour, he held his ground, inching closer to a final table appearance that had started to feel overdue. When he finally bowed out in eighth place, taking home $209,420 (around ₹1.78 Crores), it wasn’t the storybook finish he might have hoped for. But it was a statement of resilience, the kind that tells the rest of the poker world to keep watching. He had weathered a trying series and still managed to walk away with another impressive score.

$50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller Highlights

The $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller began with 101 entries on Day 1, and by day’s end, only 29 remained. Daniel Dvoress led the survivors with a commanding stack of 3.835 Million chips. Right behind him, Fedor Holz held 2.755 Million, and Leonard Maue was close on his heels with 2.505 Million. These three walked away that night knowing the next day would be one of the most challenging moments they’d face on the journey toward the title.

Santhosh Suvarna Narrowly Missed Third WSOP Bracelet

Among those 29 players returning for Day 2 was India’s Santhosh Suvarna, who had bagged up 680,000 chips for 18th place on the leaderboard. There was a sense that he had more to give, though his opening hours on Day 2 didn’t go as planned. Early on, he lost a significant pot to Danny Tang during Level 14. It looked like things might slip from his grasp, but he found a way to steady himself. By the close of Level 16, he had climbed back to 1.13 Million, reminding everyone that he wasn’t someone to count out too early.

As the day wore on, Suvarna began to find his stride. He delivered the knockout blow to Timothy Adams when Adams’ fell to Suvarna’s . Adams went out in 20th place for $105,370, and Suvarna’s stack continued to climbed to 2.60 Million.

Not long after, Suvarna had a tense moment with Felipe Boianovsky. Holding , Suvarna managed to get the upper hand on Boianovsky’s on a board. Suvarna’s stack rose to 2.10 million, and Boianovsky was left hanging on by a thread at just 45,000. Though Boianovsky scraped together a few chips on the very next hand and even made it all the way to seventh place for $271,590, the warning had been delivered: Suvarna was a threat to anyone who crossed paths with him at that table.

Then came a showdown that no one expected to be so decisive: Suvarna versus Alex Foxen. Foxen, who had already taken down a $100K Triton Main Event, held , while Suvarna had . The community cards——offered no rescue for Foxen. He departed in 10th place for $140,250, leaving the final nine to settle in.

Suvarna entered the last stretch with confidence. He struck a large pot off Fedor Holz, pushing his stack to 4 Million. But poker is never a simple path. Before long, the chips began sliding in another direction, and by Level 22, Suvarna was down to 3.075 Million after tangling with Thomas Muehloecker.

Still, it was not over. Suvarna doubled up through Leonard Maue, giving himself a spark of hope, only to lose ground again when he tangled with Holz. By the time Level 24 rolled around, he found himself near the bottom of the counts with 3.25 Million. It was becoming a series of hard-fought battles, each one capable of turning the entire table’s fortune upside down.

After a brief 15-minute break, eight players sat down once more. Suvarna needed a strong move to survive, but the cards had other plans. A crucial blow came when he lost a key pot to James Hopkins. Suvarna’s ran into Hopkins’ , and Hopkins connected with the flop, leaving Suvarna short on options and chips. Two hands later, Suvarna was forced all-in from the big blind with . Moonho Seo called from the small blind with . Initially, Suvarna’s hand looked stronger, but the board brought a four for Seo on the flop. The turn and river offered no escape. Suvarna’s run ended in eighth place for $209,420 (~₹1.78 Crores).

Day 2 Recap

After giving the Super Main Event a shot on Day 1, Tom Fuchs stepped into this field as one of the 29 late arrivals just before registration snapped shut. He certainly wasn’t alone in making a last-minute decision to chase down one of poker’s most prized rewards. Even so, some of the game’s biggest names—Phil Hellmuth, Christoph Vogelsang, Nick Petrangelo, and Matthias Eibinger—who jumped in at the same late hour found no luck this time. Each one left empty-handed, reduced to onlookers as the rest carried on.

As the afternoon wore on, eliminations picked up speed, and the field thinned out. The tension was rising as the money bubble approached, every player keenly aware that the difference between going home with nothing and at least a six-figure score often comes down to a single decision—or a single card on the river. Just before things went hand-for-hand, Fuchs found a way to turn a crucial corner. He woke up with pocket aces and doubled up, suddenly looking like he could outlast some of the top-tier talent around him.

