Chinese player Yuhan Wang claimed his first victory and won a WSOP bracelet at WSOPE 2025

Yuhan Wang from China became the champion of the €1,350 Mini Main Event at WSOPE 2025, winning his first WSOP bracelet and a prize of €226,850.

As part of the prestigious World Series of Poker Europe 2025, held at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, Event #5: €1,350 Mini Main Event has come to a close. The title went to Chinese player Yuhan Wang , for whom this victory marked not only his first major success in live tournaments, but also earned him a coveted WSOP gold bracelet and the top prize — €226,850 (including a ticket to the WSOPE Main Event worth €10,350). The Road to Victory: How Yuhan Wang Captured the WSOP Bracelet The Mini Main Event with a €1,350 buy-in drew an impressive field of 1,293 entries, generating a total prize pool of €1,518,628 . For Yuhan Wang, this was one of the first major live events of his career, and he immediately made a deep run among the top contenders. In a post-win interview, Wang admitted he hadn’t expected to win a bracelet: “Before coming here, I never even thought I could win a bracelet, so this feels unreal. This is my first major tournament and my first live victory — it means a lot to me.” Interestingly, Wang doubled up on the very first hand of the tournament, which gave him a boost of confidence. He finished Day 1 with a stack of 719,000 — well above average. However, on Day 2, he ran into trouble as his stack dropped to just 10 big blinds . Nevertheless, he managed to recover to 20 BB, then doubled up in a big pot, which proved to be a turning point. Another crucial double-up came at the start of Day 3, after which, according to Wang, his game was nearly flawless. In the final heads-up against Stanislav Koleno from Slovakia, Wang started as the shorter stack. Despite having little heads-up experience and no special preparation, he chose a strategy based on gradually adapting to his opponent’s style: “I wanted to understand how my opponent played, learn from him, and use that. At first, I limped a lot to give myself time to analyze. Then, after making adjustments, I was able to get back into the game.” This approach paid off: Wang not only caught up to Koleno in chips, but overtook him and then converted his advantage in the decisive hand, where his ace-eight held up against his opponent’s ace-six . Final Table Showdown: Key Moments and Moves The final day of the tournament began with 23 players remaining. On the very first hand of the day, Patrick White went all-in on the turn with eight-six, holding no made hand, and was eliminated by Francesco Zappala , who had flopped a set of kings. Soon after, Mike Koch (22nd place, €7,250), Emad Zarghami (21st, €7,250), Karol Konopka (20th, €7,250), and Jakub Sterba (19th, €7,250) all hit the rail. Next out was Dimitrios Michailidis (18th, €7,250), who was the only player eliminated in a three-way all-in, allowing Roman Isaienko to rebuild his stack. After that, Eusebiu Jalba finished 17th (€8,800), leaving 16 players to go on the first break of the day. Despite a fast-paced start, the action then slowed: over the next hour and a half, only one player was eliminated, while five others managed to double up. Calin Ciolte lost a coin flip to Salih Atac and finished 15th (€8,800). He was followed by Andrei Spataru (14th, €8,800), Vlastimil Pustina (13th, €10,879), and Roberto Manfredi (12th, €21,229). The next dramatic moment came when Daniel Elhaiany lost almost his entire stack, getting it in with seven-deuce against ace-queen. He was soon eliminated, and Alkiviadis Stamatis (10th, €23,000) busted on the final table bubble when his pocket jacks lost to an ace on the river. At the final table, on the third hand, Roman Isaienko was eliminated when his second pair couldn’t beat Gal Naim ’s pocket aces. Then Christophe Vincent doubled up, and Naim narrowly avoided elimination after a mistaken muck, surviving to reach the next payout, while Salih Atac (8th, €32,850) and Dan Sfarlea (7th, €32,850) lost coin flips and were sent to the rail. Besnik Aruqi doubled up with aces, but soon exited in 6th place (€49,750), losing with queen-jack to Vincent ’s ace-four. Three hands later, Francesco Zappala couldn’t hold with jacks against Naim ’s ace-king and finished 5th (€63,650). At this point, Yuhan Wang doubled up twice, including with a set of sixes, leaving Naim with a short stack. Naim’s attempt to survive with ace-six against Vincent ’s queens failed, and he finished 4th (€84,350). The remaining three players then took the only break of the final table. After the break, Christophe Vincent was forced all-in with queen-jack against Koleno ’s ace-queen and finished 3rd (€112,450), giving Koleno a 2.5:1 chip lead heading into heads-up play. However, in the opening hands of the final duel, Wang began to close the gap. Koleno briefly regained the lead, surpassing 100 million chips, but Wang took back the initiative and never looked back. In the decisive hand, his ace-eight held against Koleno’s ace-six, earning him the victory