3-Bet: Tom-Aksel Bedell, Hunter Wroten & Graham Cowan Win Live Titles

The live poker circuit is crackling with energy! From the PLO Grand Slam in Albania to the Winter Open in Jacksonville and the Manila Megastack 21 closer to home, the action has been non-stop. Let’s check out the players who crushed it in these stops in this 3-Bet report.

Tirana, Albania, played host to the 2025 PLO Grand Slam at the Arena Casino, and the week-long poker festival (January 23-30) wrapped up with the €10,300 Championship. The championship drew 191 hopefuls, and Tom-Aksel Bedell (cover image – left) rose to the top, etching his name in PLO Grand Slam history. He battled through a stacked field before facing Spain’s Lautaro Guerra in the final heads-up clash. Guerra, a tough competitor, made Bedell earn every chip, but in the end, Bedell prevailed, pocketing a career-best €438,000. Though he came close, Guerra still pocketed a respectable €296,000 for his second-place finish.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Jacksonville, Florida, the 2025 Winter Open at Bestbet Poker Room was well underway. And Hunter Wroten (cover image – centre) came ready to play. The $400 NLHE Kickoff, running from January 23 to 25, attracted a colossal 1,064 entries, creating a tough and competitive field. But Wroten was more than up to the challenge. With a combination of sharp instincts and fearless aggression, he tore through the competition, clinching his first title of the year and a career-best $72,205. Huston Vandoren, his final obstacle, gave it his all but couldn’t quite get there, earning a solid $42,980 for his runner-up performance.

Back in Asia, PokerStars LIVE wrapped up Manila Megastack 21, held at the luxurious Okada Manila. From January 20 to 27, the season opener delivered eight days of memorable poker moments, awarding 36 shiny PokerStars spadies. The ₱45,000 Main Event, boasting a ₱20 Million (~$342,705) prize pool guarantee, drew 467 entries across four starting flights. After three days of gruelling play, Australia’s Graham Cowan (cover image – right) emerged as the champion, grabbing the biggest live cash of his career: ₱3.20 Million (~$54,680). Kim Enriquez, though he missed out on the top prize, still collected a sweet ₱2,373,500 (~$40,557) for his second-place finish.

But the Main Event wasn’t the only highlight. The ₱15,000 Mini Main Event also had its share of excitement. India’s Harish Kumar Asnani, a familiar face in the Manila poker scene, finished runner-up for a personal-best ₱296,500 (~₹4.39 Lakhs). Local favourite Renaldo Kris Tan stole the show, winning the title and ₱475,0005 (~$8,170), his first tracked score on The Hendon Mob.

Tom-Aksel Bedell Breaks Through With PLO Grand Slam Championship Victory in Tirana (€438,000)

The 2025 PLO Grand Slam took over Tirana, Albania, transforming the Arena Casino into a poker battlefield. The action was non-stop from January 23 to 30, with the €10,300 Championship as the main attraction. When the final river card fell, it was Tom-Aksel Bedell who emerged as the champion, etching his name into the PLO Grand Slam history books.

Bedell’s victory was a masterclass in poker strategy and resilience. He outplayed a tough 191-entry field, claiming a massive €438,000 – the largest single cash of his career. This win pushed his lifetime earnings over the $4 million mark and marked his first tournament victory in nearly a year and a half. But it was far from easy. He faced a challenging field, including a dramatic heads-up battle against Spain’s Lautaro Guerra. Guerra, a formidable opponent, put up a strong fight and earned €296,000 for his second-place finish, but ultimately, it was Bedell’s day.

The tournament drew 191 entries, generating a hefty €1,880,000 prize pool—falling just shy of its ambitious €2,000,000 guarantee. The stakes were reasonably high, with even a min-cash worth €22,000. The tournament attracted a mix of established pros and rising talents, and several notables crossed the money line, including WSOP bracelet winners like Ismael Bojang (14th for €29,000), Dario Alioto (15th for €29,000), Elie Nakache (18th for €23,500), Max Kruse (20th for €23,500), and Joni Jouhkimainen (22nd for €22,000). However, even these decorated players couldn’t reach the final table.

