3-Bet: Stephen Song, Josh Freund & Pau Veciana Win Main Event Titles!

From the vibrant lights of Jeju to a buzzer-beating bullet in Kansas City and a storybook finish in Barcelona, this 3-Bet edition captures three unforgettable Main Event victories — where timing, tenacity, and heart stole the show.

First up, over at the Landing Casino in Jeju’s Shinhwa World Resort, Stephen Song (cover image – left) found his rhythm early and never let up. The American standout ran the table in The Lord Poker Tour’s (TLPT) $15,000 Main Event, dominating the final day of play en route to a commanding win. Outlasting a field of 191 entries, Song bagged $750,000 — one of his most significant paydays yet — just in time for the 2025 WSOP summer grind. James Mendoza came in second, walking away with $450,000.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Josh Freund (cover image – right top) gave new meaning to “last-minute miracle.” The Wisconsin native was the final entrant — #448 — into the 2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Kansas City $1,100 Main Event, sneaking in with just 40 seconds left before late reg closed. That final bullet turned out to be gold. Three days later, Freund was posing with the winner’s ring and $86,974 in prize money. Brent Gregory banked $57,983 for his runner-up finish.

And over in Spain, Pau Veciana (cover image – right bottom) completed one of the most poetic poker moments of the year. The Catalan architect, who first discovered poker at Casino Barcelona years ago, returned to the same room to win the 888poker Live Barcelona Main Event. The soft-spoken recreational player topped a 459-entry field to clinch the title and €70,000 after a marathon heads-up battle against UK’s David McConachie (€43,500). A dream ending in the very venue where it all began — poker, full circle.

Stephen Song Steamrolls the Field to Win TLPT $15K Main Event for $750K

Stephen Song couldn’t have asked for a better warm-up heading into the 2025 WSOP. In what turned out to be a commanding performance from start to finish, Song cruised through the final day of The Lord Poker Tour’s (TLPT) $15,000 Main Event at the Landing Casino in Jeju Shinhwa World Resort, outclassing a tough field of 191 entries to clinch the title and a career-boosting $750,000 payday.

The $15K buy-in event was the star attraction of TLPT’s stop in Jeju, drawing a well-rounded field of high rollers, international pros, and seasoned grinders. With $3,000,000 guaranteed in the prize pool, there was no shortage of incentive — but as Day 3 played out, Song quickly became the sto

He came into the final day already riding a wave of momentum, having final-tabled the TLPT Circuit Main Event earlier in the week for $16,000. But he wasn’t just here to cash twice — he had his sights on a deeper run, and that’s exactly what he delivered. His trip to South Korea wasn’t just about chasing results — it was part of a broader strategy to build rhythm ahead of a busy summer grind. And now, with back-to-back final tables and a $750K boost to his bankroll, he’ll head into the WSOP with confidence in spades.

Fifteen players returned for Day 3, each gunning for the title. Among them was Marius Gierse, who held a dominant chip lead and wasted no time widening the gap in the early levels. With no one entering on fumes, the action began cautiously — stacks were deep, and pots stayed small for the most part. It wasn’t until Junbo Qu was eliminated in 15th place for $38,000 that the pace picked up. Qu ran pocket sevens into Song’s pocket kings — a collision that kicked off a string of quick exits.

Gary Thompson was next out in 14th place for $44,000, followed closely by Martin Sedlak in 13th, also for $44,000. Mauricio Salazar Sanchez and Quan Zhou both collected $52,000 for their 12th and 11th place finishes, respectively, before the players headed into their first break of the day.

When play resumed, short-stacked Bin Leng managed to double up, but the comeback was short-lived — he was eliminated the very next hand, finishing 10th for $62,000.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Marius Gierse – 9,875,000
2. Stephen Song – 6,700,000
3. Huawei Lin – 5,750,000
4. Jiaming Zhao – 5,375,000
5. Patrik Demus – 5,125,000
6. Ivan Zhang – 4,325,000
7. James Mendoza – 3,825,000
8. Haitao Lei – 3,425,000
9. Martin Nielsen – 3,350,000

Final Table Recap

The final table of The Lord Poker Tour’s $15,000 Main Event wasn’t short on drama — but for over an hour, no one could find a way to break through. Nine players returned with high hopes and plenty of chips, yet the first stretch saw tight play, sharp folds, and even a brutal three-way cooler that somehow didn’t send anyone to the rail.

