WSOP 2025

2025 WSOP: Chang Lee is the New Champion of Event #26: $25,000 High Roller

by Mark Parker June 10, 2025
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Chang Lee 2025 WSOP Event #26: $25,000 High Roller
Chang Lee

After three days of battling it out on the poker tables, South Korea’s Chang Lee was the one out of 392 entries who came on top and claimed his first World Series of Poker bracelet and $1,949,044 in Event #26: $25,000 High Roller at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The tournament generated a staggering $9,212,000 prize pool, drawing some of the biggest names in the game.

Chang came into the heads-up battle against Andrew Ostapchenko as a slight underdog in chips but managed to turn things around and win his first WSOP bracelet.

Interestingly, according to The Hendon Mob, this was Chang Lee’s first recorded tournament cash outside of Asia, and what a way to make an entrance as this win marks his career-best result by a wide margin. The final table of the $25,000 High Roller was stacked with talent, including four WSOP bracelet winners, but they all made early exits. Chin Wei Lim, Byron Kaverman, and Orpen Kisacikoglu bowed out in ninth through seventh, and when 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen followed in sixth, it was guaranteed that a new bracelet winner would be crowned.

For Andrew Ostapchenko, already a WSOP Circuit ring holder, this runner-up finish pushes his live time tournament winnings up to $5 million, as he collected $1,299,333 for his impressive run. His previous best WSOP score came in this very event last year, where he finished 12th for $75,801. While he’s had several other deep runs over the years, the elusive gold bracelet will have to wait

2025 WSOP Event #26: $25,000 High Roller Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Korea, Republic of Chang LeeSouth Korea$1,949,044
2United States of America Andrew OstapchenkoUnited States$1,299,333
3United States of America Elijah BergUnited States$894,265
4United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Mathew FranklandUnited Kingdom$626,823
5Japan Masato YokosawaJapan$447,613
6United States of America Joe McKeehenUnited States$325,757
7Turkey Orpen KisacikogluTurkey$241,701
8United States of America Byron KavermanUnited States$182,902

2025 WSOP Event #26: $25,000 High Roller Final Table Recap

Chin Wei Lim pushed all of his chips in the middle from UTG and got called by Byron Kaverman in CO. Wei Lim was in a bad spot as his A♠6♦ was dominated by Kaverman’s A♥J♦. The board Q♠5♠8♥A♦10♦ didn’t give Wei Lim any signs of hope, and he was eliminated in ninth place for $141,218.

Chin Wei Lim
Chin Wei Lim

Mathew Frankland opened from EP, and Byron Kaverman 3-bet from HJ and Frankland called. The flop came 5♦Q♦J♥, and Frankland bet to put Kaverman all-in, and Kaverman called, finding himself behind with A♥J♠ against [invalid notations]s.

The turn was 6♦, and the river came 8♦, leaving Frankland in front with his top pair and eliminating Kaverman in eighth place for $182,902.

Byron Kaverman
Byron Kaverman

Orpen Kisacikoglu was eliminated next when he shoved from BB against Ostapchenko’s SB open and got snap-called. Orpen Kisacikoglu was dominated with his A♣7♠ against Ostapchenko, who kad A♠K♦, and the board J♣2♦8♥10♠5♥ didn’t give much to any player. Still, Ostapchenko had Kisacikoglu outkicked and eliminated him in seventh place for $241,701.

Orpen Kisacikoglu
Orpen Kisacikoglu

Chang Lee opened from HJ, and Joe McKeehen was all-in in the BB; Lee called. Joe McKeehen had K♣Q♠ and was behind against Lee’s A♠J♠. The dealer put down 6♣7♦2♠2♣5♠, and ace-high was enough to eliminate Joe McKeehen in sixth place for $325,757.

Joe McKeehen
Joe McKeehen

Everybody folded, and Ostapchenko shoved from the SB, putting Masato Yokosawa in BB at risk, who called and needed help from the board to survive. Masato Yokosawa had J♣5♠ against Ostapchenko’s Q♦3♠, and the board came 7♣3♥4♣10♣10♥, and pair of threes was enough to send Yokosawa to the rail in fifth place for $447,613.

Masato Yokosawa
Masato Yokosawa

Mathew Frankland was forced to go all-in in BB and was against Elijah Berg from UTG and Andrew Ostapchenko in SB. Frankland had A♦4♦ vs Berg’s K♠7♠ vs Ostapchenko’s A♥3♦, and the flop came 8♥Q♣K♣ giving the lead to Berg and the hand was checked on the turn 9♥ and the river 10♣ eliminating Frankland who’s ace-high wasn’t enough to beat Bergs pair of kings. Frankland was out in fourth place for $626,823.

Mathew Frankland
Mathew Frankland

After an intense three-way battle, Elijah Berg shoved from SB against Ostapchenko’s BTN opponent and got called. Berg had Jd8s and was at risk against Ostapochenko, who had [invalid notations]c. The flop [invalid notations] was heavenly for Ostapochenko, and it was close to game over for Berg; the turn came J♣, putting Berg to draw without any outs. The river came 4♦ just to officially eliminate Berg in third place for $894,265.

Elijah Berg
Elijah Berg

The Heads-Up

Players took a short break before they started the heads-up battle. They were close to chips, but Ostapchenko was ahead of Lee. The battle didn’t last too long, and Chang Lee managed to turn things in his favor when he opened from the BTN, Ostapchenko 3-bet, and Lee called. The board was 6♣5♥3♥, Lee bet and Ostapchenko check called. The turn came Kd, and both players checked. The river was 4♠, and Ostapchenko was all-in with A♦K♠ just to get called by Lee’s K♥4♥ and realized he was eliminated in the second place for $1,299,333.

Andrew Ostapchenko
Andrew Ostapchenko

* Hands and photos courtesy of PokerNews and WSOP

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