3-Bet : Ivan Bryksin, Tuyen Dieu & Michael Esquivel Win Major Live Titles!

From the sun-drenched tables of Northern Cyprus to the buzzing, energy-charged floors of Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, this 3-Bet report dives into a trifecta of unforgettable victories. These are stories where sharp play, sheer grit, and perhaps a little nod from destiny all came together to crown some very deserving new champions.

First up, soaking in the luxury at the Merit Royal Diamond Spa Hotel & Casino, was Russia’s Ivan Bryksin (cover image – left). The PokerOK CEO, recently making headlines for his outspoken views on poker staking, decided to let his chips do the talking in the $2,200 Luxon Pay Grand Final at the Mediterranean Poker Party. He steamrolled a massive 1,452-entry field packed with talent, eventually going head-to-head with Kuwait’s Nasser Al Mujaibel. Bryksin sealed the deal, pocketing $375,000 – a new career high that quadrupled his previous live earnings and certainly put a bold new entry on his poker resume.

Then, stateside at Harrah’s Cherokee, Tuyen Dieu (cover image – right top) cooked up one of the year’s most memorable breakout stories. This cash game regular, playing in only his third live tournament ever, found himself in the spotlight of the $1,700 WSOPC Cherokee Main Event. He outlasted a huge 1,224-player field, and with what he later called a “lightning turn” giving him a full house against trips in the final hand, he captured the title, his first circuit ring, and a very tidy $287,230.

And rounding out this trio of poker victories, also from Harrah’s Cherokee, Michael Esquivel (cover image – right bottom) delivered a powerful reminder that a never-give-up attitude pays dividends. Just weeks after nearly quitting poker due to a tough downswing, Esquivel put on a dominant display in Event #6: $400 6-Max NLHE. He entered the final table with the chip lead and steamrolled his way to his second WSOP Circuit ring and a $46,068 prize in under two hours – a victory that was part of an incredible three-week heater that saw him bag another ring and bank nearly $230,000, scripting a truly inspiring comeback.

Bryksin Backs Up Big Talk With $2,200 Grand Final Victory at Mediterranean Poker Party ($375K)

The stunning Merit Royal Diamond Spa Hotel & Casino was recently the scene of some serious poker fireworks with the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party underway, and at the centre of it all was Russia’s Ivan Bryksin. Now, Bryksin isn’t just known for his card play; the PokerOK CEO has been making waves with his outspoken views, recently launching a notable critique of poker backing stables and boldly declaring “no more negotiations” – a move that sent some ripples through the poker community. Yet, amidst all that industry chatter, Bryksin proved his skills on the live felt are undeniable.

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After three action-packed days, he expertly cut through a massive 1,452-entry field in the $2,200 Luxon Pay Grand Final, outdueling Kuwait’s Nasser Al Mujaibel in the heads-up showdown. The victory handed Bryksin a career-best $375,000 payday, which quadrupled his lifetime live earnings and firmly stamped his name onto the Mediterranean Poker Party honour roll.

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And the winner of #LuxonPay Grand Final on Mediterranean Poker Party 2025 – Ivan Bryksin!!!

A three-day poker marathon is behind us!
The tournament attracted 1,452 players with a $2,200 buy-in.

You could follow all the action live on our YouTube channel.

“Right after… pic.twitter.com/pnRgOFSHsh

— Merit Poker (@meritpokerlive) May 9, 2025

The $2,200 Luxon Pay Grand Final was a sprawling affair. It featured four starting flights—Day 1A, 1B, 1C, and a speedy turbo Day 1D—that collectively pulled in that huge 1,452-entry crowd. This created a prize pool of $2,787,840, with plenty of cash up for grabs. Day 1C turned out to be the busiest and most competitive of the flights, with Tymofii Savkin emerging as the overall chip leader. Other notables like Mihai Niste also successfully punched their tickets as the tournament shifted into a higher gear for Day 2.

From the 247 hopefuls who returned for Day 2, the field was meticulously whittled down to just 28 survivors by the time the day’s play concluded. All these remaining players were now safely in the money and had their eyes firmly set on that juicy $375,000 top prize.

Serbia’s Dmitry Kukhtarev had rocketed to the top of the chip counts with a commanding 30.80 Million stack, his surge highlighted by a dramatic flush-over-set hand that also happened to be the one that burst the money bubble. Alexandru Lupuleac was snapping at his heels with 23.60 Million, thanks to a stunning quad-over-straight encounter that left his opponent reeling. Adrian Strobel (22.30 Million), Day 1C chip leader Savkin, and Konstantin Voronin also made their presence known with deep runs. Ivan Bryksin himself made a significant climb late in the day, picking his spots with timely aggression to build his stack, setting the stage for an intriguing finale as the final table approached.

