Justin Saliba overcame a star-studded final table to take down event no. 9 at the 2025 Poker Masters. The $15,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament was the second-to-last offering on this year’s schedule, leaving just the $25,000 finale left to play. It drew a field of 67 entries, making for a prize pool of $1,005,000.
Saliba walked away with $301, 000 as the champion. This was the 24th cash for six figures or more by the two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner. He now boasts nearly $11.4 million in career earnings.
This victory also came with 432 Card Player Player of the Year points for Saliba. This was his first title and sixth final-table finish of 2025, moving him into 136th place in the overall standings presented by CoinPoker.
Saliba also earned 241 PokerGO Tour points as the champion, enough to put him inside the top ten in the race for the purple jacket heading into the last event. He has 250 total points. Alex Foxen remains in the lead with 429 points.
Halving The Field
The final day began with six players remaining and Kristen Foxen in the lead. Sam Laskowitz was the first to hit the rail on day 2, with his last 12 big blinds going in with A♠10♥ facing the 9♦9♣ of two-time bracelet winner Jesse Lonis. The pocket pair held up through a low, double-paired board to send Laskowitz packing with $55,500 for his sixth-place finish. He had placed third in the first $10,000 buy-in of this series of $116,700.
With that, recent Poker Masters event no. 7 champion Cary Katz was left as the clear short stack. The bracelet winner and PokerGO founder soon called all-in from the big blind with K♥Q♠ facing a small-blind rip from Saliba, who was risking around 13 big blinds with A♣J♠. The A♥10♥5♣ gave Saliba top pair while Katz picked up a gutshot straight draw. The 6♠ left Katz needing a jack on the end, but the 9♣ appeared instead to end his latest run in fifth place ($75,500). Katz now has more than $41.3 million in recorded earnings to his name.
Bracelet winner Chris Hunichen lost a preflop race for his last 11 big blinds, with his 3♦3♣ unable to dodge the overcards of Foxen. Her A♠8♥ made second pair on a Q♣8♦5♦7♥4♣ runout to earn the pot. Hunichen was awarded $100,500 as the fourth-place finisher. This score ticked his career earnings past the $20 million mark.
Pocket threes for @BigHuni, and his money is in the middle against @krissyb24poker.
The 2025 Poker Masters is streaming on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/4TUHYB4mEh
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 1, 2025
POY Leader Bows Out In Third
Foxen and Saliba played a hefty pot early in three-handed action, with over a million in the middle before the flop with blinds at 25,000-50,000. Foxen’s A♣K♦ bricked the Q♠5♠3♠ flop after she’d three bet preflop from the small blind. Her 275,000 continuation bet was called by Saliba and the 8♥8♦ he’d opened from the button. The 6♥ turn left Foxen with just ace-king high and a little over a pot-sized bet remaining in her stack. She opted to check, and Saliba bet 380,000 into 1,650,000. It was enough to force a fold from Foxen. She slid to 35 big blinds after the hand, while Saliba chipped up to 94 big blinds.
The final three ended up battling for around 90 minutes before the next knockout hand took place. Lonis’ final 14 big blinds went in from the small blind with K♥Q♦. Saliba called with A♦10♠ from the big blind and made a queen-high straight on a Q♥J♥9♥8♠4♠ runout. Lonis settled for $135,5000 as the third-place finisher.
.@JesseLonis finishes in third place for $135,500.
Stream the Poker Masters on https://t.co/2RQh5RNM18, live and on demand. pic.twitter.com/rN5JECCf98
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) October 1, 2025
Lonis has now made 23 final tables in 2025, accruing more than $10.6 million across those scores, with seven titles won along the way. His 9,681 POY points give him a 838-point lead over second-ranked Alex Foxen. Lonis also climbed to 10th place in the PGT season-long points race. His incredible run in 2025 has propelled his career earnings to more than $27.1 million.
Heads-Up For The Title
Heads-up play began with nearly a 3:1 chip lead for Saliba. He soon extended that even further. By the time the final hand was dealt, Foxen was down below 20 big blinds. She limped the button for 80,000 total with 9♦8♥ and called Saliba’s raise to 320,000. His A♦K♦ improved to top pair after the flop came down K♥9♠4♠. He bet 275,000 and Foxen called with her middle pair. The 3♥ turn saw Saliba move all-in, an effective shove of 975,000. Foxen thought it over and eventually made the call. The 2♥ on the end changed nothing and Foxen was eliminated as the runner-up.
The $196,000 second-place prize grew Foxen’s career earnings to nearly $14.2 million, extending her advantage on the women’s all-time money list. She now sits almost $3.3 million ahead of second-ranked Vanessa Selbst, who is no longer playing professionally.
Foxen climbed to 24th place in the POY standings, with three titles and 10 final tables. She also sits in 11th place in the PGT season-long rankings.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Justin Saliba | $301,000 | 432 | 241 |
| 2 | Kristen Foxen | $196,000 | 360 | 157 |
| 3 | Jesse Lonis | $135,500 | 288 | 108 |
| 4 | Christopher Hunichen | $100,500 | 216 | 80 |
| 5 | Cary Katz | $75,500 | 180 | 60 |
| 6 | Sam Laskowitz | $55,500 | 144 | 44 |
| 7 | Nick Schulman | $40,300 | 108 | 32 |
| 8 | Filipp Khavin | $40,300 | 72 | 32 |
Poker Masters Leaderboard – Top Ten
| Rank | Player | Points | Wins | Final Tables | Winnings |
| 1 | Alex Foxen | 429 | 1 | 2 | $468,000 |
| 2 | Mitchell Halverson | 330 | 0 | 3 | $329,800 |
| 3 | Chino Rheem | 314 | 1 | 1 | $320,000 |
| 4 | Cary Katz | 313 | 1 | 2 | $329,450 |
| 5 | David Coleman | 303 | 1 | 1 | $302,700 |
| 6 | Stephen Song | 302 | 0 | 3 | $301,250 |
| 7 | Darren Elias | 280 | 1 | 1 | $280,000 |
| 8 | Andrew Moreno | 265 | 1 | 1 | $265,000 |
| 9 | Nguyen Le | 261 | 1 | 1 | $321,200 |
| 10 | Justin Saliba | 250 | 1 | 1 | $309,600 |
Photo credit: PokerGO Tour / Antonio Abrego.
