Lou Garza has made poker history by winning the inaugural $25,000 High Roller PLO/NLH Mixed at the World Series of Poker for a staggering $1,302,233. Garza mounted an incredible comeback heads-up against Ben Lamb to win his second bracelet cementing his status as one of the great PLO players after winning the $10K Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship in 2023.
New $25K PLO/NLH Tournament Draws Star-Studded Field
This brand-new and highly anticipated event drew an elite field of 245 entries, who generated a massive $5,757,500 prize pool with a whopping $1,302,233 up top.
TFrom the 37 players who cashed, several poker luminaries made deep runs, including Jason Koon (32nd), Joao Simao (28th), Stephen Chidwick (21st), Dan Smith (20th), Shaun Deeb (17th), Nick Schulman (14th), and Ben Tollerene (12th).
The final table began with nine players, seeing Michael “Texas Mike” Moncek exit in 9th ($103,821), followed by Youness Barakat (8th – $130,896), Zhargal Tsydypov (7th – $169,183), and John Pannucci (6th – $224,034).
Day 4 commenced with five players remaining. Ben Lamb held the chip lead with 17,140,000, followed by Lou Garza (6,650,000), Chongxian Yang (5,170,000), Robert Cowen (4,535,000), and Brandon Mitchell (3,160,000).
Chip Counts At The Start of Day 4:
How the Final Day of Action Unfolded
Ben Lamb entered the final day with a commanding chip lead, controlling nearly half the chips in play. With blinds at 120,000/240,000, the short stacks faced immediate decisions for survival.
Garza knocks out Mitchell with pocket kings
The first elimination came when Brandon Mitchell moved all-in with king-nine suited, running directly into Lou Garza’s pocket kings. The board brought no salvation for Mitchell, who collected $303,773 for fifth place. The elimination provided Garza with crucial momentum.
Lamb eliminates Cowen with rivered straight
During a PLO round, Robert Cowen committed his stack with A♦A♣5♣4♠. Ben Lamb made the call holding K♥9♠7♠6♥ and a wrap straight draw. The 8♦5♥2♣ flop gave Cowen bottom pair, while the A♠ turn delivered him top set. However, the 6♣ river completed Lamb’s nine-high straight, sending Cowen to the rail in fourth place for $421,524.
Garza busts Yang and mounts comeback
The third-place elimination saw Chongxian Yang move all-in with A♥Q♣7♥4♠ against Garza’s A♦K♦6♠2♠. The A♠K♠10♠ board gave Garza a flush, leaving Yang drawing dead by the turn. Yang’s tournament ended with a $598,285 payday.
Lou Garza Delivers a Masterclass Comeback Heads-Up
The final stages of this unique and exciting high roller event were all about Lou Garza.
Ben Lamb started the final day as massive chip leader with nearly half the chips in play and looked like the sure winner, before Lou Garza made an incredible comeback heads-up.
Garza stayed patient and gained ground after knocking out Brandon Mitchell with pocket kings.
Robert Cowen busted in fourth during PLO, and Garza eliminated short-stacked Chongxian Yang to set up the final duel.
Though Lamb held a commanding 3.5 to 1 chip lead heads-up, Garza battled back during NLHE, briefly taking the lead with strong value bets and a key bluff.
Lamb regained control in PLO, but Garza turned the tide with a check-raise holding trips and later extended his lead when Lamb declined to bluff.
On the final hand, Lamb jammed with king-ten suited, but Garza’s pocket aces held up to seal the win.
Surrounded by his supportive rail, Garza celebrated a hard-fought victory and a career-defining second WSOP bracelet in PLO after winning the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship in 2023 for a staggering $1,309,232.
Established professionals like Shaun Deeb, Nick Schulman, and Ben Tollerene fell short of the final table.
Final hand crowns champion
The tournament concluded during a No-Limit Hold’em round when Lamb, down to ten big blinds, moved all-in from the button with K♣10♣. Garza snap-called with A♥A♣. The Q♠J♥J♦7♥Q♦ board offered no help to Lamb, who earned $868,140 for second place. Garza captured his second WSOP bracelet along with the $1,302,233 first-place prize.
Watch the final day in full-length here:
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A Defining Victory for Lou Garza
His third WSOP bracelet solidifies Lou Garza’s status as one of the great PLO players in modern poker.
This victory cements Garza’s status as an elite mixed-game specialist. The $1.3 million score represents his largest career cash, pushing his tournament earnings beyond $5.2 million. His mastery of both PLO and Hold’em sets him apart in a field where many established professionals fell short of the final table.
- Career-defining tournament victory
- Breakthrough into elite mixed-game rankings
- PLO and Mixed-game prowess validated
- Career earnings surpass $5.2 million mark
Garza’s triumph will be remembered as one of 2025 WSOP’s defining moments. This victory, coming two years after his inaugural bracelet win, showcases his consistent excellence at the highest level.
The mixed-game format challenged players across poker’s core variants. Garza’s dominance in both disciplines positions him perfectly for future high-stakes success.
More to Come from the 2025 WSOP
As the 2025 World Series of Poker rolls on, fans can expect more thrilling stories, huge prize pools, and breakout performances.
So make sure to check back our poker news section on a daily basis at PLO365.com as we are covering all the major and Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments.
Payouts 2025 WSOP Event #14: $25,000 High Roller PLO/NLH Mixed
| Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
| 1 | Lou Garza | $1,302,233 |
| 2 | Ben Lamb | $868,140 |
| 3 | Chongxian Yang | $598,285 |
| 4 | Robert Cowen | $421,524 |
| 5 | Brandon Mitchell | $303,773 |
| 6 | John Pannucci | $224,034 |
| 7 | Zhargal Tsydypov | $169,183 |
| 8 | Youness Barakat | $130,896 |
| 9 | Michael Moncek | $103,821 |
| 10 | Arthur Morris | $84,470 |
| 11 | Gabriel Andrade | $84,470 |
| 12 | Ben Tollerene | $70,546 |
| 13 | Laszlo Bujtas | $70,546 |
| 14 | Nick Schulman | $70,546 |
| 15 | Fahredin Mustafov | $70,546 |
| 16 | Eric Wasserson | $60,520 |
| 17 | Shaun Deeb | $60,520 |
| 18 | Evan Krentzman | $60,520 |
| 19 | George Wolff | $60,520 |
| 20 | Dan Smith | $60,520 |
| 21 | Stephen Chidwick | $53,371 |
| 22 | Michael Duek | $53,371 |
| 23 | Noah Boeken | $53,371 |
| 24 | Barak Wisbrod | $53,371 |
| 25 | Dimitar Danchev | $53,371 |
| 26 | Bryce Yockey | $53,371 |
| 27 | Oliver Weis | $53,371 |
| 28 | Joao Simao | $50,829 |
| 29 | Yuri Dzivielevski | $50,829 |
| 30 | Tsugunari Toma | $50,829 |
| 31 | Matthew Wantman | $50,829 |
| 32 | Jason Koon | $50,829 |
| 33 | Biao Ding | $50,829 |
| 34 | Cherish Andrews | $50,829 |
| 35 | Philip Sternheimer | $50,829 |
| 36 | John Hennigan | $50,829 |
| 37 | Philip Marsico | $50,829 |
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