The Day 2 action wasn’t without its share of big-name casualties. Scottish Triple Crown winner Niall Farrell, unfortunately, couldn’t add a Merit poker title to his resume, falling in 21st place, which was still good for $19,800. Aleksandr Kirichenko (17th) and Sergey Aleksandrov (16th) found their runs ending almost simultaneously, each collecting $19,800 for their efforts and leaving just two tables remaining in the hunt.

During this period of intense play, Bryksin actually found himself nursing a relatively short stack of around 17 big blinds. However, as poker often goes, fortunes began to shift. Just after Adrian Strobel‘s dream of making back-to-back final tables in this very event was dashed with a 13th-place finish ($24,000), and the start-of-day chip leader Dmitry Kukhtarev made a somewhat disappointing exit in 12th ($30,000), Bryksin re-entered the main picture with a bang. He managed a crucial double-up through Alexandru Lupuleac. Not long after that pivotal hand, it was Lupuleac who set the official final table by eliminating Alessio Isaia in tenth place ($30,000).

The final day’s action, which was live-streamed on GGPoker`s YouTube channel, began with all eyes on Russia’s Ivan Bryksin. He had clearly found his groove late on Day 2 and was coming into the finale with some serious heat. However, Kuwait’s Nasser Al Mujaibelheld the initial chip lead, looking poised to make a historic score for his country!

You can watch the final table replay below.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Nasser Al Mujaibel – 44,700,000
2. Vlado Banicevic – 36,200,000
3. Sebastian Ionita – 35,200,000
4. Ivan Bryksin – 34,400,000
5. Tymofii Savkin – 32,200,000
6. Konstantin Voronin – 30,000,000
7. Julian Menhardt – 29,200,000
8. Alvaro Gonza – 26,600,000
9. Alexandru Lupuleac – 22,500,000

Final Table Recap

The first elimination of the final table came relatively quickly. Alexandru Lupuleac decided to three-bet shove his over an opening raise from Konstantin Voronin. Unfortunately for Lupuleac, he ran into a nightmarish scenario as Voronin snap-called, tabling and hit the nut straight as the community cards opened , sending Lupuleac to the rail in ninth place.

Tymofii Savkin’s final table run was also destined to be short-lived. The Ukrainian player jammed his but got looked up by Bryksin, who held a dominant . The runout was clean for Bryksin, who significantly boosted his stack while Savkin made his exit in eighth place. This crucial hand helped Bryksin further strengthen his position as one of the main challengers to Al Mujaibel’s chip lead.

At this juncture, Al Mujaibel really started to turn up the pressure, taking responsibility for the next string of eliminations. Austria’s Julian Menhardt was the next to fall, finishing in seventh. His couldn’t find a way to catch up against Al Mujaibel’s , especially after Al Mujaibel flopped trips on an board. The turn and river changed nothing, and Menhardt headed to the payout desk.

Next to depart from this star-studded final table was Spain’s Alvaro Gonza, who finished in sixth place. He open-jammed his ( and was unfortunate to be called by Sebastian Ionita, who held . An ace on the turn of the board spelt doom for Gonza!

Montenegro’s Vlado Banicevic, who had skillfully doubled up twice to stay in contention, saw his tournament run come to an end in fifth place. He shoved his but ran straight into Al Mujaibel’s . The board of provided no help for Banicevic!

Russian hopeful Konstantin Voronin, who had been steadily chipping up throughout the day was stopped in fourth place. He made a button raise with only to be check-raised all-in by Al Mujaibel on a flop. Voronin made the call, only to see the bad news: Al Mujaibel was holding for a flush draw. The on the turn and a dramatic on the river completed both a straight and a flush for Al Mujaibel, ending Voronin’s run.

Romania’s Sebastian Ionita, who had played a sharp and composed game throughout the final stages, was knocked out in third. He made his move by shoving with but needed help against Al Mujaibel’s superior . The board ran out , giving Al Mujaibel two pair, and Ionita hit the rail.

