2025 U.S. Poker Open: Brandon Wilson Can’t Be Stopped! Wins Third PGT Title of the Year in Event #6: $15,100 No-Limit Hold’em ($382,200)

Brandon Wilson‘s (cover image) 2025 performance on the PokerGO Tour (PGT) is becoming legendary. The American pro seems locked in, and frankly, stopping him looks like a tall order for anyone right now. His latest victory lap came in Event #6: $15,100 No-Limit Hold’em at the 2025 U.S. Poker Ope. He bested a record-setting field of 98 entries, hoisted the PGT trophy, and stuffed his pockets with another $382,200. This is already his third PGT title just this year and counts as the fourth-largest payout of his live poker career.

Getting this win meant going through Matthew Wantman heads-up – the same player who won Event #4 earlier in the series. Wantman put up a real fight, but Wilson stood his ground and finished the job, chalking up his tenth career live tournament victory. Wantman’s terrific second-place finish still earned him a solid $242,550.

Brandon Wilson wins his 3rd PGT title in Event #6 of the U.S. Poker Open for $382,200! 🏆

📺 https://t.co/dTHG5hl7Qv pic.twitter.com/uUvB4BxdSn

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 16, 2025

This result shakes up the U.S. Poker Open leaderboard race. Matthew Wantman‘s runner-up finish (194 points), combined with his earlier win, vaults him into the clear lead with 512 points overall for the series. Wilson’s win was his first cash of this USPO series; the 306 PGT points he earned land him in fourth on the current leaderboard.

Wilson is quickly making a name for himself in the high-roller circuit. He burst onto the scene in 2021, and his rise has been meteoric. His career-high score of $602,900 came just last December in a $25,500 High Roller at the Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open.

He is tearing up 2025. He started the year blazing, winning two $10,100 NLHE events at the PGT Last Chance series on consecutive days in January. That clearly wasn’t a fluke, as he kept making noise, including a big runner-up finish in the $25,500 High Roller at the Lucky Hearts Poker Open. With this latest USPO win, Wilson has now reached an incredible seven final tables in 2025 alone. In just a few years, he’s piled up over $5.66 Million in live tournament earnings – a head-turning achievement that currently places him fifth on the Illinois all-time money list, according to The Hendon Mob.

Event Highlights

This $15,100 buy-in event at the PokerGO Studio didn’t just draw eyeballs; it set a PGT record for entries at this buy-in level with 98 runners generating a $1.47 Million prize pool. With serious cash and serious players involved, it was a real fight from the get-go. The top 14 finishers took home at least $36,750.

The money bubble burst with a bit of chaos – Yifu He, Nguyen Le, and Kristina Holst busted almost simultaneously on different tables, meaning the remaining 14 players were in the money.

Several well-known pros cashed but missed the final six, including Joao Simao (14th for $36,750), John Riordan (13th for $36,750), Peter Wang (12th for $36,750), Isaac Haxton (10th for $44,100), and Cary Katz (9th for $44,100). Aram Zobian was the last player eliminated (8th for $58,800) before the official final table kicked off under the PokerGO Studio lights.

As always, the final table action was streamed live (on delay) via PokerGO’s YouTube channel. You can watch the replay below.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Sean Winter – 3,560,000
2. Brandon Wilson – 2,025,000
3. Martin Zamani – 1,860,000
4. Matthew Wantman – 1,750,000
5. David Coleman – 1,625,000
6. Alex Foxen – 1,270,000
7. Darren Elias – 210,000

Final Table Recap

Seven players returned for the final day, streamed live on PokerGO’s YouTube channel, with Sean Winter holding the chip lead.

First out was Darren Elias in seventh. Holding pocket queens and just over six big blinds, he got involved in a three-way all-in against Winter’s tens and Martin Zamani’s . A king on the flop and another on the turn gave Zamani trips. Zamani bet the turn, pushing Winter out, and then rivered quad kings just for good measure, ending Elias’s run early.

Lights out! 💡 @Martin_Zamani rivers quads to eliminate @DarrenElias in 7th.

📺 https://t.co/dTHG5hl7Qv pic.twitter.com/dCulAQjNAj

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 15, 2025

David Coleman exited in sixth place thanks to a standard preflop flip. His couldn’t connect against Martin Zamani’s pocket fours on a king-high board.

Another one bites the dust! 💥 @Martin_Zamani sends David Coleman packing in 6th.

📺 https://t.co/dTHG5hl7Qv pic.twitter.com/RtenHXJPOU

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 15, 2025

Three-time bracelet winner Alex Foxen crashed out in fifth. He opened with and called off his stack when Matthew Wantman shoved from the small blind with . Foxen hit top pair on the flop and was ahead, but the turn gave Wantman the nut straight. Foxen needed a queen or a jack on the river, but the sealed his exit.

The action continues! 🔥 @MatthewWantman turns broadway to eliminate @WAFoxen in 5th.

📺 https://t.co/dTHG5hl7Qv pic.twitter.com/sXh87JUYiE

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 15, 2025

Martin Zamani had an eventful run but failed to capitalize on the early momentum. He came out swinging, scoring the first two knockouts and briefly grabbing the chip lead but took a big hit against Sean Winter during five-handed play. The two tangled again shortly after, resulting in Zamani’s elimination. Winter limped the button with , Zamani raised from the small blind with , and Winter called. On an flop, Zamani bet his ace-high, Winter raised his top pair, and Zamani decided to three-bet shove for over 2.60 Million. Winter quickly called, and his pair of eights held up through the turn and river, sending Zamani out in fourth.

Shocking elimination! 🤯 Sean Winter and Martin Zamani battle in the biggest pot of the day.

📺 https://t.co/dTHG5hl7Qv pic.twitter.com/FskDvrS32i

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 15, 2025

Next, Sean Winter‘s promising run ended brutally in third place. Starting the day in the chip lead, he got most of his chips in preflop holding A-5 against Brandon Wilson’s dominant A-8. Wilson’s kicker played, leaving Winter with just a single 25,000 chip. Forced all-in from the big blind the next hand with , he watched as Wilson () and Wantman (pocket tens) got all-in as well. An ace flopped, briefly giving Wilson the lead, but a ten hit the turn, giving Wantman a set. That hand eliminated Winter and doubled Wantman into the chip lead for the heads-up play.

Impressive run! 👏 Sean Winter eliminated in 3rd place for $176,400.

📺 https://t.co/dTHG5hl7Qv pic.twitter.com/pP1xEuFAPJ

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 16, 2025

Wantman started heads-up with the advantage (7.625 Million to Wilson’s 4.625 Million), but things changed quickly. After Wilson chipped up a bit, Wantman shoved the button with . Wilson looked down at in the big blind and made the call. The board ran out clean for Wilson, and his ace-king held, giving him a huge 5-to-1 chip lead. A few hands later, Wilson shoved with , and Wantman called for his remaining stack with . The board came , giving Wilson a rivered flush to lock up the hand, the title, and another PGT trophy.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Brandon Wilson – $382,200
2. Matthew Wantman – $242,550
3. Sean Winter – $176,400
4. Martin Zamani – $132,300
5. Alex Foxen – $102,900
6. David Coleman – $73,500
7. Darren Elias – $58,800

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO

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