3-Bet: Justin Tsui, Eric Taylor & Stefan Lazar Win Main Event Titles

The live poker scene is buzzing with excitement, with action erupting from the vibrant casinos of Marrakech to the classic card rooms of the US and the UK. This 3-Bet report brings you the hottest highlights from three Main Event showdowns!

First up, we head to the sun-drenched city of Marrakech, where the WSOP Circuit recently wrapped up its exciting series. Australia’s Justin Tsui (cover image – left) emerged as the champion of the €1,350 Main Event, outlasting a massive field of 1,523 entries to capture his first WSOP Circuit ring and a career-best MAD 2.7 Million ($269,242). Spain’s Gandalf finished as the runner-up, taking home MAD 1.8 Million ($183,483).

Across the Atlantic, the WSOP Circuit kicked off its 2025 season at Choctaw Casino Resort with a bang. The series featured 34 tournaments, but the main attraction was the $1,700 Main Event. With a prize pool of $1,621,050, generated by 1,070 entries, the event shattered its $1 Million guarantee. When the dust settled, Eric Taylor (cover image – centre) claimed the coveted WSOPC ring and a career-best $259,721. Sung Lee finished in second place, earning a respectable $173,145.

Meanwhile, in the UK, the GUKPT Coventry £1,250 Main Event witnessed an underdog story for the ages. Stefan Lazar (cover image – right), who satellited his way into the event for a mere £140, conquered a field of 368 entries to claim his first major title and a career-defining £70,830 after a dramatic three-way deal. Keith Littlewood and Alex Montgomery walked away with £53,750 each for their second and third-place finishes, but it was Lazar’s night to shine.

Justin Tsui Conquers Marrakech Main Event For His First WSOP Circuit Ring ($269,242)

The WSOP Circuit rolled into Marrakech with a bang from January 10 – 19, and the €1,350 Main Event was the hottest ticket in town. A massive field of 1,523 players battled it out, but in the end, Australia’s Justin Tsui emerged triumphant, capturing his first-ever WSOP Circuit ring and a career-best MAD 2.70 Million ($269,242!) payday. Spain’s Gandalf gave chase till the end but had to settle for second place and MAD 1.8 Million ($183,483).

This wasn’t just any victory for Tsui. His connection to Marrakech goes way back – a decade ago, he visited the city as a tourist. Now, he’s returned as a conquering hero.

The Main Event itself was a spectacle, generating a prize pool of MAD 19,421,500 ($1,936,701). The top 225 players made it into the money, each guaranteed at least MAD 14,000 ($1,396), but everyone was gunning for that top spot and the coveted WSOP Circuit ring.

Tsui navigated Day 2 with ease, but Day 3 was a different beast. With a stack of chips to protect, he played a calculated game, carefully considering the ICM implications of every move. This victory adds another impressive notch to Tsui’s belt, capping off what has already been a phenomenal year for the Aussie pro.

Tsui’s victory also earned him a seat in the upcoming WSOP Tournament of Champions. With his Marrakech triumph, Tsui’s live earnings have now soared to over $429,755. Not bad for a last-minute trip to Morocco!

Day 3 of the Main Event began with a palpable buzz surrounding Anthony Apicella. Having just conquered the High Roller, everyone watched with bated breath to see if he could achieve the extraordinary feat of winning two WSOPC rings in a single week.

Apicella, initially leading the pack of 29 remaining contenders, maintained a composed demeanour in the early stages. However, Aitor Cruz stole the spotlight. Cruz, who had barely scraped through Day 2 with a meagre two big blinds, staged a remarkable comeback, amassing chips and captivating onlookers with his audacious plays.

But as the tension mounted, Apicella’s seemingly charmed run encountered turbulence. A crucial hand against Alone Zagury saw him take a big hit. Despite eliminating Omar Gueye in 15th place, he couldn’t recover. Finally, his ace-queen was outmatched by Gandalf’s ace-king, ending his dream run in 13th place.

The final table was a constellation of poker talent. Volga Uyanik was the first to depart in ninth place, falling prey to Choffardet’s formidable kings. Aitor Cruz, seizing the reins early on, went on a tear, swiftly eliminating Mike McManaman (8th), Dinesh Alt (7th), and Ina (6th) before the dinner break.