Daniel Tordjman came out swinging at the final table. In just the first 15 minutes, he eliminated Maksim Shuts and Andrew Ige in back-to-back preflop confrontations, setting the tone for an action-packed finale. He continued his dominance, taking out Gergo Nagy, Sofoklis Palekythritis, and Oleksii Kovalchuk. Tordjman amassed a mountain of chips, and it seemed like he was on an unstoppable march to victory.

Tom Vogelsang, who had just won the €5,200 PLO Opener, was aiming for a second victory. He played a strong game but fell short in fourth place.

With three players left, Tordjman held a massive chip lead, controlling almost 80% of the chips in play. Victory seemed inevitable. But poker is a game of constant change.

Tordjman’s momentum began to fade when he lost several key pots to Bedell. He also doubled up Lautaro Guerra after running into his aces. Then, a crucial hand unfolded, and Bedell rivered a full house and got paid off by Tordjman, who gave him the chip lead. From there, he dictated the action, winning most of the pots and flipping the script.

Suddenly, the once-unstoppable Daniel Tordjman found himself in unfamiliar territory – on the ropes. He battled back but couldn’t regain his footing, eventually finishing in third place for €197,500 – a career-best cash despite falling short of the title.

Heads-up play began with Tom-Aksel Bedell in the driver’s seat, holding three-quarters of the chips. Lautaro Guerra managed to double up twice, creating some suspense, but Bedell remained in control. He then made a large value bet with the nuts, leaving Guerra with just 15 big blinds.

The final hand saw Guerra, needing a miracle, move all in with . Bedell called with . An ace on the flop put Bedell in a commanding position, leaving Guerra with only a backdoor draw to survive. The turn provided a flicker of hope, but the river was a blank. Guerra finished as a worthy runner-up, while Bedell claimed the trophy and the top prize.

Final Table Results (EURO)

1. Tom-Aksel Bedell – €438,000
2. Lautaro Guerra – €296,000
3. Daniel Tordjman – €197,500
4. Tom Vogelsang – €161,500
5. Oleksii Kovalchuk – €129,500
6. Sofoklis Palekythritis – €100,500
7. Gergo Nagy – €74,500
8. Andrew Ige – €54,500
9. Maksim Shuts – €43,500

Hunter Wroten Dominates Winter Open Kickoff at Bestbet Jacksonville ($72,205)

The 2025 Winter Open kicked off with a bang at the Bestbet Poker Room in Jacksonville, and Hunter Wroten wasn’t about to miss the party. The $400 NLHE Kickoff, running from January 23 to 25, drew a deep field of 1,064 entries—a poker player’s dream (or nightmare, depending on how the cards fall). Wroten, though, he was in dreamland.

He battled. He bluffed. He conquered. When the dust settled, Wroten stood tall, clutching his first title of the year and a personal-best $72,205. That pushes his live earnings to an impressive $133,533. Not a bad way to start 2025. Huston Vandoren gave him a good fight, but Wroten’s momentum was just too much. Vandoren still walked away with a respectable $42,980 for his runner-up finish.

Hunter Wroten battled a field of 1,064 total entries in the opening event of the Winter Open, $400 NLH! Hunter took home first place money and the trophy! pic.twitter.com/NpupVo3Lvg

— bestbet Poker Room (@bestbet_jax) January 27, 2025

Let’s talk numbers. 1,064 entries. A $345,800 prize pool. Just making the money was an accomplishment, with 105 players cashing for at least $684. But Wroten had his sights set on something bigger.

As the field dwindled, Wroten began to assert his dominance. He entered the final table as the chip leader, but Joseph Jordan was right behind him, breathing down his neck. The tension was thick. The two chip leaders clashed in a crucial hand. Wroten’s pocket jacks held strong against Jordan’s ace-king to give him a commanding lead. A turning point. Wroten’s stack grew, and his confidence soared.