That flurry of eliminations set up a highly anticipated heads-up clash between Nasser Al Mujaibel and Ivan Bryksin, with the Kuwaiti player holding a comfortable 2:1 chip lead at the outset. But Bryksin wasn’t about to go down quietly. Al Mujaibel’s aggressive play style led to some particularly volatile pots during their heads-up encounter, with big bets flying in on almost every street.

A key hand saw the momentum begin to visibly shift. After a few initial exchanges where chips went back and forth, both players saw the flop open . Al Mujaibel, holding for a pair of fives, decided to lead out with bets on all three streets – flop, turn, and river. Bryksin, however, was holding the pair of nines and coolly called down Al Mujaibel’s aggression on every street, and his hand held up, bringing the chip stacks to a near-even position. The two players then traded the chip lead back and forth for a tense period.

After about 30 minutes of this intense, high-level battling, the deciding blow finally came. Bryksin opened the button for 10 Million holding , and Al Mujaibel defended his big blind with . The flop came down , a dream scenario for Bryksin as it gave him two pair (aces and deuces), while Al Mujaibel hit bottom pair (fours). The turn was the , and the river brought the . On that river, Al Mujaibel made a bold move, jamming his last 61.50 Million chips. Bryksin quickly made the call with his two pair. Al Mujaibel could only show his bottom pair, and with that, Ivan Bryksin was crowned the champion of the Luxon Pay Grand Final.

An elated Bryksin wasted no time in lifting the trophy high, celebrating with his friends on the rail as cheers and applause erupted throughout the entire tournament area. He claimed the $375,000 top prize, a career-defining win at the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party.

Nasser Al Mujaibel’s excellent runner-up finish earned him a life-changing $255,000 and a new, prominent spot in Kuwait’s poker history books, elevating him to second place on his country’s all-time money list. Bryksin’s casual and talkative demeanour throughout the three days, often showing his cards to create a friendly and engaging atmosphere at the tables, clearly didn’t distract him from his ultimate goal of conquering this massive field.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Ivan Bryksin – $375,000
2. Nasser Al Mujaibel – $255,000
3. Sebastian Ionita – $177,000
4. Konstantin Voronin – $130,000
5. Vlado Banicevic – $95,000
6. Alvaro Gonza – $72,000
7. Julian Menhardt – $57,200
8. Tymofii Savkin – $46,000
9. Alexandru Lupuleac – $37,540

From Cash Game Player to Circuit King: “Lightning Turn” Gets Tuyen Dieu WSOPC Cherokee Main Event Title ($287,230)

In one of the most attention-grabbing finales of the 2025 WSOP Circuit season, Tuyen Dieu, a name previously unfamiliar to many on the tournament scene, rose from relative obscurity to have his name etched among champions. He took down the $1,700 Main Event at WSOPC Cherokee, a victory that delivered a life-altering $287,230 into his bank account.

The tournament was a massive affair, drawing a huge 1,224-entry field across its three starting flights, which cooked up a prize pool of $1.85 Million. After the initial flights, Day 2 saw 150 survivors return, all hoping to make a deep run. Over three demanding days of intense poker play, it was Dieu, in what he stated was just his third-ever live tournament, who went the distance.

This win didn’t just mean a huge payday; it came with his first WSOP Circuit ring, a coveted entry into the Tournament of Champions, and, much to his surprise, a future spot on the Cherokee Exhibition Hall banner. The newly crowned champ was taken aback when informed about the banner: “My name’s gonna be up there? Are you for real? Wow. Maybe if my mom sees that, she’s gonna kill me—she’s over here a lot.”

Dieu, originally from Vietnam and having moved to the United States when he was 18, is primarily a cash game player. He confessed that his friends, who apparently “take all my money” in their regular games, were the ones who convinced him to join them in playing this Main Event. And it seems those friends are set for a handsome return on their belief in him. “They have a lot of percent of me. A lot,” Dieu admitted, adding with a laugh, “I’m not happy about that right now.”

