Joao Vieira Wins WSOP $100,000 Event For Fourth Bracelet

Just three months after earning the largest top prize of his poker tournament career, Portugal’s Joao Vieira triumphed in another massive high roller at the World Series of Poker to secure his second-biggest payday ever, as well as his fourth career gold bracelet.

“I mean the first one always means the most, but it’s amazing. Every day that you get up and have the chance to be doing this, on this stage, with these amazing people, just feels great,” Vieira told PokerGO’s Jeff Platt in the post-win interview during the platform’s exclusive livestreaming coverage from the series.

Vieira topped a field of 103 entries in the 2025 WSOP $100,000 no-limit hold’em event to earn $2,649,158 and the hardware. The 35-year-old former professional basketball player turned poker crusher has now cashed for more than $8.7 million dollars this year, with more than half of that coming from his $4.6 million victory in a $150,000 buy-in at the Triton Poker Jeju festival in the spring.

As a result of his incredible run so far, he is now among the top 15 in the 2025 Card Player Player of the Year standings. He earned 1,200 POY points for this latest win, bringing his total to 3,306. He also secured 550 PokerGO Tour points, enough to catapult him to 26th in that high-stakes-centric race.

Vieira’s total tournament earnings now exceed $22.8 million after this most recent triumph at the series. His previous bracelet wins were also earned in no-limit hold’em events. He won a $5,000 six-max in 2019, the $50,000 high roller in 2022, and a $25,000 online high roller in 2023.

Setting The Stage

The $9,939,500 prize pool for this event was split amongst the top 16 finishers, with notables like Chris Hunichen (15th), Brandon Wittmeyer (14th), Barak Wisbrod (13th), Landon Tice (12th), Adrian Mateos (11th), David Peters (10th), and Phil Ivey (9th) all making deep runs inside the money. The third and final day began with just eight players remaining and World Poker Tour champion Aram Oganyan out in front with 82 big blinds. Vieira had the second-largest stack with 54 big blinds to work with, while the other six contenders all had 22 big blinds or fewer.

Entrepreneur Vinny Lingham was the first to fall after the cards got in the air on the final day. Vieira had raised from the cutoff with pocket kings and Lingham three-bet shoved for 12 big blinds with A-5 suited. Neither player connected with the board and Lingham was bounced in ninth place ($295,883). This was just the second recorded live score for the businessman, with his first being a $107,414 cash in a $50,000 high roller at last year’s series.

The next clash pitted the A♣7♣ of Oganyan, effectively shoved from the hijack, against the A♦6♦ of Emilien Pitavy, who called off from the small blind. Oganyan flopped a pair of sevens to extend his advantage in the hand. A blank on the turn left Pitavy drawing dead, and the Frenchman headed to the payout desk to collect his career-best score of $367,069 for his eight-place showing.

Andrew Lichtenberger, just a few days removed from a runner-up finish in the $50,000 buy-in event at the series, navigated his way to the business end of the next super high roller offered. His latest run concluded in sixth place when his A♠J♠ was unable to hold against the K♥Q♥ of Thomas Boivin. The Belgian had made a committing raise to 3,800,000 from the cutoff. Lichtenberger three-bet jammed for 4,900,000 from the button and it folded around to Boivin, who made the call. The A♣8♥2♦ flop gave Lichtenberger top pair to remain in front. The J♥ turn improved him to top two pair, but also gave Boivin a flush draw and gutshot straight outs. The 10♦ filled Boivin’s straight, resulting in a $471,281 payday for Lichtenberger. The bracelet winner now has more than $23.3 million in career cashes to his name.

Thomas Boivin hits a straight to send Andrew Lichtenberger to the rail in 6th place in the @WSOP $100,000 High Roller.

Streaming now on https://t.co/2RQh5RNM18. pic.twitter.com/1aUv0P2yOv

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 14, 2025

Oganyan Busts A Trio Of Heavyweights

British high-stakes regular Ben Heath became the clear short stack as five-handed play continued. He made his last stand with A♦5♦, making raising to 2,850,000 to leave just 50,000 behind from the cutoff. Oganyan jammed from the button with A♥K♣ and Heath called off his last two 25,000 chips. Heath flopped the nut flush draw but improved no further and was eliminated in fifth place ($625,4910). The bracelet winner now has $32.7 million in recorded scores, with over $14 million of that coming from his success at the series. That includes his runner-up showing in the 2024 WSOP Paradise Triton Invitational $500,000 buy-in for $8,160,000.

