Runner-Runner Flush Seals Joshua McSwiney`s Home Turf Victory in WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship (AU$283,336)
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- Pritish Bharti March 28, 2025
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4 minutes Read
The atmosphere was electric at The Star Gold Coast as the 2025 WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship wrapped up on March 26. The broader festival, a 23-event series running from March 13 with buy-ins from AU$350 to AU$5,000 and a total AU$6 Million prize pool, certainly attracted players from all over. Still, the main focus was the Championship Event. After Germany’s Lorenz Schollhorn claimed the title in 2024, many local fans were eager to see an Australian bring the trophy home this year.
And Joshua McSwiney (cover image) delivered on those hopes. For McSwiney, this victory was a career-high point. He battled through the vast field to reach the final table and eventually win the Championship, collecting a personal best AU$283,336 (~$177,680) after striking a heads-up deal with Patrick Yazbeck. This prize included a sought-after $10,400 seat in the 2025 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas. It’s his third Main Event title in the past two years, pushing his lifetime live tournament earnings well past $800,000 – now tallying $835,808.
Yazbeck collected AU$250,000 (~$156,775) for his second-place finish. It was a massive result for him, more than doubling his lifetime earnings as recorded on The Hendon Mob.
JOSHUA MCSWINEY WINS WPT PRIME GOLD COAST🇦🇺🏆
McSwiney came into the final day of the $2,000 AUD WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship sitting 7th in chips to eventually take home the title and AU$283,336* (~US $177,680*) including a seat to the WPT World Championship later this… pic.twitter.com/ELixwAvgOA
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) March 26, 2025
McSwiney had been close to major poker success before. In 2022, he held his own against top players like Joao Simao and Ryan Riess at a World Series of Poker final table in a tough $5,000 Mixed No Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha event, finishing sixth for what was, until this Gold Coast win, his only six-figure live cash ($120,165). This result has only added to his growing credentials as one of the most promising young players on the Australian poker circuit.
This year’s Championship, requiring the same AU$2,000 buy-in, attracted a strong field of 1,106 entrants. Although this number didn’t surpass the record 1,395 participants from the previous year, it created a still-massive prize pool of AU$1,918,500 (~$1,203,091). From this large pool, 140 players eventually got paid, starting with a chopped min-cash for Banipal Babana and Oleg Ivanchenko, who busted simultaneously on the money bubble.
When the final table convened after days of play (the starting flights ran March 21-24), the local crowd knew the title was staying put. The entire final table comprised Australian players from Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Things got underway quickly, with Wiremu Renata and Matthew Woodhall bowing out within the first nine hands.
We've reached the Final Table of the $2,000 AUD WPT Prime Gold Coast Championship at @TheStar_GC! 🇦🇺🏆
Final Table action kicks off at noon local time, with Jiaxu Chen leading the Final 9 as we play down to our next WPT Prime Champion, taking home the title and AU$320,003* (~US… pic.twitter.com/vEbDT5rqVT
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) March 25, 2025
Final Table Recap
When the final table was set after five days of play (starting flights ran March 21st-24th), it became clear the championship trophy would remain on home soil. The lineup was exclusively Australian, featuring players from Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. The action kicked off fast, with Wiremu Renata and Matthew Woodhall exiting within the first nine hands.
Control shifted back and forth. McSwiney gained chips early, notably taking a big pot off Gary Lin when his ace-queen hit against Lin’s pocket Jacks. Lin departed soon after in seventh.
Jiaxu “Josh” Chen, the initial chip leader, also made moves, including eliminating Lin. Patrick Yazbeck then gained momentum, playing pocket Kings effectively to eliminate Daniel Klinger in sixth place following considerable pre-flop betting.
Not long after, McSwiney picked up pocket kings himself and used them to send Michael Egan packing in fifth. Egan, a player with extensive high-roller experience and over $1.50 Million in previous earnings, couldn’t overcome the cowboys.
The dynamic shifted once more when Chen’s pocket sevens hit a runner-runner straight against Joseph Antar’s pocket eights, eliminating the latter in fourth place.
Three-handed play lasted a while, stretching over 56 hands. Jiaxu Chen, despite starting with the lead and playing skillfully, ultimately bowed out in third. His run ended when his ace-ten ran into Yazbeck’s pocket queens, leading to the final heads-up match.
The heads-up duel between Joshua McSwiney and Patrick Yazbeck was a real contest, with the chip lead changing hands several times. Eventually, deep into the match and with stacks almost identical, they paused to discuss a deal. They reached an arrangement common in these situations, locking up AU$250,000 (~$156,775) each. However, AU$33,336 (~$20,905), the trophy, and the $10,400 seat to the 2025 WPT World Championship in Las Vegas were still on the line.
Once play resumed, McSwiney gained the upper hand, chipping away at Yazbeck’s stack. The deciding hand came just 14 hands later. With Yazbeck short on chips (under ten big blinds), an all-in felt inevitable. McSwiney made a small bet, Yazbeck shoved, and the cards went on their backs:
Patrick Yazbeck
Joshua McSwiney
The flop was safe for Yazbeck. But the turn gave McSwiney a flush draw. The river card, the , completed McSwiney’s flush, crowning the champion in dramatic fashion.
This win also gives McSwiney 900 points toward the 2025 WPT Player of the Year race. Given McSwiney’s willingness to travel for poker (Vegas, Cambodia, Australia), he’s put himself in a good spot early if he decides to chase that title.
Final Table Results (AUD)
- Joshua McSwiney – $283,336**
- Patrick Yazbeck – $250,000*
- Jiaxu Chen – $157,726
- Joseph Antar – $117,802
- Michael Egan – $88,892
- Daniel Klinger – $67,773
- Gary Lin – $52,218
- Matthew Woodhall – $40,659
- Wiremu Renata – $32,001
*includes a $10,400 seat in the 2024 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas
*denotes a heads-up deal
The WPT Prime Gold Coast festival was clearly a major draw, mixing serious poker competition with the attractive Gold Coast setting. With the Australian stop concluded, the WPT moves on to Slovakia (May 29-June 2) and then Taiwan (August 6-19). For now, though, the spotlight shines on Joshua McSwiney, the local player who brought the WPT Prime Gold Coast title back to Australia.
Images and Content Courtesy: WPT & Poker.org
