The 2025 Super High Roller Bowl $100,000 pot-limit Omaha event was held inside the PokerGO Studio, just days after the conclusion of the latest PokerGO Tour PLO Series II won by Chino Rheem.
The six-figure buy-in attracted 37 of the top PLO players in the world. After three days of high-flying, four-card action, it was two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner John Riordan who emerged victorious, earning the SHRB ring, and the top prize of $1,250,000.
This was by far the largest score for Riordan, who now has more than $7.2 million in lifetime cashes. Prior to this win, Riordan’s top payday was the $210,180 he earned for winning the WSOP Circuit main event at the Palm Beach Kennel Club back in 2011. His two bracelet wins came in online no-limit hold’em events. He took down a $2,000 six-max event in 2021 for $68,284 and the $3,200 buy-in six-max in 2023 for another $112,228.
“To get a high buy-in, high first-place victory against the toughest people means everything. I’ve played a lot of big buy-ins and never had any big results,” said Riordan after closing out this victory. “It’s a really good feeling, and getting compensated for it is really, really fantastic.”
Riordan has had some close calls in big PLO events before. He finished third in a $25,000 buy-in at the 2022 Poker Masters for $160,000, and had another podium showing in a $10,000 event at the 2023 WPT World Championship At Wynn Las Vegas for another $144,000.
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“PLO is my favorite game. It’s a chaotic game where you just see so many flops. It’s way less preflop stuff, like no-limit. Two people have random hands and we’re going to see a flop and see what happens when we get there. That’s why I love it so much.”
He now sits with 3,321 Card Player Player of the Year points after adding 480 with this triumph. That’s good for 71st place in the POY standings. Riordan climbed to 10th in the PokerGO Tour season-long rankings, having made 28 qualified cashes so far for more than $2.4 million.
Bubble Bursts On Day 2
The prize pool swelled to $3.7 million in this event, with only the top seven finishers earning a share. The money bubble burst on day 2, with two-time bracelet winner Dylan Weisman being the last player eliminated outside of the money.
Weisman was left on fumes after losing a big clash with three-time bracelet winner Sam Soverel. He got his last fraction of a big blind in on the following hand and was called in two spots. Soverel showed down a flush to claim the last of Weisman’s stack, ensuring at least a $150,000 return for all the remaining contenders.
Jared Bleznick, who won this event in 2023, was the first to fall inside the money. He got all-in on a J♠8♦6♣Q♦ turn with A♦J♥10♦8♥ for the nut flush draw, straight draws, and two pair. He was up against Q♣10♥10♣9♠ for Soverel, which had made a queen-high straight on the turn. The 4♠ river was a blank for Bleznick and he settled for $150,000 as the seventh-place finisher. The bracelet winner now boasts nearly $9.5 million in career tournament earnings after this latest deep run.
Two-time bracelet winner Bryce Yockey soon followed. Like Weisman before him, he lost the vast majority of his stack in a clash with Soverel, who again collected the crumbs moments later. This time, it was a turned flush for Soverel besting the rivered set of jacks. The final stand for Yockey pitted A♣Q♣8♣7♦ against K♠Q♦6♠6♥. The board ran out 4♠3♦2♣4♣10♦ and Soverel’s pocket sixes played to earn him the pot. Yockey, who won two events at the PGT PLO Series II a week earlier, earned $225,000 for his sixth-place showing.
Play was halted for the night with five players remaining and Soverel well out in front.
Soverel Scores More Knockouts
Russia’s Artur Martirosian was the short stack heading into day 3, and was soon all-in and at risk. The three-time bracelet winner looked down at A♠Q♦9♠8♣ in the small blind facing an under-the-gun open from Soverel. He three-bet for most of his stack. Soverel called with A♥K♦5♠2♦ and the flop came down 6♦2♠2♣ to give him trip deuces. Martirosian shoved and received a snap call. The 5♣ turn gave Soverel a full house and a lock on the hand. The J♣ completed the board and Martirosian headed to the payout desk to collect $300,000. The cash grew his lifetime haul to nearly $34.3 million.
Finnish bracelet winner Joni Jouhkimainen was Soverel’s next victim. He potted from the button with A♥A♣9♦5♥ and received two callers. The flop came down J♣5♠3♠ and it checked to Jouhkimainen, who potted again, leaving himself with very little behind. Soverel isolated with Q♠Q♥J♦6♠ and Riordan got out of the way. Jouhkimainen called and the 10♥ rolled off on the turn, changing nothing. The K♠ on the end gave Soverel a winning flush, though, sending Jouhkimainen packing in fourth place for $400,000.