Isaac Haxton got his last chips in good, waking up with Q♥Q♣ in the big blind after Oganyan open-shoved from the small blind holding K♠2♦. A ten-high flop made Haxton nearly a 9:1 favorite to double up, but the K♦ on the turn left him drawing to just two outs. The J♦ rolled off on the river instead and Haxton was sent to the rail with $857,253 for his fourth-place finish. Haxton now has more than $53 million in total earnings across his career, including a win at the series in 2023 and a pair of Super High Roller Bowl titles.

The next key hand was a classic preflop race, with Vieira’s K♦J♦ facing the 7♠7♣ of Boivin. Vieira flopped a flush draw, hit on the turn, and faded Boivin’s full house outs to leave the Belgian with just more than eight big blinds. Boivin doubled once through Oganyan, but the two soon squared off again with Boivin’s tournament life hanging in the balance. His K♥J♦ was dominated by Oganyan’s A♠J♥. Both players made jacks up on a 9c8d3dJc3h runout, but the kickers played to see Boivin busted in third place. The $1,212,020 payout that came with this podium finish was the first seven-figure score of his career, pushing his lifetime haul to more than $10.7 million.

Heads-Up Rollercoaster

The final showdown for the title and all that came with it began with Oganyan holding roughly a 3:1 chip lead over Vieira. A gutshot, made on the river for Vieira, propelled him into the lead not long after the match began. That big clash began with Vieira limping from the button for 500,000 total with Q♠10♣. Oganyan raised to 3,500,000 from the big blind with A♣2♦ and Vieira made the call . The flop came down A♥J♣7♠ and Oganyan led out for 1,875,000 with top pair. Vieira called with his gutshot and the turn brought the 3♦. Oganyan bet 3,425,000 into the pot of 11,250,000. Vieira called and the K♠ came on the river, giving him broadway. Oganyan shoved and Vieira snap-called his remaining 7,525,000 with the nuts to chip up to 33,150,000. Oganyan fell to 28,650,000 after the hand.

Electric river card leads to Joao Vieira doubling into the chip lead against Aram Oganyan.

Watch now on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/Nw7mchvURq

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 14, 2025

Vieira pulled even further ahead when he won a big one with a turned flush against another flopped top pair of aces for Oganyan. The next all-in saw the chips go in preflop with Oganyan’s pocket sixes racing against A-J for Vieira. Oganyan made a nine-high straight on the turn to double back into the lead.

Oganyan then widened the gap himself, only to have another preflop flip arise. The roles were reversed this time, with Vieira being the one with pocket sixes while Oganyan held K-Q for his two overs. The pocket pair triumphed again and the two swapped positions in the chip counts yet again.

Soon after that, Oganyan doubled up with pocket fours besting A-Q suited. “Just flipping for a million bucks every five minutes,” commented Oganyan before the board was dealt. Vieira flopped an ace to take the lead, but Oganyan rivered a set move back in front.

Viera Weathers The Storm, Emerges Victorious

Vieira pulled off a crucial bluff to win a chunky pot with his missed straight draw, forcing a fold from the bottom pair of deuces held by Oganyan. He unleashed another big river bluff soon after that, this time into fourth pair. Oganyan laid it down again and just like that, Vieira had edged his way into a narrow lead.

He then took nearly a 2:1 lead after winning a hefty pot with pocket kings versus the flopped top pair of Oganyan, who also turned an open-ended straight draw. The overpair remained best after the river, though, and it checked through to see the Portuguese pro drag the pot.

Vieira began to pull even further ahead, but Oganyan won a leveling war after a paired flop to close the gap a bit.  He then spiked an ace after getting all-in with A-6 trailing pocket sixes to double up and regain the advantage.

The two continued the bak and forth dance some more, with a straight for Oganyan pushing him ahead in time for what turned out to be the decisive hand of the match. Vieira limp-shoved from the button with A♦3♥ and Oganyan raise-called with K♣J♦ to create a pot worth 49 of the nearly 62 million chips in play.  The flop and turn came down 10♦8♦6♣Q♣, which gave Oganyan an open-ended straight draw and two live cards heading into the river. The 10♥ on the end kept Vieira’s ace-high best, though, putting him well out in front for what would be the final time.

Oganyan’s last 13 big blinds went in from the button with Q♦8♥. Viera called with K♠J♥ and the board ran out K♥10♥7♠2♥2♣ to bring the long heads-up clash to a close. Oganyan earned $1,766,099 as the runner-up. This was his first seven-figure score. He now sports career earnings of nearly $6.8 million.

Final Table Payouts

Photo credit: PokerGO / Miguel Cortes.