The only one visibly wounded was James Mendoza, who was left hanging by a single big blind. But what looked like the beginning of the end quickly turned into a stunning revival. Mendoza doubled not once, not twice, but three times in a row, bringing himself back to a competitive stack — a comeback that kept the table on edge.

Haitao Lei was the first player to bow out, and once that barrier broke, the bustouts started flowing. Jiaming Zhao, who briefly held the chip lead earlier in the day, couldn’t hold onto it for long. Mendoza picked up the knockout to climb further up the leaderboard, and with Zhao gone in eighth, momentum was shifting fast.

It was after the second break that Stephen Song found his gear. From there, he started pressing every edge and rarely missed a step — a heater that would prove nearly impossible to stop.

Huawei Lin, the last woman in the field, returned to one of the shortest stacks among the final seven. She looked primed for a double-up, but Song peeled off a river pair to send her packing — and with that pot, he moved into the top spot.

Next to fall was Ivan Zhang, the co-founder of TLPT. Zhang’s day never really got going — quiet on most fronts and unable to generate much movement. Song delivered the final blow there too, further widening his lead.

Patrik Demus was another player who took a brief turn in the driver’s seat. At one point, he held the chip lead, but the cards turned cold. He showed sharp instincts in a crucial hand where he flopped two pair against Song’s set and still found the discipline to fold. That decision earned him some extra time, but not enough chips. He exited in fifth place.

Martin Nielsen had one of the more surprising stories of the day. He was one of the last to register — joining the field late on Day 2 — and spun up a single bullet into a fourth-place finish worth over $200,000. An impressive ladder that made the most out of a slim opportunity.

Start-of-day chip leader Marius Gierse was never quite able to rediscover his early rhythm. He watched his stack dwindle through the back half of the day but briefly reignited hope with a double-up through Song. That optimism didn’t last long. On the very next hand, Song picked up pocket jacks against Gierse and Mendoza, both of whom held ace-king. Mendoza, now much deeper, managed to find a disciplined four-bet fold after two shoves in front. Gierse wasn’t as fortunate — his chips went in, but with some of his outs already dead, the comeback story ended in third.

That left Stephen Song and James Mendoza heads-up, with Song holding a commanding lead. The two exchanged a string of small pots early on before Song caught another clean runout — making a full house against Mendoza’s two pair. It was effectively over from there. On the next hand, the chips went in again. Song connected with two pair on a ragged board to wrap up the Main Event and lock in the $750,000 payday.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Stephen Song – $750,000
2. James Mendoza – $450,000
3. Marius Gierse – $320,000
4. Martin Nielsen – $220,000
5. Patrik Demus – $170,000
6. Ivan Zhang – $130,000
7. Huawei Lin – $100,000
8. Jiaming Zhao – $76,000
9. Haitao Lei – $62,000

From Last Bullet to Big Win: Josh Freund Tops the 2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Kansas City Main Event for $86,974

Sometimes, all it takes is one more shot. Josh Freund was the very last entrant—number 448—into the 2025 RGPS Mission RunGood Kansas City $1,100 Main Event at Harrah’s. With just 40 seconds left on the clock before registration closed, the Wisconsin native fired one final bullet. Three days later, that last-minute decision turned into a ring and an $86,974 payday.

Josh Freund embodies the American spirit with one last bullet before registration closed to catapult himself to a $86,974 win! 🇺🇸🚀

Recap via @PokerNews: https://t.co/pvxoaVHbaJ pic.twitter.com/5AGqkX6YOl

— RunGoodGear.com (@RunGoodGear) May 19, 2025

Freund’s journey through the final RunGood Main Event of the season was anything but conventional. After busting late in the final flight, he was on the verge of walking away—until a conversation on break with fellow player and eventual final tablist Ted Forshey sparked a change of heart.

