North Florida’s poker hotspot, bestbet Jacksonville, is off to a roaring start in its 2025 Winter Open series. The opening event, a $400 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament, smashed the $200,000 guarantee, generating a massive $345,800 prize pool. With six starting flights and a field of 1,064 entries, the action was relentless.
Big Money, Big Moments at the Final Table
Hunter Wroten stole the show, clinching the title and a $72,205 payday. The St. Augustine player, already familiar with bestbet success, added this trophy to his collection after winning a six-max event at last year’s Card Player Poker Tour stop. This latest victory pushes his career earnings to nearly $134,000.
Joseph Jordan, another strong contender, kept things interesting. He started the final table with a healthy stack and went head-to-head with Wroten in a pivotal all-in showdown. Jordan’s A-K needed help against Wroten’s pocket jacks, but the board had other plans. Wroten’s jacks held, giving him a massive advantage for the final stretch.
Who Took Home What?
The final table payouts and Player of the Year (POY) points tell the story of the event’s top finishers:
Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Hunter Wroten | $72,205 | 384 |
2 | Huston Vandoren | $42,980 | 320 |
3 | Joseph Jordan | $25,800 | 256 |
4 | Daniel McGrath | $16,083 | 192 |
5 | Reece Crews | $11,293 | 160 |
6 | Gregory Goater | $9,582 | 128 |
7 | Andrew Brown | $8,213 | 96 |
8 | Dalip Madnani | $6,844 | 64 |
9 | Anderson Premdas | $5,817 | 32 |
Key Hands That Shifted the Game
Some hands define a tournament, and this one had its fair share of momentum-swinging moments.
- Wroten vs. Jordan: The pocket jacks versus A-K clash was the turning point. With a final table full of experienced players, Wroten needed a boost, and this hand gave him just that.
- The McGrath Knockout: Daniel McGrath made his stand with K-2 but ran into Vandoren’s A-K. No miracles on the board, and McGrath hit the rail in fourth place with $16,083.
- Heads-Up Showdown: With a significant lead, Wroten didn’t have to wait long to close things out. Vandoren pushed his remaining chips in with K-3, and Wroten snapped him off with pocket jacks. The board offered no surprises, and Wroten locked up the win.
What’s Next at the Winter Open?
With the kickoff event wrapped up, bestbet Jacksonville shifts gears for the rest of the series. The 2025 Winter Open still has seven more events, running through Feb. 2.
Upcoming tournaments include:
- $1,500 Main Event: A highlight of the series, expected to draw some of the biggest names.
- $600 Monster Stack: A deep-structured event with plenty of play.
- $250 Bounty Tournament: Fast-paced action where every knockout earns players a cash bonus.
Players looking to make a run in these events have plenty of opportunities to get in on the action. If the kickoff event is any indication, the rest of the series is shaping up to be just as thrilling.
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