But Dieu really had to work hard to get the win, especially considering he started the final day seventh out of the nine remaining players, facing a real “murderer’s row” of seasoned WSOP bracelet winners and Circuit ring holders. The field was packed with poker notables, including bracelet winner David Moses and five-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Ryan Eriquezzo, alongside experienced Circuit grinders like Toby Boas and Joshua Palmer. By the time the final table was officially formed, it was Palmer holding a commanding chip lead, with Dieu sitting near the bottom of the counts with just 19 big blinds.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Joshua Palmer – 12,250,000 (102 BB)
2. Toby Boas – 7,265,000 (60 BB)
3. John Shepherd – 6,960,000 (58 BB)
4. David Moses – 6,885,000 (57 BB)
5. Justin Levy – 6,100,000 (50 BB)
6. Ryan Eriquezzo – 4,000,000 (33 BB)
7. Tuyen Dieu – 2,340,000 (19 BB)
8. Leslie Nettles – 1,780,000 (14 BB)
9. Phuong Ta – 1,540,000 (12 BB)

Final Table Recap

Despite his short stack, Dieu wasted no time getting involved. Fortune smiled on him early when, seven-handed and in desperate need of chips, he picked up his favorite hand, . He found himself in a classic flip against Toby Boas’s and managed to come out on top, doubling up through the eventual runner-up. This hand was a huge boost for him.

Shortly after, another game-changing hand arrived that really gave him his shot at the title. Dieu skillfully induced a river bluff from John Shepherd. Holding top pair with the top kicker, Dieu made the call. “I knew I’m trapping him,” Dieu later recounted. “I knew he was going to do that. So yeah, snap-call him.” That correct call saw his chip stack swell, and he took over the chip lead.

From that point on, Dieu found himself in a dynamic tussle for the chip lead, particularly with Joshua Palmer. As the field thinned and the pressure mounted, Ryan Eriquezzo was the first to depart from the final table in ninth. Phuong Ta followed in eighth and Justin Levy‘s run ended in seventh.

John Shepherd, after that fateful bluff, exited in sixth. WSOP bracelet winner David Moses finished in fifth and Leslie Nettles bowed out in fourth.

Three-handed play saw Boas overtake Joshua Palmer in chips before Dieu delivered the finishing blow to Palmer, sending him to the rail in third place.

This led to the heads-up duel between Tuyen Dieu and Toby Boas. Then came the final decisive hand that will be remembered for a long time. After a flop of was checked through by both players, the fell on the turn. Dieu led out and Boas check-raised all-in. Dieu, holding pocket aces for a turned full house, knew he was ahead of Boas, who held a ten for trips. He snap-called, slapping down his aces with undeniable conviction. The thought that flashed through his mind at that very moment, as he later shared, was pure elation: “I’m a champion now. Here we go, I’m rich! Finally, I’m rich!”

As the meaningless river card fell, Dieu and his rail erupted. “What a turn card! What a f***ing turn card!!” he exclaimed, the words capturing the sheer drama and fortune of that game-changing moment. Toby Boas, for his excellent run, received $191,474 for his runner-up finish.

With this substantial boost to his bankroll (however much is left after his friends get their share!), Dieu mentioned he might play some more tournaments, including potentially making a trip to Las Vegas for the WSOP Main Event. “I hope I can win one more time,” he said, the excitement of victory clearly still fresh.

Tuyen Dieu’s unlikely journey from a recreational cash game player, playing in only his third live tournament, to a WSOP Circuit Main Event champion is a fantastic poker story. It proves that on any given day, anyone with chips and a chair can make their poker dreams come true.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Tuyen Dieu – $287,230
2. Toby Boas – $191,474
3. Joshua Palmer – $134,584
4. Leslie Nettles – $96,069
5. David Moses – $69,661
6. John Shepherd – $51,325
7. Justin Levy – $38,431
8. Phuong Ta – $29,255
9. Ryan Eriquezzo – $22,646

Michael Esquivel’s Cherokee Redemption: From Quitting Poker to Two Rings in Three Weeks!

The poker world loves a good comeback story, and Michael Esquivel just penned a memorable one at the WSOP Circuit stop in Cherokee. Just three weeks ago, Esquivel was standing at a crossroads, seriously contemplating walking away from the game. He was deep in a tough downswing, with only one five-figure tournament score to his name since capturing his first WSOP Circuit ring in 2022. Poker, the game he loved, was providing neither the joy nor the financial stability he needed to support his family. But then, he decided to take one more shot.

That “one more shot” has since blossomed into a heater of a lifetime. “It’s been a long journey,” Esquivel shared. “The story is about the life of a father who’s struggling to make ends meet, and his only way out is cards, poker. I’ve always believed I could do it. I’ve always trusted my instincts to be in a position where I am now, and it paid off.” And pay off it did. This renewed belief powered a remarkable resurgence: three Circuit final tables, two victories, and a windfall collection nearing $230,000.

The First Spark: Conquering the 6-Max For Ring Number Two

The first breakthrough in this incredible turnaround came in Event #6: $400 6-Max No-Limit Hold’em at Harrah’s Cherokee. Esquivel put on a clinical performance, navigating a massive 869-entry field to seize his second WSOP Circuit ring and a $46,068 payday.