On the other side of that bubble, Chris Hunichen’s journey ended in a way no player wants to remember. After going all-in against Artur Martirosian’s pocket aces, Hunichen held pocket queens—normally a hand to be proud of, but not strong enough this time. With that, Hunichen left as the unfortunate bubble boy, and everyone else breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they’d at least collect a payout.

Once the tournament slipped into the money, Fedor Holz showed why he’s so often a name on everyone’s lips. He moved ahead of the field, gathering chips at a pace that made others seem like they were standing still. He knocked out Artur Martirosian in 17th ($105,370), Ben Tollerene in 15th ($115,910), and Orpen Kisacikoglu in 14th ($115,910). In all three cases, Holz started behind but ended up taking the pot anyway, as if fate had decided to look kindly on him for that stretch of the afternoon. But then came James Hopkins, who turned the tables on Holz in a key spot. Hopkins might have been dominated preflop, but he managed to flip the script, snagging a double-up and reminding Holz—and everyone else—that no run lasts forever.

Daniel Dvoress, the leader after Day 1, struggled to find the same magic that had carried him into the second day. A tough blow came when his kings were cracked by Thomas Muehloecker, sending Dvoress out in 12th place for $127,500.

The final table picture started to form after India’s Santhosh Suvarna sent Alex Foxen packing in 10th place. With that, the final nine were set.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Leonard Maue – 7,650,000
2. Tom Fuchs – 7,345,000
3. Fedor Holz – 6,500,000
4. Thomas Muehloecker – 5,900,000
5. Moonho Seo – 3,925,000
6. James Hopkins – 2,575,000
7. Santhosh Suvarna – 2,400,000
8. Punnat Punsri – 1,325,000
9. Felipe Boianovsky – 1,250,000

Final Table Recap

Fedor Holz headed into the final table with confidence, but it didn’t take long for things to get complicated. He slipped back to third place as the battle for chips grew more intense. Leonard Maue climbed to the top spot, and Tom Fuchs stayed right behind him, setting the stage for a showdown that no one on the rail would soon forget.

When play resumed, the table was tense. The shortest stacks refused to give in, doubling up time and again. It was as if everyone was waiting for someone else to blink first. Eventually, Punnat Punsri became the first to fall, losing a crucial race to Holz. After that, though, the knockouts slowed to a crawl. Hours ticked by with no one else hitting the exits.

As the clock pushed past 1 AM (local time), eight players still remained. That’s when the tournament director gave them a choice: bag up and return tomorrow or press on into the early morning. Without hesitation, they all agreed—they had come too far to call it a night now.

Their decision to continue would turn out to be prophetic. Moments after Santhosh Suvarna bowed out in eighth place at the hands of James Hopkins, Fuchs took over the table in a way that left everyone breathless. He seized one elimination after another, turning the final table into his personal proving ground. Felipe Boianovsky—gone. Fedor Holz—sent packing. James Hopkins—out the door. Maue—finished off. Soon, it was down to two, with only Thomas Muehloecker and Moonho Seo left standing in his path. Fuchs didn’t let up. He caught Muehloecker by the river, leaving just himself and Seo to settle the score once and for all.

By the time they went heads-up, Fuchs had the upper hand—nearly the entire mountain of chips was stacked in front of him. Seo made a valiant effort, even scoring a double-up at one point, but it felt like he was trying to hold back a tide. A few hands later, they found themselves all-in again: Seo held ace-king, Fuchs had pocket fours. The flop brought an ace, giving Seo a glimmer of hope, but then a four followed right behind. That card snuffed out Seo’s comeback and locked up Fuchs’ victory.

In a matter of moments, it was over. After all those hours, after the back-and-forth drama, after the close calls and desperate gambles, Tom Fuchs stood alone at the top.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Tom Fuchs – $1,292,000
2. Moonho Seo – $996,200
3. Thomas Muehloecker – $768,170
4. Leonard Maue – $592,340
5. James Hopkins – $456,760
6. Fedor Holz – $352,210
7. Felipe Boianovsky – $271,590
8. Santhosh Suvarna – $209,420
9. Punnat Punsri – $161,480

Content & Images Courtesy: WSOP, Card Player & PokerNews

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