Daniel Zack captured his fourth WSOP bracelet at the World Series of Poker. On Day 4 the massive 1,088-entry field had narrowed to only four players. Richard Gryko led the final four with 15,625,000 chips, Daniel Zack started 2nd in chips with 13,250,000 chips. Then there was a big gap to Joshua Ladines (7,825,000 chips) and Zachary Schwartz (6,825,000 chips).
Zack excelled despite his admitted weakness in PLO. “I think I get made fun of in the mixed cash games I play for my PLO play by far the most,” Zack confessed. This victory reversed a quiet summer for Zack. “It’s been a tough year for tournaments in general. I haven’t really had any good results prior to this,” he noted. Eight previous WSOP cashes produced no final tables. This breakthrough changed his 2025 results.
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Zack dominates final table with key eliminations
Four players returned after the overnight break. The Run It Once Pro Richard Gryko held the chip lead. Daniel Zack quickly seized control at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Richard Gryko out in 4th
Gryko entered with 15,625,000 chips. The British player sought his second WSOP bracelet but he has to wait for another year. He got it in with KK95 from the big blind against Joshua Ladines with AAQJ, who opened from the gun. The board ran out 88287 that sealed the quick exit for Gryko. He collected $151,802 for fourth place.
Joshua Ladines out in 3rd
Zack won multiple crucial pots from Ladines after Gryko’s exit. The momentum shifted. Zack secured the chip lead and then the following hand happened: Daniel Zack opened in the small blind and Ladines defended in the big bling. They saw the A88 flop. Both players checked and saw the J turn. They checked again.
The fire works started with the K on the river. Zack fired, Ladines moved all-in and Zack called instantly. Ladines showed A986 for a full-house but Zack rivered the better full-house with KK44. Ladines earned $216,539 for third place.
Zack vs Schwartz – the last hand
Schwartz limped from the small blind. Zack raised to 1,500,000 from the big blind. Schwartz called. The flop came 8♥8♣Q♦. Zack bet 700,000. Schwartz called. The 7♣ turn brought a check from Zack. Schwartz shoved for 3,600,000. Zack called with K♣Q♣J♦6♦ against Schwartz’s A♣J♣5♣5♥.
Both players held flush draws. Zack also had top pair. The K♠ river gave Zack two pair, kings and queens. Schwartz collected $314,056 for second place.
Zack reflects on win and future plans
Zack expressed satisfaction with his performance after the victory. “It feels great,” he said. “It’s a really wonderful way to end the summer, and I wasn’t even necessarily supposed to still be here. I came back. I went home for two weeks, and so just very ecstatic to finish this way”.
Zack showed honesty about his PLO abilities. “I think I get made fun of in the mixed cash games I play for my PLO play by far the most. So, if anything, I would say everyone back home would say it was my worst game”. He acknowledged his limited study time: “I just don’t work on poker much anymore these days, so I’ve just come to peace with the fact that it’s not my best game“.
This fourth WSOP bracelet adds to his 2022 Player of the Year title. He previously set clear goals: “I set a goal three years ago that I really wanted to try to win it before I left poker, and this is the third series I’ve tried“.
Daniel Zack balances poker with personal milestones. “I recently got engaged to the love of my life, Ivy,” he shared. “We’ve been together the past six years and I feel blessed to have found such an amazing life partner“.
His tournament schedule stays minimal. “I just go home and play poker once a week at home in a cash game and outside of that. Probably no tournaments until either the Bahamas or the World Series again next year. I really don’t play much“.
This approach makes his achievements remarkable. He plans to step back from poker: “I don’t expect to have many more years in me of grinding the WSOP. I’m getting married next year and want to have kids in the near future“.
About Daniel Zack
Daniel Zack was born in December 1993 in Princeton, New Jersey. He started playing poker at age 10 during the 2003 poker boom. Zack would beg his older brother to join home games.
At 13, Zack studied the Harrington On Hold’em strategy series. During college, he turned $1,000 into $100,000 in one summer at Turning Stone Casino. He played mostly $2-$5 and $5-$10 games.
Zack won his first WSOP bracelet in 2019. He captured Event #6: $2,500 Limit Mixed Triple Draw. His breakthrough year came in 2022 with two more bracelets. He won the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Championship for $440,757. He also took the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Championship for $324,174. These wins earned him 2022 WSOP Player of the Year.
His WSOP career statistics show 136 cashes and 27 final tables. Total WSOP earnings exceed $4.3 million. His largest single cash came in 2022. He finished eighth in the $250,000 Super High Roller for $488,095.
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FAQs
Daniel Zack won $471,170 for his first-place finish in the $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha event at the 2025 World Series of Poker.
With his recent victory, Daniel Zack now has a total of four WSOP bracelets to his name.
The $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha event at the 2025 WSOP generated a total prize pool of $2,904,960.
Zachary Schwartz finished in second place, earning $314,056 for his performance.
Interestingly, Daniel Zack admits that Pot Limit Omaha isn’t his strongest game, stating that he often gets teased for his PLO play in mixed cash games.