He entered the final table of six with the chip lead (4.26 Million chips with blinds at 50k/100k + 100k BBA) and never once let his grip loosen, dispatching his opponents in under two intense hours. “I felt really comfortable,” he said after the win. “I kind of had them properly ranged where I could play my game versus them. All I needed to do was adjust and win.”

The final table action was swift. Sean Ward was the first to depart in sixth, eliminated by Toby Boas. WSOP bracelet winner Ronnie Day, despite his experience (including a $200,000 win in the 2023 WSOP Tournament of Champions), couldn’t withstand Esquivel’s pressure. Day exited in fifth place when his pocket tens fell to Esquivel’s ace-king, which made two pair.

Matt Schulte’s bluff attempt failed against Esquivel’s strong top pair, sending him out in fourth. Toby Boas’s journey nded in third place after losing a crucial all-in race with pocket eights against Esquivel’s ace-king.

This left Esquivel heads-up against Patrick Reilly. Esquivel’s momentum was undeniable, and in the final hand, his pocket kings held strong against Reilly’s ace-seven, sealing the victory. Reilly took home $30,716 for his runner-up finish.

The win was deeply emotional. After the river card confirmed his victory, Esquivel clapped his hands, leaned over the table, pounded the rail in excitement, shook hands with Reilly, then turned away, held his head in his hands, and began to sob. It was a rare and genuine outpouring of emotion. “These are the things we work hard for,” he explained. “We all know that in tournaments, anything can happen. I’ve gotten a lot of seconds in the past, and they hurt, y’know? It wasn’t about the money. I just really, really wanted to win so bad.” This victory was especially meaningful after a recent runner-up finish in the WSOPC Tunica Main Event (where he earned almost $75,000), a near-miss that had clearly weighed on him.

$400 6-Max NLHE Final Table Results (USD)

1. Michael Esquivel – $46,068
2. Patrick Reilly – $30,716
3. Toby Boas – $21,219
4. Ronnie Day – $14,923
5. Matt Schulte – $10,688
6. Sean Ward – $7,799

The Encore: A Monster Stack Comeback For Ring Number Three

Just two days after his emotional 6-Max triumph, Esquivel was at it again, staging a stunning short-stack comeback in the $400 Monster Stack (Ring Event #8) at the same WSOP Circuit Cherokee stop. He rallied from under four big blinds when play was six-handed, eventually defeating Eric Kim heads-up to capture his third career Circuit ring. This victory added a further $108,705 to his incredible three-week haul.

His reaction to this third ring was far more subdued than the previous one. He shook hands with Kim, accepted congratulations, and got a hug from friend Preston McEwen.

Esquivel explained the difference: “The first final table (6-Max), I was feeling the pressure, because of what happened in Tunica last week. I got second, it hurt. Preston (McEwen) came over, and he hugged me, and he was like ‘I know the feeling, brother’, and so I just kind of told myself, here we go again, I might get second again in 6-max, so there was a lot of doubt.”

With that doubt now banished after the 6-Max win, and buoyed by an immense sense of relief, Esquivel said he felt he was freerolling in the Monster Stack and would have been fine even if he’d lost heads-up. But he didn’t.

This incredible run, born from a decision to take one more shot when he was on the verge of quitting, has completely changed Esquivel’s outlook. He chose to fight, and now, as a three-time Circuit champion with nearly $230,000 won in a matter of weeks, he has a much happier story to tell. He plans to use some of his winnings to take his family on a well-deserved beach vacation, emphasizing that his greatest happiness lies outside of poker.

Esquivel said about his poker future, “I can definitely play poker without pressure now, I’m free.” When asked if more WSOP hardware is on the way now that he’s found this winning groove, he replied with a smile, “I don’t know. You’re all just going to have to wait and watch. Enjoy the show.”

$400 Monster Stack Final Table Results (USD)

1. Michael Esquivel – $108,705
2. Eric Kim – $67,191
3. Matt Lewis – $50,298
4. Beverly Grindle – $38,033
5. Brian Heaton – $29,054
6. David Moses – $22,424
7. Manoj Batavia – $17,488
8. Carlos Lam – $13,783
9. Ravee Sundara – $10,978
10. Harold Rodriguez – $8,839

Content and Images Courtesy: WSOP, CardPlayer, Poker.org and PokerNews