“He told me a story about how he rebought on the last break once and ended up finishing second,” Freund said. “I thought, ‘You know what, why not give it one more go?’”

That spontaneous decision paid off in a big way. Fast forward just over 24 hours, and it was Freund who had the winner’s photo, the ring, and a check to take home.

Day 2 saw 55 players return from the 448-entry field, each starting with an average of 40 big blinds and chasing their share of the $434,560 prize pool. But with many stacks hanging on by a thread after the bubble burst, the eliminations piled up quickly.

Freund came in with an average stack and hovered around that line for much of the day—until one huge hand shifted the momentum in his favor. With 13 players left, he clashed in a massive pot against Blair Hinkle, making a set of nines to claim a pot worth nearly 100 big blinds and surge into the chip lead. From that point on, he never gave it up.

The heads-up duel with Kansas City regular Brent Gregory stretched over an hour and saw both players dig deep. Eventually, Freund got it in with pocket fives against Gregory’s king-ten suited—and the board ran clean to lock in the win. Gregory, who fought hard throughout, earned $57,983 for his second-place finish.

Along the way, Freund leaned on support from new friend and fellow grinder Brenton Czapla, who finished 19th. “He was rooting for me all day,” Freund said. “It meant a lot.”

Among those who cashed but didn’t quite reach the final table were a number of well-known names: RunGood ambassador Carl Masters (42nd for $1,992), three-time MSPT champ Nick Barksdale (27th for $2,676), former RunGood Main Event winner Cody Bartlett (16th for $4,573), and and local legends Blair Hinkle (13th for $5,600) and Grant Hinkle (10th for $8,698)—who added to the drama before bowing out just shy of the finish line.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Joshua Freund – 3,100,000
2. Jesse Jones – 2,340,000
3. Brent Gregory – 1,830,000
4. Thanh Bui – 1,375,000
5. Ted Forshey – 1,325,000
6. Jon Stanfield – 1,075,000
7. Kyle Case – 975,000
8. David Greufe – 675,000
9. William McCracken – 575,000

Final Table Recap

Josh Freund came into the final table in the driver’s seat, wielding a healthy chip lead—but it was far from a walk in the park. No one at the table was in shove-or-fold territory at the start, and there was plenty of play left in the stacks.

The first to fall was Kansas City’s own William McCracken. He got his chips in with ace-jack suited but found himself outkicked by Brent Gregory’s ace-queen. The board gave him no favors, and McCracken was the first to make his exit.

Next up, it was David Greufe who saw his run end in eighth. Down to a short stack, he jammed with king-six, only to be looked up by Ted Forshey’s ace-six. The ace-high held, and Greufe had to settle for a deep run and a ladder or two.

In seventh place came a dramatic cooler. Jon Stanfield four-bet shoved forty bigs with pocket jacks—only to be snapped off by Brent Gregory’s pocket kings. No miracles came for Stanfield, who left the table shaking his head after the brutal setup.

Shortly after, Thanh Bui hit the rail in sixth. He got his stack in with a strong combo draw, but Kyle Case had top pair and held through the turn and river to send Bui packing.

Case wasn’t done dealing knockouts. His next victim was Ted Forshey. Forshey, who had made some sharp moves throughout the day, shoved his 25-big blind stack with ace-queen suited. But Case woke up with pocket aces, and Forshey’s run ended in fifth.

Former RunGood Main Event champion Jesse Jones, who’d been nursing a short stack for much of the final table, managed to ladder his way into fourth. His final stand came with king-jack from the big blind, but Freund had ace-nine and called him down. No help arrived for Jones, and the former champ bowed out.

Three-handed play turned into a marathon until a massive collision brought it to a screeching halt. In a three-bet pot, Kyle Case flopped top set—but Freund had an overpair and a gutshot. The turn? It completed the gutter. Just like that, Case—who looked poised for a heads-up shot—was out in third.

Freund entered heads-up with Brent Gregory holding a comfortable lead, but things took a sharp turn. In a gutsy hand, Gregory flipped the script and took over the chip lead with nothing but ace-high. But the momentum swing didn’t last.

