The 2025 Super High Roller Bowl $100,000 pot-limit Omaha event 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 with the title, the SHRB ring, and the top prize of $1,250,000.
This was by far the largest score yet 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 a 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 play 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 honestly 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 World Poker Tour World Championship At Wynn Las Vegas for another $144,000.
“PLO is my favorite game. I think it’s a fun tournament game, it’s a fun game for cash games. It’s just such a chaotic game where you just see so many flops and everything, and it’s way less pre-flop stuff, like no-limit. It’s more just like, all right, two people got random hands and we’re going to see a flop and see what happens when there. So that’s why I love it so much.”
Now, Riordan has a signature seven-figure win in the game he loves. He also has 3,321 Card Player Player of the Year points after adding 480 with this triumph. Riordan currently sits in 71st place in the POY standings. He climbed to ninth in the PokerGO Tour’s 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 held by Yockey. 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 the week before this tournament was held, 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. The three-time bracelet winner looked down at A♠Q♦9♠8♣ in the small blind facing an under-the-gun open from Soverel to 150,000. He three-bet to 500,000, leaving just 145,000 behind. 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 was sent to the payout desk to collect $300,000. The score grew his lifetime haul to nearly $34.3 million.
Finnish bracelet winner Joni Jouhkimainen was Soverel’s next victim. He potted from the button to 175,000 with A♥A♣9♦5♥ and received two callers. The flop came down J♣5♠3♠ and it checked to Jouhkimainen, who potted for 575,000 to leave himself 170,000 behind. Soverel re-potted from the small blind 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 ($400,000). This increased his career earnings to $13.1 million.
Aces for Joni Jouhkimainen, and once again it’s Sam Soverel looking to score the KO.
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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. He held more than three- quarters of the chips in play roughly two hours after Jouhkimainen’s elimination, but then Riordan managed a full double-up and then won another healthy pot to greatly narrow the gap.
Soverel then picked off a big bluff attempt from Joao Simao to expand his lead yet again. 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 released. Soverel surged back over 7 million while Simao was left with 550,000 (just shy of seven big blinds).
Sam Soverel doesn’t even take a few moments to think about it.
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The next hand saw Simao raise to 240,000 with K♠K♦8♥8♣ from the small blind, leaving himself with just 310,000 behind. Soverel called with J♥9♣6♠6♥ and the rest went in after the flop of J♣10♦5♣. Simao shipped and Soverel called. 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 began with Soverel holding 7,625,000 to Riordan’s 3,475,000. Things were soon all but evened up when Riordan won a healthy pot with sixes full of sevens. Soverel potted on the river as a bluff, with 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 a Soverel raise to 240,000 from the button with 10♦9♠6♠5♥. Riordan three-bet to 720,000 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 575,000 with top two pair and Riordan check-raised to 3,275,000. Soverel thought it over before going all-in for 3,795,000. Riordan called and the Q♣ on the turn gave him the nuts. The 3♠ river kept Riordan’s hand best, ending Soverel’s run in second place ($825,000). This payday saw Soverel 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.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | John Riordan | $1,250,000 | 480 | 400 |
| 2 | Sam Soverel | $825,000 | 400 | 248 |
| 3 | Joao Simao | $550,000 | 320 | 165 |
| 4 | Joni Jouhkimainen | $400,000 | 240 | 120 |
| 5 | Artur Martirosian | $300,000 | 200 | 90 |
| 6 | Bryce Yockey | $225,000 | 160 | 68 |
| 7 | Jared Bleznick | $150,000 | 120 | 45 |
Photo credits: PokerGO Tour / Antonio Abrego.
