As the 2025 World Series of Poker enters the home stretch, Team Canada continues to stack chips, cash deep, and stay relevant on every front. From Santiago Plante’s continued heater and Ari Engel’s cash milestone to a strong group still alive in the Main Event—and a serious POY push from a pair of Canadian regulars—it’s been another headline-worthy week for the northern crew.
Plante Posts Another Final Table; Engel Hits 602 Career Cashes
Santiago Plante has been putting together one of the most consistent runs of any Canadian in Las Vegas this summer. He added yet another impressive result in Event #84: $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em, running all the way to 9th place for $20,781. That final table appearance was his latest proof of form during a red-hot stretch.
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Just a couple of days later, he was back at it in the turbo-charged madness of Event #87: $5,000 Super Turbo Bounty, where he finished 18th for $25,652. Fellow Canadian Ari Engel also reached the money in that one, taking 63rd for $10,780—another step forward in his march up the all-time cash list.
Engel now sits at an incredible 602 recorded tournament cashes, the most in history. With Roland Israelashvili currently in second place at 580, Engel has created some distance at the top. The passing of the legendary John “Miami” Cernuto—a longtime icon of live tournament poker—adds even more poignancy to Engel’s position atop the leaderboard.
Babko and Afriat Keep Main Event Dreams Alive
The Main Event is winding down, but five Canadians are still in the hunt for poker’s most coveted prize. Leading the way is Maxim Babko, who bagged 6,000,000 chips at the end of Day 5—good for 16th overall heading into Day 6.
Veteran grinder Eric Afriat is also well in the mix, ending Day 5 with 4,250,000 chips and sitting 40th overall. It’s a tough field and a long road to the final table, but both players are carrying serious experience and composure into the late stages of the world’s biggest poker tournament.
Negreanu and Taylor Climb the POY Leaderboard
It’s not just about the cashes—two of Canada’s best are also making real noise in the WSOP Player of the Year standings.
Daniel Negreanu holds 6th place in the current POY race with 2,745.62 points, while Alberta’s mixed-game specialist Thomas Taylor sits close behind in 9th with 2,669.77. Both players have logged results across multiple formats, with Taylor especially shining in split-pot and rotation events all series long.
| Position | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Shaun Deeb | 4,174.6 |
| 2 |  Benny Glaser | 3,609.35 |
| 3 |  Martin Kabrhel | 3,345.76 |
| 4 | Scott Bohlman | 3,328.86 |
| 5 |  Joao Filipe Martins Vieira | 3,025.2 |
| 6 |  Daniel Negreanu | 2,745.62 |
| 7 |  Blaz Zerjav | 2,708.53 |
| 8 | Nicholas Schulman | 2,675.91 |
| 9 | Thomas Taylor | 2,669.77 |
| 10 | Dylan Linde | 2,554.05 |
Kade and Kassouf Share Table Talk Moment
In a fun crossover between Canada and Britain from the Main Event, Canadian pro Vanessa Kade found herself seated next to UK poker personality William Kassouf, creating an unexpected—and entertaining—table dynamic. It was a light moment in an otherwise pressure-packed tournament and a reminder that WSOP table draws are always capable of a good plot twist.
More From WSOP 2025
- 2025 WSOP: Kassouf Leads Last Eleven Brits Into Day 6 of Main Event
- WSOP 2025: Dreams Come True as Justin Fawcett Takes Home his Maiden Bracelet in Event #85: $600 NLH Ultra Stack ($355,110)
- Canadian Contingent Shrinks as WSOP Main Event Rolls Into Day 6, Foxen, Roussy-Majeau, and Others Still in the Fight
