2025 WSOP: Joao Vieira Comes on Top in $100,000 High Roller to Win $2,649,158

Joao Vieira
Joao Vieira

After a lengthy heads-up battle, Joao Vieira was the one to celebrate and take the title, beating Aram Oganyan and the field of 103 entries at the World Series of Poker Event #38: $100,000 High Roller for $2,649,158. This was a three-day event, and it generated a prize pool of $9,939,500 with plenty of familiar faces battling it out till the last hand at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. This was Vieira’s fourth WSOP bracelet.

The heads-up lasted for four hours, and Aram Oganyan, who came second, proved he was a tough nut to crack as the chip lead was going back and forth; it looked like he might win it at some point, but in the end, he came second for $1,766,099.

“It’s heads up. I know things can go up and down. I just try to keep myself as levelheaded as possible. Do my best, fight until the end. I didn’t have time to complain about having to fight,” said Vieira to PokerNews.

2025 WSOP Event #38: $100,000 High Roller Final Table Payouts

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Portugal Joao VieiraPortugal$2,649,158
2United States of America Aram OganyanUnited States$1,766,099
3Belgium Thomas BoivinBelgium$1,212,020
4United States of America Isaac HaxtonUnited States$857,253
5United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Ben HeathUnited Kingdom$625,491
6United States of America Andrew LichtenbergerUnited States$471,281
7France Emilien PitavyFrance$367,069
8United States of America Vinny LinghamUnited States$295,883

The Final Table

At the start of the final table, all players had decent stacks. Emilien Pitavy had the shortest stack, with 17 big blinds, and Aram Oganyan was far ahead of everybody else, with 82 big blinds. Most players had around 20 big blinds.

Vinny Lingham was the first final table elimination once he shoved from BB and got called against Vieira’s CO open. Vieira was a favorite with K♣K♦, but Lingham was still in the game with A♥5♥. The dealer flipped J♦K♦7♥6♣3♥, and Vieira managed to dodge the ace on the river with a set of kings to eliminate Lingham in eighth place for $295,883.

Vinny Lingham
Vinny Lingham

Aram Oganyan opened big from CO, and Emilien Pitavy called in SB and was in all-in holding A♦6♦ against A♣7♣. The runout was J♣8♥7♥2♠J♥, giving Oganyan two pair, and Pitavy was eliminated in seventh place for $367,069.

Emilien Pitavy
Emilien Pitavy

Thomas Boivin opened in CO, Andrew Lichtenberger was in BTN and shoved, leaving Boivin an easy decision as he had to add just a few more chips to his original raise, and we were in an all-in situation.

Andrew Lichtenberger was ahead with A♠J♠ against K♥Q♥ of Thomas Boivin. The board came A♣8♥2♦J♥10♦, and it looked very good for Lichtenberger until the runner-runner straight rolled for Boivin. Lichtenberger was out in sixth place for $471,281.

Andrew Lichtenberger
Andrew Lichtenberger

Ben Heath opened from UTG with just a few chips behind, and Aram Oganyan raised enough to put him all in, and Heath called. Heath had A♦5♦ and was dominated against A♥K♣ of Oganyan. The board J♥J♦3♦7♣8♥ gave some optimism to Heath on the flop, but the turn and the river were dry, and he was eliminated in fifth place for $625,491.

Ben Heath
Ben Heath

Oganyan shoved from SB to put pressure on Isaac Haxton in BB, who called and was at risk of elimination. Haxton had a monster Q♥Q♣, but Oganyan still had live-outs with K♠2♦. The board ran 10♦6♣3♣K♦J♦, giving a nice flop for Haxon, but the turn was deadly, and he was out in fourth place for $857,253.

Isaac Haxton
Isaac Haxton

Thomas Boivin was in the big blind, and Oganyan shoved him from SB, and Boivin called. Oganyan had A♠J♥ and was ahead of Boivin, who was already with one foot on the door as he was in a bad spot with K♥J♦. The runout was 9♣8♦3♦J♣3♥, giving both players a top pair, but Boivin was outkicked and was out in third place for $1,212,020.

Thomas Boivin
Thomas Boivin

The Heads-Up

At the start of the heads-up battle, Aram Oganyan maintained his start of the final table chip lead and came into the heads-up as a 2.5:1 favorite in chips over Joao Vieira, but Vieira managed to reduce the deficit over the heads-up, and the lead changed from one player to another multiple times.

The last hand came when Aram Oganyan shoved from BTN, and Vieira called in BB. Aram Oganyan had Q♦8♥, and Viera was ahead with K♠J♥. The board came K♥10♥7♠2♥2♣, extending Vieira’s lead even further on the flop and completing the game on the river as Oganyan was eliminated in second place for $1,766,099.

Aram Oganyan
Aram Oganyan

* Hands and photos courtesy of PokerNews and WSOP

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