The score increased his career earnings to $13.1 million, with more than $7.1 million of that coming from PLO events. That puts him in sixth place on the PLO all-time money list.
Riordan Bounces Back, Simao Crashes Out
Three-handed action continued for more than two-and-a-half hours. Soverel was able to pull away from the other two remaining contenders as play wore on, and held more than three-quarters of the chips in play.
Soverel then picked off a big bluff attempt from Joao Simao to grow his advantage. The hand began with Soverel limping A♥9♦4♣2♠ from the button. Riordan completed with A♦10♣7♠5♣ from the small blind and Simao checked his option with Q♥7♥6♦4♥ in the big blind. The flop came down A♣J♠5♦ and it checked around. The 2♥ turn gave Soverel aces and deuces, but Riordan’s aces and fives were still best for the moment. Another round of checks preceded the 9♣ rolling off on the river, giving Soverel aces and nines for the best hand.
Riordan checked again. Simao checked as well and Soverel value bet 160,000 into 320,000. Riordan called, and Simao unleashed a check-raise bluff, announcing a pot bet of 960,000. Soverel called quickly and Riordan folded. While Soverel surged, Simao was left with less than seven big blinds.
On the next hand, Simao raised with K♠K♦8♥8♣ from the small blind. Soverel called with J♥9♣6♠6♥ and the rest went in after the flop of J♣10♦5♣. The 9♥ turn and 9♦ river gave Soverel a running full house to earn the pot and the knockout. Simao settled for $550,000 as the third-place finisher. This was the third-largest score yet for the two-time bracelet winner from Brazil, growing his lifetime total to more than $11.3 million.
Heads Up For The Glory
The final battle between the two Florida natives began with Soverel holding more than a 2:1 chip advantage. Things were soon all but evened up, however, when Riordan won a healthy pot with sixes full of sevens. Soverel potted on the river as a bluff, with his two pair effectively working as blockers.
Not long after that, Riordan took down another hand, betting with the wheel on the turn and forcing a fold from Soverel, who had jacks and deuces. With that, Riordan overtook the lead.
The final hand of the tournament began with Soverel raising from the button with 10♦9♠6♠5♥. Riordan three-bet with A♣K♣10♠7♠ and Soverel made the call. The flop came down 6♥5♣4♣ and Riordan checked with his flush draw. Soverel bet with top two pair and Riordan went for the check-raise. Soverel thought it over before going all-in, and Riordan called.
The Q♣ on the turn gave him the nuts. The 3♠ river kept Riordan’s hand best, ending Soverel’s run in second place for $825,000. This payday saw him surpass $28.3 million in career earnings.
This was Soverel’s 12th final-table finish of the year, with three titles won along the way. He now sits in 21st place in the POY standings, and is second in the PGT points race.
Other Winners
There were two $15,000 second-chance PLO events held alongside the SHRB event. The first drew just 13 entries, but was won by Stephen Chidwick for $136,500. The UK high roller recent crossed the $75 million in career earnings mark.
The second event drew a bigger field of 35, with the top five players making the money. Talal Shakerchi followed up his runner-up finish in the first side event with a min-cash. The final three players made a deal, with Gruffudd Pugh Jones taking home $148,500 as the first-place finisher.
Super High Roller Bowl History
This victory made Riordan just the third SHRB pot-limit Omaha champion ever crowned. This event first debuted in 2023, with Jared Bleznick topping 38 entries to secure the hardware. Seth Davies found the winner’s circle in 2024, outlasting a field of 42.
There have now been 21 total SHRB events, with the vast majority contested in no-limit hold’em. In addition to the three PLO versions, there has also been one SHRB Mixed Games event, which was won by Chad Eveslage this spring.
The very first SHRB, held in the summer of 2015, sported a $500,000 buy-in, with Poker Hall of Famer Brian Rast earning $7,525,000 as the champion. There have been several multi-time champions over the years, including Justin Bonomo (SHRB China, SHRB IV, SHRB Online), Isaac Haxton (SHRB V, SHRB VIII), Timothy Adams (SHRB Australia, SHRB Russia), and Seth Davies (SHRB IX, SHRB:PLO II).
More than $190.6 million in total prize money has been awarded, with 784 entries made across this prestigious event’s history.
The next SHRB is planned for Dec. 20. The SHRB X will be a no-limit hold’em event running inside the PokerGO Studio, with a $100,000 buy-in.
Results
- John Riordan – $1,250,000
- Sam Soverel – $825,000
- Joao Simao – $550,000
- Joni Jouhkimainen – $400,000
- Artur Martirosian – $300,000
- Bryce Yockey – $225,000
- Jared Bleznick – $150,000