and the long-awaited bracelet. Payout Table and Final Results Below are the final table results for Event #5: €1,350 Mini Main Event at WSOPE 2025. It’s worth noting that the top 12 players also received tickets to the WSOPE Main Event worth €10,350. Place Player Country Prize (€) 1 Yuhan Wang China 226,850* 2 Stanislav Koleno Slovakia 154,650 3 Christophe Vincent France 112,450 4 Gal Naim Israel 84,350 5 Francesco Zappala Italy 63,650 6 Besnik Aruqi Kosovo 49,750 7 Dan Sfarlea Romania 32,850 8 Salih Atac Turkey 32,850 9 Roman Isaienko Ukraine 28,650 10 Alkiviadis Stamatis Greece 23,000 11 Daniel Elhaiany Israel 21,229 12 Roberto Manfredi Italy 21,229 13 Vlastimil Pustina Czech Republic 10,879 14 Andrei Spataru Romania 8,800 15 Calin Ciolte Romania 8,800 16 Eusebiu Jalba Romania 8,800 17 Dimitrios Michailidis Greece 7,250 18 Jakub Sterba Czech Republic 7,250 19 Karol Konopka Poland 7,250 20 Emad Zarghami Iran 7,250 21 Mike Koch Germany 7,250 22 Patrick White United Kingdom 7,250 * Includes a ticket to the WSOPE Main Event worth €10,350 Context: What Are the WSOPE and King’s Resort? The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) is the European branch of the world’s most renowned poker series, the World Series of Poker. Each WSOPE bracelet is considered just as prestigious as those awarded at the main series in Las Vegas. WSOPE events traditionally attract the best players from Europe and around the world, as well as many amateurs dreaming of a big score and a gold bracelet. Since 2017, the WSOPE has been held at King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. It is the largest poker casino in Europe, famous for its massive series, high level of organization, and huge selection of cash games and tournaments. Thanks to this, King’s Resort has become the true hub of European poker. The Mini Main Event is one of the key tournaments of the series, offering players the chance to compete for big prizes and a seat in the Main Event for a relatively affordable buy-in. Key Hands and Tactical Decisions of the Finalists The final table featured a number of interesting and illustrative hands. For example, Roman Isaienko was eliminated in 9th place when his second pair lost to Gal Naim ’s pocket aces. Double-ups played a crucial role as well: Yuhan Wang managed to double his stack several times at critical moments, allowing him to get back into contention for the lead. The set of sixes that Wang hit was especially significant, as it helped him double up and essentially secure a spot in the top three. There were also mistakes: Gal Naim almost busted due to an early muck in an all-in, but the situation resolved in his favor and he made it to fourth place. Christophe Vincent also played well, but in a key hand his queen-jack couldn’t beat Stanislav Koleno ’s ace-queen, which set the final heads-up pairing. In the decisive duel, Wang showed composure and adaptability: he started cautiously, limping often to study his opponent, and then, having found weaknesses in Koleno’s style, switched to a more aggressive approach and seized the initiative. In the final hand, his ace-eight held against ace-six, clinching the victory. The Winner’s Mindset: Emotions and Future Plans Immediately after the final hand, Yuhan Wang’s phone was flooded with congratulatory messages. On stage, surrounded by friends, he admitted he still couldn’t believe what had happened: “It feels unreal. I didn’t expect to win a bracelet, and it’s a huge honor for me.” Winning the Mini Main Event opens new horizons for Wang. He received not only a large cash prize, but also a ticket to the series’ Main Event — the WSOPE Main Event with a €10,350 buy-in. Wang himself said he is almost certain to play: “I’ll be 99% in the Main Event!” For many poker players, their first major success marks the start of a new chapter in their careers. Wang showed that even without much experience or special preparation, you can succeed if you stay flexible, analyze your opponents, and never give up, even in tough spots. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players This story is a great example for all PPPoker club members. First, Yuhan Wang’s success shows that even a player without much live experience can achieve an outstanding result in a major tournament. The key is not to be afraid to enter serious events, take advantage of learning opportunities, and keep your confidence even if your stack drops to a minimum. Second, the adaptation strategy Wang used in heads-up play is just as relevant for online games in PPPoker clubs. Analyze your opponents’ styles, don’t hesitate to change tactics during the game, and look for weaknesses in your opponents’ play. Flexibility and the ability to adjust quickly are often more important than memorized strategies. Finally, playing in tournaments with an affordable buy-in but a solid prize pool is a great way for PPPoker club players to test their skills, gain experience, and perhaps take the first step toward a major victory. Take advantage of club tournaments to improve your game and prepare for big wins!