Kristopher Tong Lassoes $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. For First WSOP Bracelet

If you were to craft the most difficult path to a World Series of Poker bracelet, it would likely resemble the one that Kristopher Tong traveled along his way to winning the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship at the 2025 WSOP.

Five of the seven players standing in Tong’s way at the final table owned at least two WSOP bracelets. Future Poker Hall of Famers Scott Seiver (seven times a WSOP champion) and Jason Mercier (six bracelets) were both in contention, as was recently crowned five-time bracelet winner Bradley Ruben. Extend it out to the final two tables, and you’d find three players already in the H.O.F. in John Hennigan, Todd Brunson, and Huck Seed.

But Tong would not be denied. He overcame a field of 207 players to win a career-best $452,689 and a previously elusive WSOP gold bracelet. This was Tong’s first recorded tournament cash since the 2023 WSOP, when he finished fifth in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.

“I want to definitely compete with all the best players and see where I’m at and get better, because there’s a ton of better players that played this tournament, but it’s a tournament, so anyone can win,” Tong told PokerNews live reporters after coming out on top.

Running Up The Score

Like many of the $10,000 championship events thus far at the 2025 WSOP, the final table of the H.O.R.S.E. championship was played in two parts. The field was reduced to eight just before the dinner break on day 3, with Tong holding the slightest of leads over Seiver, Maximilian Schindler, and Marco Johnson. The swings to come were incredible.

The first elimination of the final table was a battle of short stacks. In Omaha eight-or-better, Walter Chambers got his last few chips in with A♥ A♦ J♣ 9♣ against Alex Livingston’s A♠ 10♣ 10♦ 2♦. Chambers remained ahead on the K♣ K♦ 5♦ flop and 2♠ turn, but the 2♥ river gave Livingston runner-runner trips for the win.

Stacks continued to swing during extended seven-handed play. Seiver went from one of the shortest stacks back towards the top, and then all the way back again. His last few chips were claimed by Mercier in Razz, when Mercier’s seven-six low beat Seiver’s nine-seven.

Livingston was on the rail soon thereafter. In seven-card stud, Tong and Schindler checked down to seventh street with Livingston all in. Tong bet on seventh street and then tabled (A♦ 8♦ 7♣) 8♠ Q♦ 8♣ 5♣ for trip eights after Schindler folded. Livingston had a pair of kings and a sweat, but he would not make trips of his own.

Tong went on an absolute tear late into the night, during which he eliminated Johnson in fifth place when pocket sixes held off the A♥ 2♦ of the two-time bracelet winner.

When chip bags came out at the end of day 3, Tong held 7.15 million to a combined 5.3 million from his three remaining opponents.

The final table for the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship restarted at 1pm Vegas time with just 4 players remaining. Kristopher Tong started the day with a commanding chip lead, followed by Maximilian Schindler, @JasonMercier, and @Brad_Ruben_. Follow the action on WSOP+! #WSOP2025 pic.twitter.com/B0b97R7Jub

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 21, 2025

A Few More Twists

Tong’s chip lead would not carry him straight through to a victory. In fact, there were many bumps along the way. Ruben went on an absolute tear, and jumped all the way up into a lead of his own.

Mercier’s bid for a seventh career bracelet flamed out in fourth place. In stud, Schindler made trip fours and Mercier couldn’t improve on two-pair, aces and fives.

Schindler took his turn at the top of the chip counts, and just over an hour into day 4, Tong had slipped into the short stack. It took less than a full rotation of five games for Tong to recapture his lead, and then quickly relinquish it back to Schindler.

Ruben’s early run would ultimately not carry him to a sixth bracelet, either. Schindler claimed the last of Ruben’s chips in seven card stud with an ace-high diamond flush, made on sixth street. For Ruben, who captured his fifth bracelet in as many years earlier this month in the $1,500 no-limit deuce-to-seven event, his run ended in third.

Brad Ruben (@Brad_Ruben_) has been eliminated from Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship in 3rd place ($206,747). Maximilian Schindler and Kristopher Tong are now heads up for the bracelet and first-place prize of $452,689. pic.twitter.com/bQgJkp8bVl

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 21, 2025

Push To Victory

Schindler was up 2-to-1 at the start of heads-up play, and grew his lead from there. But Tong had one more comeback in him. After a couple of seven card stud pots and flopped two-pair in limit hold’em, Tong was right back on top.

Schindler slid back into the lead, briefly, but Tong changed things for good with a massive call-down in limit hold’em. On a board of Q♥ 9♥ 9♦ 9♠ 10♠, Schindler raised the flop and bet every street. Tong called all the way down with A♦ 6♣, and his ace-high was, indeed, good.

There was still one final stand for Schindler, who managed to hit a runner-runner heart flush to best Tong’s red pocket aces in limit hold’em. But in one final hand of seven card stud eight-or-better, Tong finally sealed his win.

The chips went in on fifth street, with Tong holding (6♦ 4♠) 7♠ 8♠ 9♣, and Schindler, (3♥ 2♣) 3♠ 9♠ Q♥. Tong hit gin on sixth street with the 5♠, making his straight and low along with a flush draw. Schindler was not drawing dead, as the 2♦ gave him two-pair. Schindler improved with a queen on seventh street, but it was not enough to stop Tong’s coronation.

Long Layoff, No Problem

Despite no tournament results since June 2023, the moment was not too big for Tong. It was Tong’s third career WSOP final table appearance, and second time playing heads-up for a bracelet. In 2013, Tong finished runner-up to Mike Gorodinsky in a $2,500 Omaha eight-or-better/seven card stud eight-or-better event.

For his victory on Saturday, Tong netted 900 points in the Card Player Player of the Year race, presented by Coin Poker. The result also pushed him over $1 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

As this hit the $10,000 threshold to qualify, Tong also earned 453 PokerGO Tour points towards the season-long PGT leaderboard.

Final Table Payouts

Photo credit: PokerGO / Miguel Cortes.