WSOP 2025

2025 WSOP: Ian O’Hara is the $3k Mid-Stakes Champion

by Jonathan Raab July 15, 2025
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American pro Ian O’Hara is the Event #89 $3,000 Mid-Stakes Champion. He defeated a field of 3,797 to take down the first place prize of $1,189,408 and win his first WSOP bracelet. He steamrollered Bahar Musa in a brief heads-up encounter, which he went into with a 2-1 chip deficit. 

O’Hara, who has previously gone close at the WSOP, with 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishes to his name, was delighted to finally get over the line, but put the win down to luck, making a big hand when his opponent also did. He does intend to celebrate, but needs some sleep first.

Ian O'Hara
Ian O’Hara

O’Hara is a controversial figure in American poker, having perpetrated a staking scam that was exposed in 2022. He apparently faked entries into some events he was backed to play and reported wins as losses to some backers. He admitted his wrongdoing to his backers, who agreed not to make it public, however he did not adhere to the rules his backers put in place and they eventually outed him publicly. 

2025 WSOP: Event #89 $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship Final Table Result

PositionPlayerPrize
1United States of America Ian O’Hara$1,189,408
2Bulgaria Bahar Musa$792,714
3Italy Jacopo Achille$589,980
4United States of America Andrew Robinson$442,604
5Romania Bogdan Munteanu$334,718
6Ireland Simon Wilson$255,186
7Argentina Maximiliano Castagnini$196,145
8Russian Federation Mikhail Zavoloka$152,009
9India Ankit Ahuja$118,785
10United States of America Eshaan Bhalla$93,602

2025 WSOP: Event #89 $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship Recap

O’Hara was 4th in chips of the 26 who returned for the 4th and final day of the event, which had a prize pool of just over $10m. Eshaan Bhalla was the overnight chip leader, with a stack of 12.5m, just ahead of Mikhail Zavoloka on 12.2m. 

Eshaan Bhalla – 2025 WSOP: Ian O’Hara is the k Mid-Stakes Champion
Eshaan Bhalla

The returning field included two WSOP bracelet holders, Italian Jacopo Achille and 3-time winner Xixiang Luo from China. Ireland’s Simon Wilson was also well placed and Michel Molenaar was the short-stack. Andrew Hulme was the last remaining British player in the field, in 14th place on the leaderboard.

As soon as cards were in the air, players began to hit the rail. Xixiang Luo’s chance of a fourth bracelet and Andrew Hulme’s dream of his first became things of the past almost immediately, when they were taken out in the same hand. Luo had pocket tens, Hulme had AK, however Artem Tuliupa showed up with kings to spoil the party.

Short-stack Michel Molenaar was next to go and Gaston Catzman soon after, but the pace of play then slowed until the sole remaining bracelet holder Jacopo Achille dispatched Inigo Naveiro. Several more players busted before the first break of the day, by which time there were 17 left. At this stage Zavoloka was the chip leader, having moved just above 20m. Achille, chasing his 2nd bracelet had the next biggest stack of 15m and O’Hara was not far behind in third.

Only three players hit the rail during the next session and by the time they went on their next break, O’Hara had replaced Zavoloka at the top of the chip chart. But the pace of eliminations picked up after play resumed and after Artem Tuliupa was taken out in 11th, the final table of ten was set, with Argentinean Maximiliano Castagnini now the big stack.

SeatPlayerChip count
1Argentina Maximiliano Castagnini25,300,000
3Russian Federation Mikhail Zavoloka22,800,000
9United States of America Ian O’Hara19,600,000
4Bulgaria Bahar Musa19,500,000
2Romania Bogdan Munteanu18,900,000
5Italy Jacopo Achille11,300,000
6Ireland Simon Wilson9,800,000
8India Ankit Ahuja9,750,000
10United States of America Eshaan Bhalla8,800,000
7United States of America Andrew Robinson5,000,000

Overnight chip leader Eshaan Bhalla was the first to exit the final table in 10th for $93,602, taken out by O’Hara, who moved up to 2nd place and over 23m chips. Ankit Ahuja hit the rail soon after, taking 9th for $118,785. The longest surviving Indian in the field fell to Castagnini, who restored the chip lead he had lost in the opening hands of the final table.

The two big builders in the early stages were O’Hara and Bulgarian Bahar Musa, the latter of whom had already pushed over the 50m mark by the time O’Hara took out Mikhail Zavoloka in 8th ($152,009). With this scalp O’Hara moved into clear second place, with nearly 37m chips.

Jacopo Achille remained in strong contention for his second bracelet, moving up to over 33m when ending Maximilian’s Castagnini’s tournament in 7th. The Argentinian was in good shape after opening to 10m and calling Achille’s shove. He had A♣K♦ versus A♥10♠, however there was a ten on the flop to send Castagnini to the rail with $196,145.

Maximiliano Castagnini – 2025 WSOP: Ian O’Hara is the k Mid-Stakes Champion
Maximiliano Castagnini

O’Hara reclaimed the chip lead when he busted Simon Wilson in 6th for $255,186, outdrawing the Irishman’s J♠8♦ with J♦7♥ when a seven flopped. But it was a tit-for-tat affair and Musa climbed back to the top of the tree on 60m when his A♥9♥ got the better of Bogdan Munteanu’s Q♣J♣. The Romanian found the egress with $334,718 for 5th place.

Andrew Robinson was unfortunate to become the next player to depart. He got his last 9.5m in against Musa with K♦10♥. He was up against Q♥J♣, but the first four cards to hit the board were hearts and Robinson was flushed out of the tournament in 4th place for $442,604. 

Three-handed and Bahar Musa was charging ahead, on 78m chips, versus 38.5m for O’Hara and 35m for Achille. O’Hara closed the gap by taking a big chunk off Achille but Musa restored his advantage, taking the last of the Italian’s chips in a showdown where once again, the best hand lost. This time it was A♥5♥ held by Musa that downed Jacopo Achille’s A♣Q♦ as a five promptly appeared on the flop. He exited in 3rd place with a consolatory $589,980.

Jacopo Achille – 2025 WSOP: Ian O’Hara is the k Mid-Stakes Champion
Jacopo Achille

This put Musa at a clear advantage going into the heads-up stage of the tournament, with 98m to O’Hara’s 53m. After trading the first few pots of the head-to-head, O’Hara bagged a couple of pots in a row to draw within 10m of Musa and then the decisive hand took place.

Bahar Musa – 2025 WSOP: Ian O’Hara is the k Mid-Stakes Champion
Bahar Musa

Musa limped, O’Hara raised to 5m and Musa called. On a flop of 9♣Q♦3♠ O’Hara c-bet for 3.5m. Musa raised to 10m, Ohara called and the turn brought the 8♠. Musa led out for 16m, which O’Hara countered by moving all-in. Musa tanked and then called, showing K♥Q♣ for top pair, but once again the worst hand was in front, as O’Hara flipped over Q♥9♠ for two pair. The river brought the Q♠, improving O’Hara to a full house and sending a 135m pot in his direction.

Musa was down to under 20m and it was all over soon after, when O’Hara’s 10♣6♦ felled Musa’s pocket eights, the first card of the flop bringing another ten. Bahar Musa departed in 2nd place for $792,714. In the space of a few hands, Ian O’Hara had flipped his Bulgarian opponent and snatched the top prize of $1,189,408 as well as his first bracelet.

Ian O'Hara
Ian O’Hara

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* Hands and photos courtesy of PokerNews and WSOP

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