The eliminations started coming. Wroten took out Reece Crews in fifth place. Then, Vandoren sent Daniel McGrath to the rail in fourth, his ace-king outkicking McGrath’s king-deuce. Three players remained.

Joseph Jordan, looking to regain his footing, made a move with . But Wroten was waiting, holding . The board ran out eight-high with no improvement for Jordan, and he exited in third, setting up the heads-up showdown between Wroten and Vandoren.

Wroten held a significant chip advantage, almost 5:2. Vandoren needed a double-up and fast. He made his move, shoving all in from the button with . Wroten snap-called with . The board ran out , and Wroten’s jacks held up once again. Game over. Title secured.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Hunter Wroten – $72,205
2. Huston Vandoren – $42,980
3. Joseph Jordan – $25,800
4. Daniel McGrath – $16,083
5. Reece Crews – $11,293
6. Gregory Goater – $9,582
7. Andrew Brown – $8,213
8. Dalip Madnani – $6,844
9. Anderson Premdas – $5,817

Graham Cowan Conquers Manila Megastack 21 Main Event for a Career-Defining Victory! ($54,680)

PokerStars LIVE just wrapped up its 21st edition of the fan-favorite Manila Megastack at the stunning Okada Manila, and it was a blast. Held from January 20 to 27, this season opener delivered some truly unforgettable moments, awarding 36 coveted PokerStars spadies across its eight-day run.

But the real fireworks exploded in the ₱45,000 Main Event. With a ₱20 Million (~$342,705) prize pool guarantee, the stakes were high and 467 entrants answered the call across four starting flights.

For the 71 players who made it into the money, a minimum payout of $1,255 was a nice consolation prize. However, all eyes were on the ₱3.20 Million (~$54,680) top prize and the glory that came with it. After three days of nail-biting poker, Australia’s Graham Cowan emerged from the smoke and rubble, claiming his biggest live cash ever and boosting his total live earnings to $309,770. He conquered a final table packed with local talent, eventually defeating Filipino Kim Enriquez heads-up, who walked away with a respectable ₱2,373,500 (~$40,557).

The first Main Event champion of the year has been crowned! 👑

After a thrilling heads-up match against Kim Michael Enriquez, Graham Cowan 🇦🇺 claimed the spadie and a sum of ₱3,200,000, hailing him the champion of the Manila Megastack 21. pic.twitter.com/jpnqgvR6Xu

— PokerStars LIVE Manila (@PSLiveManila) January 27, 2025

Cowan, starting the final table third in chips, wasted no time making his intentions clear. He kicked off his final table run by delivering a knockout blow to Mark Almusajin in ninth place, setting the tone for the rest of the battle. As the field narrowed, Cowan continued to gain momentum, eliminating Ju Won Chung in fifth place to seize the chip lead.

With the pressure mounting and stacks getting shorter, Cowan’s relentless aggression kept the pot bubbling, and he gradually extended his lead. By the time he reached heads-up play against the Philippines’ Kim Enriquez, he had built a commanding chip advantage.

The final showdown was a swift and decisive affair. Cowan sealed the deal in just four hands, claiming the title and the biggest score of his poker career.

But the Main Event wasn’t the only exciting story. The ₱15,000 Mini Main Event also produced its share of drama. India’s Harish Kumar Asnani, a familiar face on the Manila poker scene, finished runner-up for a personal-best ₱296,500 (~₹4.39 Lakhs).

But the spotlight belonged to local hero Renaldo Kris Tan, who grabbed the title and ₱475,0005 (~$8,170), his first tracked score on The Hendon Mob.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Graham Cowan – $54,680
2. Kim Enriquez – $40,557
3. Alexis Lim – $42,761
4. Jon Kyte – $23,035
5. Ju Won Chung – $17,720
6. Florencio Campomanes – $13,625
7. John Carlo Sayo – $10,475
8. Alvir Inocentes – $8,070
9. Mark Almusajin – $6,280

Content and Images Courtesy: Card Player & So Much Poker