Freund stayed composed, chipped back up, and landed a few key hands to tilt the scales in his favor. The final hand came when Gregory opened the button and Freund jammed with pocket fives. Gregory called off with king-ten suited. The board ran clean for Freund, and with a friendly handshake, the battle came to an end.

Josh Freund, who barely squeezed into the field as the final registrant, now had a gold ring, $86,974 in prize money, and one of the season’s most memorable RGPS Main Event wins under his belt.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Joshua Freund – $86,974
2. Brent Gregory – $57,983
3. Kyle Case – $42,788
4. Jesse Jones – $31,916
5. Ted Forshey – $24,067
6. Thanh Bui – $18,350
7. Jon Stanfield – $14,147
8. David Greufe – $11,030
9. William McCracken – $8,698

Local Architect Pau Veciana Drafts His Masterstroke at Casino Barcelona — Wins the 888poker Live Barcelona Main Event for €70,000

For Pau Veciana, Casino Barcelona isn’t just a poker room — it’s the place where his poker journey quietly began. Years later, in front of a roaring local crowd and under the bright lights of the 888poker Live Barcelona Main Event final table, Veciana lived out a dream few amateur players get to realize — clinching his biggest career score and the Main Event trophy in the very venue that first introduced him to the game.

The 459-entry field was stacked with experienced grinders and aspiring champions, but it was the soft-spoken Catalan architect, who only plays poker recreationally, who came out on top after a marathon heads-up battle with the UK’s David McConachie. The win was worth €70,000 — a life-changing sum for many, though Veciana, ever-pragmatic, says the score won’t dramatically shift his daily life or his relationship with poker.

🎊Pau Veciana is your 888poker LIVE Barcelona 2025 Main Event Champion!

What an exhilarating final table and such a fantastic performance from Pau!

🏆Congratulations on the win!
€70,000 and that beautiful trophy. 😍 pic.twitter.com/CpzRfnbCUn

— 888poker (@888poker) May 18, 2025

That perspective is perhaps what made his run so compelling. Coming into the tournament with under $10,000 in recorded cashes and no notable results in over ten years, Veciana wasn’t on anyone’s radar. Yet his steady, composed approach proved invaluable amid the chaos of an unpredictable final table dominated — at least early on — by Italy’s Mauro Panto.

Panto came in with a towering chip lead and immediately made his presence felt. From the start, he threw caution to the wind, adopting a hyper-aggressive style that featured oversized raises, unconventional lines, and relentless pressure. It worked — for a while. At one point, Panto held nearly 80% of the chips in play, putting him in position to run away with the title. But his momentum didn’t last. The same volatility that helped him dominate ended up turning against him, as he quickly lost control and was eliminated in third place.

Throughout this chaos, Veciana remained grounded. He rarely got involved without good reason and let others clash while he picked his spots carefully. Once Panto was out, it set the stage for a tense heads-up between Veciana and McConachie.

For McConachie, there was history on the line. Already an 888poker Live champion, the UK pro was chasing the unprecedented feat of becoming the first-ever two-time Main Event winner on the tour. With a wealth of experience and deep-run composure, he seemed well-equipped to pull it off. But Veciana had other plans, eventually relegating him to a runner-up finish worth €43,500.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Mauro Panto – 9,730,000
2. Hector Garcia – 4,230,000
3. Martin Guerrero – 2,800,000
4. Pau Veciana – 2,325,000
5. Johnny Lindroos – 1,200,000
6. Fabio Peluso – 935,000
7. David McConachie – 930,000
8. Cipriano Bonet – 635,000
9. Alexander Sokolovsky – 395,000

Final Table Recap

What started as a nine-handed showdown at the Casino Barcelona turned into a night to remember for local architect Pau Veciana, who weathered wild swings, an all-consuming chip leader, and a three-hour-long heads-up to win the 888poker Live Barcelona Main Event. His reward? €70,000 — and a victory in the very room where his poker journey began.

Veciana entered the final table in fourth place with 2.325 Million in chips, dwarfed by Mauro Panto, who returned with more than double his nearest competitor at 9.73 Million. Panto wasted no time setting the tone.

