2025 WSOP: Carlos Leiva Dominates Final Table to Win First Bracelet in $1K PLO

Carlos Leiva 2025 WSOP Event #42: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Bracelet Winner

At the 2025 World Series of Poker, held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, one of the most popular four-card events on the schedule, the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, drew a massive field of 1,932 entries. That created a prize pool of $1,700,160, with $237,852 reserved for the eventual winner.

From the very start of the final day, it felt like there was little doubt about who that winner would be. Argentina’s Carlos Leiva arrived as the chip leader and simply never looked back. Hand after hand, minute after minute, Leiva extended his lead in dominating fashion and ran the table when it mattered the most.

By the time heads-up play began, Leiva had full control, and he turned his final opponent, Hooman Nikzad, into dust as well. In the end, it looked like Leiva sealed the deal with commanding ease to capture his first WSOP bracelet and the six-figure top prize. Nikzad walked away with $158,481 for his impressive runner-up finish.

Leiva has had several notable deep runs at the WSOP in the past, including an 11th-place finish in the $10,000 Short Deck event in 2022. His biggest live score to date actually came outside Las Vegas as he won the $2,750 Gran Final Millonaria at the Enjoy Poker Tour in 2023 for $440,000. With this bracelet win, Leiva now boasts over $1.1 million in career tournament earnings.

2025 WSOP Event #42: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Argentina Carlos LeivaArgentina$237,852
2United States of America Hooman NikzadUnited States$158,481
3United States of America Brian MckainUnited States$114,399
4United States of America Dylan WeismanUnited States$83,503
5Canada Kyle RosnesCanada$61,641
6United States of America Joshua PalmerUnited States$46,024
7France Florian RibouchonFrance$34,761
8United States of America Eric BuchmanUnited States$26,562
9United States of America Bradley AndersonUnited States$20,538

2025 WSOP Event #42: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table Recap

Dylan Weisman 2025 WSOP
Dylan Weisman

Seven players returned for the final day of Event #42: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, and with Carlos Leiva bringing a massive 103 big blinds into the finale, all eyes were on the Argentinian chip leader. Right behind him was Hooman Nikzad with 80 bigs, while the only bracelet winner among them, the PLO specialist Dylan Weisman, sat with 33 big blinds, plenty to fight with.

From the first card dealt, Leiva was relentless. He continued where he left off the night before, building his stack hand by hand, minute by minute. After just an hour of play, Leiva already held more than half the chips in play, and the rest of the table looked to be in trouble.

The first to fall was France’s Florian Ribouchon. As usual, Leiva opened the action, but this time Ribouchon raised, and only Weisman called. Ribouchon showed two kings, Weisman had three aces, and both picked up flush draws on the flop. Weisman had the higher draw, and when the board ran out clean, Ribouchon was gone in seventh for $34,761.

Joshua Palmer had brought 62 big blinds into Day 3, but his chips quickly evaporated. His last stand came with 9♣8♦6♥5♥ against Leiva’s A♥J♦5♣2♦. Palmer looked strong on the 9♠7♥4♦ flop, but the 7♦ turn and A♦ river gave Leiva a flush, eliminating Palmer in sixth place for $46,024.

Canadian Kyle Rosnes was active throughout, but his momentum halted in a key pot against Leiva. On a board of 3♦10♣3♠4♥9♠, Rosnes called down only to see Leiva table pocket aces. Shortly after, Leiva finished the job, and Rosnes was out in fifth for $61,641.

Kyle Rosnes 2025 WSOP
Kyle Rosnes

Then came a rare shift in eliminations as Nikzad got in on the action. Dylan Weisman shoved on a 3♣5♥J♥ flop with A♠A♥9♠9♦, and Nikzad snap-called with K♠K♥6♠3♥. The 4♦ turn and 2♦ river made Nikzad a straight, ending Weisman’s run in fourth for $83,503.

But Leiva wasn’t done showing off his run-good. In a limped pot, the board came 7♦3♠4♣10♥, and Brian McKain moved all-in. Leiva, of course, called. McKain revealed 9♦8♦3♦3♣ for bottom set, but Leiva had flopped the straight with Q♣6♦5♥3♥. The 9♣ river changed nothing, and McKain had to settle for third and $114,399.

Heads-up between Leiva and Nikzad didn’t last long, nor did we expect it to. In the final hand, Nikzad opened, Leiva raised, and Nikzad called. The flop of J♣10♦5♦ saw Leiva lead pot, Nikzad shoved, and Leiva snapped.

Nikzad had 9♦8♣3♣3♦, while Leiva turned over K♣K♠J♥2♠. The Q♥ turn briefly gave Nikzad the lead with a straight, but the 9♠ river gave Leiva a higher one, sealing the win.

Carlos Leiva locked up his first career bracelet in dominant fashion, along with the $237,852 top prize. Nikzad banked $158,481 for his hard-fought second-place finish.

* Hands and photos courtesy of PokerNews and WSOP

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Nathan Fryar

Nathan Fryar is a former professional poker player turned poker author.