But then, the tide turned. Tsui, with pocket queens, clashed with Mathieu Choffardet‘s ace-king and eliminated him in fifth place, seizing the chip lead.

Paul Tedeschi and Gandalf battled fiercely to maintain their position, but Tsui delivered the final blow to Tedeschi’s run, sending him to the rail in fourth place.

Aitor Cruz, who had been a dominant force throughout the tournament, eventually succumbed in third place. This set the stage for a dramatic showdown between Tsui and Gandalf, with the coveted WSOP Circuit ring hanging in the balance.

Heads-up play was tense, but it didn’t last long. In the final hand, Gandalf limped in with , and Tsui raised to 1.15 Million with . The flop came , and Tsui bet 900,000. Gandalf called with his gutshot straight draw. The turn brought , and after a check from Tsui, Gandalf bet 1 Million. Tsui called again.

The river was the . Tsui checked, and Gandalf, sensing weakness, shoved all in for 3 Million after missing his outs! Tsui tanked. The tension in the room was palpable. Could he really call with just ace-high? After what seemed like an eternity, he tossed in a chip, calling Gandalf’s bluff and snatching the title!

Final Table Results (Moroccan Dirham)

1. Justin Tsui – 2,700,000
2. Gandalf – 1,840,000
3. Aitor Cruz – 1,300,000
4. Paul Tedeschi – 965,000
5. Mathieu Choffardet – 720,000
6. Ina – 545,000
7. Dinesh Alt – 425,000
8. Mike Mcmanaman – 345,000
9. Volga Uyanik – 280,000

Eric Taylor Takes Down WSOPC Choctaw Main Event ($259,721)

The WSOP Circuit kicked off 2025 with a bang at Choctaw Casino Resort, running from January 4 to 20. The series featured a jam-packed schedule of 34 tournaments, but all eyes were on the $1,700 Main Event. With a strong turnout of 1,070 entries, the prize pool swelled to over $1.6 Million, crushing the $1 Million guarantee.

After three days of intense poker action, Eric Taylor emerged as the champion, grabbing his first-ever WSOPC ring and a career-best payday of $259,721! Sung Lee, also vying for his first ring, earned a respectable $173,145 in second place.

ERIC TAYLOR WINS THE CHOCTAW CIRCUIT MAIN EVENT🚨

The @ChoctawDurant Circuit Main Event concludes with Eric Taylor as the last man standing.

The event drew a field 1,070 players, generating a total prizepool of $1,632,050 and Taylor takes home $259,721.

Event Recap:… pic.twitter.com/6vWCYDpFXV

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) January 21, 2025

This victory was a game-changer for Taylor. Before Choctaw, his total live earnings were a modest $55,464. Now, he’s a WSOP Circuit champion with over $315,185 in winnings!

The Main Event featured two starting flights, and by Day 2, only 111 players remained, each guaranteed at least $4,430. The competition was fierce, with notable players like Quang Pham (9th for $19,837), Jared Ingles (14th for $10,339), Nathanael Kogel (15th for $10,339), John Land (18th for $8,656), John Fagg (19th for $8,656), and Hunter Cichy (29th for $7,397) making deep runs.

On the final day, Taylor started in the middle of the pack. The action was fast and furious, with early eliminations of Alain Reed and Chanliang Deng setting the stage for a thrilling finale.

Taylor made his presence known by eliminating Kannon McCavit in sixth place. Meanwhile, Debbie Lee was on fire, taking out Cody Bartlett in fifth place and seizing the chip lead heading into the first break. Taylor, however, was still trailing the final four.

But Taylor wasn’t going down without a fight. He doubled up and surged to the top of the leaderboard. Lee fought back, eliminating gold-ring winner Arthur Morris in fourth place, inching closer to Taylor in the chip counts.

However, Taylor responded by taking out another former gold-ring winner, Thomas Romeo, in third, setting up a heads-up showdown with Lee.

The heads-up battle began with Eric Taylor holding 25.50 Million in chips against Sung Lee’s 17.30 Million. The final duel was a rollercoaster, with Taylor and Lee trading the chip lead multiple times. Taylor, in particular, found himself on the ropes more than once but managed to find crucial double-ups to stay alive.