Fabio Peluso looked like he might be the first to bow out when he shoved his last 855,000 with pocket jacks and ran into Johnny Lindroos’ kings. A jack on the flop flipped the script, keeping Peluso alive — but the drama was just getting started.

Soon after, Panto and Martin Guerrero tangled in a hand that defined the Italian’s unpredictable style. Before the dealer had even put out the flop, Panto had already fired a blind bet of 750,000. The cards came down, and Panto stayed in character — shoving the turn. Guerrero called off his 1.105 Million stack with two pair, only to see Panto table trip jacks. The river brought a fourth jack, giving Panto quads and sending Guerrero, who started the final table third in chips, crashing out in ninth place.

The message was loud and clear: Panto wasn’t going to sit back. With more than 60% of the chips in play now in front of him, the rest of the table was left looking for ways to survive.

Despite losing an early flip to Peluso, Lindroos bounced back with pocket aces to triple up. Not long after, Veciana found a straight and moved all in on the river, forcing Panto to fold two pair and eliminating Alexander Sokolovsky in eighth place.

As the field thinned, Lindroos doubled again — this time with kings — while Cipriano Bonet chipped up at Panto’s expense with pocket nines. Bonet then shoved with ace-jack, but Panto looked him up with aces to claim another knockout.

McConachie was on fumes with just six big blinds when he doubled through Hector Garcia with pocket jacks. Garcia found himself at risk again soon after, this time shoving for 640,000. Panto made the call, and Fabio Peluso moved all in from the big blind for 1.445 Million. Panto called both players with pocket jacks again, while Garcia and Peluso each held ace-king. The jacks held, eliminating Garcia in sixth and Peluso in fifth.

Veciana notched his second knockout when he called Johnny Lindroos’ 1.355 Million shove from the big blind with ace-queen. Lindroos had ace-four, and Veciana’s kicker played to send the Finn out in fourth.

At the break, Panto had surged to 18.79 Million chips, with Veciana a distant second at 4.080 Million.

Then came the turning point. McConachie, down to crumbs, started clawing back. First, he doubled with a better kicker after both he and Mauro Panto flopped two pair. Then, ace-queen held against queen-six. Another double followed when McConachie’s ace-ten outpaced Panto’s queen-ten.

The biggest hand between the two came next. McConachie turned a straight and shoved the river for 3.615 Million. Panto, holding trip jacks, called — and had to pass over a massive pot. For the first time at the final table, Panto was no longer in control.

He briefly regained the lead, only to run into Veciana’s pocket aces moments later. Panto moved all in with bottom pair of threes and got looked up. The double-up gave Veciana his first taste of the top spot.

Then came Panto’s final hand. He shoved 4.25 Million with jack-seven. Veciana called with king-queen and held, eliminating the Italian in third — an electric run ending just two steps short.

Pau Veciana began heads-up play with a 3:1 chip lead over David McConachie — 18.185 Million to 5.54 Million — but the UK pro wasn’t giving up. He quickly doubled with ace-queen against Veciana’s ace-five, then again with pocket sixes in a flip, pulling nearly even before the two paused for a dinner break.

They briefly entertained the idea of a deal but opted to play it out. On their return, McConachie seized momentum. In one pivotal hand, Veciana opened the action, and McConachie raised the flop. By the river, McConachie had moved all in for 4.925 Million, and Veciana went into the tank before calling with a pair of eights and a seven-kicker. McConachie showed eights with a ten-kicker to scoop the pot and flip the chip counts.

Veciana, now on just 10 big blinds, started climbing back. He doubled with king-queen after flopping two pair against McConachie’s sixes, then rivered the nut flush and got paid off after a shove — McConachie called with a straight.

On the final hand, McConachie moved all in from the big blind with king-six. Veciana snap-called with king-nine. Both paired their king and six, but Veciana’s kicker played, sealing the win.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Pau Veciana – €70,000
2. David McConachie – €43,500
3. Mauro Panto – €30,000
4. Johnny Lindroos – €21,500
5. Fabio Peluso – €16,650
6. Hector Garcia – €13,000
7. Cipriano Bonet – €10,200
8. Alexander Sokolovsky – €8,000
9. Martin Guerrero – €6,305

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