Kevin Li wins 2025 WSOP Tournament of Champions

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Punching his ticket to the 2025 WSOP Tournament of Champions by winning a WSOP Circuit ring at Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary on 8 August 2024, Canadian poker player Kevin Li made the most of the $1 million freeroll by finishing in first place out of 485 entrants.

$200,000 richer following his victory in the Tournament of Champions at Commerce Casino, Li now owns his first career WSOP bracelet as well as the very first bracelet of the summer.

Competing at a final table that included the likes of major tournament crushers such as Daniel Sepiol and Scott Stewart, despite starting the final table with one of the shortest chip stacks Li leveraged his luck and poker skills to finish on top.
WSOP Tournament of Champions Final Table Action

At the start of final table play, while Li would seemingly be card dead causing him to not see much action, the same could not be said for his fellow players.

Getting an early double up through Yang Xu with pocket tens to his opponent’s pocket eights, eventual runner-up Shawn Rice maintained momentum that would carry him through the first few eliminations of the final table.

Getting it all-in preflop holding ace-king suited to Scott Stewart’s pocket queens, Rice would eliminate the eight-time WSOP Circuit champion in brutal fashion after Stewart’s turned set would be trounced by Rice’s river straight. The first elimination at the Tournament of Champions final table, Stewart finished in 9th place for $16,100.

After Kevin Lemmer lost the few chips he had remaining to Don Ciaglo to be eliminated in 8th place ($21,000), the next level Rice would bust another set when his rivered seven-high straight proved too much for Xu’s rivered set of fours. Eliminated in 7th place, Xu received $28,000 for his impressive run in the Tournament of Champions.

Despite securing a double-up through Sepiol during Level 26 of the tournament, nine-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Maxwell Young would be eliminated by Ciaglo in 6th place for $37,000 after Ciaglo’s flopped two pair proved too much for Young’s paired ace with king kicker.

With five players remaining, Li would finally start building his stack after doubling up through Karapet Galstyan. Folded to in the small blind, Li shoved his 13 remaining big blinds with king-nine offsuit only for Galstyan to wake up with ace-eight suited. Despite starting behind, a king on the turn would be enough for Li to double up and leave his opponent with crumbs.

With only two big blinds remaining after doubling up Li, it did not take long for Galstyan to be eliminated in 5th place for $50,000.

Following a raise from Li during four-handed play, Sepiol moved all-in for his 17 remaining big blinds and would get the call from Li.

Out-pipped holding ace-ten offsuit to his opponent’s ace-jack, Sepiol was unable to catch up and would be eliminated in 4th place cashing for $70,000.

Only two eliminations away from declaring a new TOC champion, sitting with 37 big blinds Ciaglo moved all-in on the button holding ace-six offsuit. Running into Li’s pocket aces, Ciaglo was unable to crack them and would be eliminated in third place for $100,000.

Despite starting heads-up play with the chip lead, Li would fall behind after being outkicked by Rice with two pair on a paired board.

Although heads-up play began with a tough start, Li slowly grinded his way back and eventually recaptured the chip lead after bullying Rice out of a sizable pot. With 14.6 million chips to Rice’s 4.7 million following the hand, Li would continue applying pressure until ultimately eliminating Rice in 2nd place ($140,000) and securing the 2025 WSOP Tournament of Champions title.