After a tense back-and-forth, the players took a dinner break. Returning to the felt, the tension was palpable. Finally, in the climactic hand, Lee moved all-in with , and Taylor called with . The board ran out , giving Taylor two pair and the victory! The crowd erupted as Eric Taylor etched his name into WSOP Circuit history.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Eric Taylor – $259,721
2. Sung Lee – $173,145
3. Thomas Romeo – $120,563
4. Arthur Morris – $85,387
5. Cody Bartlett – $61,527
6. Kannon McCavit – $45,120
7. Changliang Deng – $33,686
8. Alain Raad – $25,611
9. Quang Pham – $19,837

From Satellite to Champion: Stefan Lazar Scores Epic GUKPT Coventry Main Event Triumph After 3-Way Deal! (£70,830)

Forget everything you thought you knew about poker, because Stefan Lazar just rewrote the script at the GUKPT Coventry £1,250 Main Event. This wasn’t your typical victory for a seasoned pro; this was a story of an underdog claiming his first major title and a career-defining £70,830 prize after a three-way deal. Lazar conquered a fierce field of 368 entries, proving that in poker, destiny favours the bold.

Before this, Lazar’s live tournament earnings were a humble $10,455, with his biggest cash a mere £1,020. But he just showed the world that poker is a game of surprises. He outlasted a gauntlet of seasoned sharks and emerged with the coveted trophy in hand. Lazar’s path to victory included a nail-biting heads-up duel against Keith Littlewood, who pocketed a respectable £53,750 payday thanks to that three-way deal. Alex Montgomery also walked away with £53,750, completing the victory podium.

Lazar wasn’t just a one-hit-wonder in Coventry. He also took down the £250 Pot-Limit Omaha 4/5/6 Card event earlier in the series, adding another £5,630 to his stack. And get this – he earned his Main Event seat through a £140 satellite at the Grosvenor G Casino in Coventry. Turning a small buy-in into a life-changing score is the stuff of poker dreams, and Lazar made it his reality. Who knows how much bigger his payday could have been if not for that deal?

The final table was a swingy ride. Lazar found himself in a crucial clash against Stephen McCabe, who shoved all-in with ace-queen. Lazar called with pocket queens, and as the board bricked for McCabe, his tournament dreams went up in flames, exiting in ninth place for £7,360.

Eighth place went to Jamie Le, whose hot streak in Coventry came to a screeching halt when his ace-six couldn’t outrun Littlewood’s queen-jack, which found a pair on the turn. Le collected £9,270 for his deep run.

“S.S.” was the first to break the five-figure barrier, banking £11,950 for seventh place. Jamie Bott followed in sixth after his ace-four was crushed by Littlewood’s king-nine, which hit a nine on the turn to send Bott packing with £15,590.

The tension mounted as Stephen Barnes, a previous 888poker UKPL Manchester Main Event champion, hit the rail in fifth place for £20,760. Barnes’ run ended when his king-jack ran into Montgomery’s ace-ten, and an ace on the board sealed his fate.

Fourth place belonged to “A.A.,” who scooped up £28,610 just before the final three decided to make a deal. With £53,750 guaranteed to each player, the remaining prize money and the title were up for grabs.

Alex Montgomery, a familiar face on the poker circuit, was the first to fall after the deal. Having already scored a second-place finish in the £1,650 High Roller for £35,830 earlier in the series, his Coventry adventure ended with another impressive payday of £53,750.

The stage was set for a final showdown between Lazar and Littlewood. Littlewood was hungry for another big win, but Lazar was playing with the fire of a newcomer determined to etch his name in poker history. In the end, Lazar stood tall, leaving Littlewood to collect £53,750 – the second-largest live cash of his career, just shy of the $72,929 he earned for an eighth-place finish in the 2022 WSOP Mini Main Event.

With the trophy gleaming in his hands and a story for the ages, Lazar walked away with a victory that eclipsed his wildest expectations.

Final Table Results (Pound Sterling)

1. Stefan Lazar – £70,830*
2. Keith Littlewood – £53,750*
3. Alex Montgomery – £53,750*
4. A.A – £28,610
5. Stephen Barnes – £20,760
6. Jamie Bott – £15,590
7. S.S. – £11,950
8. Jamie Le – £9,270
9. Stephen McCabe – £7,360

*denotes a three-way deal

Content and Images Courtesy: PokerNews and Card Player