The 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event was officially the third largest in WSOP history. In fact, since GGPoker’s takeover of the brand, the WSOP Main Event has been bigger and better than ever before and the numbers back that statement up. Bigger prizepools, eight figure top prizes and some of the most magical memories for poker players and fans that have ever been created.

This year’s 2025 WSOP Main Event final table was no exception. Belgian tournament director and professional Kenny Hallaert went far, as did the first female player to reach the final table in three decades, Leo Margets. Hawaiian poker star Adam Hendrix booked yet another massive seven-figure payday, while Michael ‘The Grinder’ Mizrachi conquered the world and entered the history books.

But how much did each player at the final table get to take home? We’ve studied the numbers, and one player got to take home more than a player who finished a place higher in the pecking order… but who was it?

How Much Did the Winner Really Receive?

When Michael ‘The Grinder’ Mizrachi took down the WSOP Main Event in record time, the poker world stood still. Stunned by The Grinder’s ability to win not only the World Championship but the Poker Players Championship in the same year, poker fans and players alike agreed with his ‘emergency’ entry into the Poker Hall of Fame. Such an unprecedented achievement had earned it.

So how much did Mizrachi earn for his record-breaking Main Event victory? Well, after 9,735 entries, the third highest attendance in Main Event history, the top prize of $10 million was reduced by just under 40%. As a Floridian resident, the Orange State means he escapes state income tax but even The Grinder can’t outflop U.S. income tax and self-employment tax, meaning he’ll take home just over $6 million.

Ironically, Mirachi’s heads-up opponent, the investment consultant John Wasnock, actually paid less tax on his second-place winnings of $6 million, with no state income tax in Washington and his status as a recreational player. By not being self-employed, he only had to pay the IRS an estimated $2.2 million, keeping almost $3.8 million for himself and his delighted friends and family after Mizrachi busted the two players in third and fourth in the first two hands often final day.

Hallaert Outscores Dunaway

On the final day of play, four players remained, with each of them a long way behind Michael Mizrachi. As it happened, the eventual world champion took out both the Texan poker amateur Braxton Dunaway and the Belgian poker professional Kenny Hallaert in the first two hands. But while Hallaert busted in fourth and Dunaway departed in third, Hallaert still took home more money.

While Dunaway once again avoided state income tax because he comes from The Lone Star State, and also dodged self-employment tax, he still had to pay Uncle Sam $1.47 million. The petroleum industry worker took home over $2.5 million of his winnings, but despite that enormous accomplishment, Hallaert topped that total score.

Winning $3 million for finishing fourth, his best result in the Main Event, Hallaert, who originates from Belgium but now lives in London, also finished sixth in the Main in 2016. Just like nine years ago, Hallaert’s deep run in the World Championship was mirrored not only by the presence of Will Kassouf deep into the event but Hallaert’s tax-free winnings due to his country of residence, as UK-based players are protected from paying any tax on gambling winnings.

Other Big Winners Celebrate

Of the other players at the final table, while in theory they all earned seven figure wins, that was not the case for three of them after a visit from the taxman. Austria-based Serbian player Luka Bojovic came fifth for $2.4 million and the professional doctor owed nothing in tax, being the only player other than Hallaert to take home all of his winnings.

Hawaiian poker professional Adam Hendrix had no such fortune, losing around $700,000 of his $1.9 million score to the IRS, and Leo Margets also paid a costly bill in seventh place. The Spanish professional, who was the first female player to make the final table in 30 years, won $1.5m and avoids U.S. tax. Spain, however, do charge a massive 47% on any gambling winnings, meaning Margets will take home less than $800,000 for her record-breaking run.

The U.S. professional Jarod Minghini from Lake Tahoe, Nevada, won $1.25 million in eighth place before taxes but along with self-employment and income tax, Minghini lost around 38.5% of his winnings, leaving him with just over $768,000. The first-ever South Korean to reach the Main Event final table, Daehyung Lee won $1 million in ninth place but the U.S. and South Korea Tax Treaty doesn’t extend to gambling winnings, meaning Lee paid $300,000 of his winnings to the IRS.

With $31.25 million won at the final table, the last nine players in the this year’s Main Event took home just under $21 million, with Kenny Hallaert and Luka Bojovic the only two players to escape taxation.

The Final Table Versus the IRS

While the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) took home over $9.1m from the final table payments, this again fell below the original top prize payout, a reduction on previous years. This is without as strong showing from European players who are exempt from paying taxes, such as British and Irish players, none of whom made the final table after previously strong performances in the Main Event in recent years.

Popular poker professional Andy Bloch reminded players that “WSOP raked 7%, which would be $2,337,097 just from the final table payouts, $6,814,500 total. Plus $5 per banana.” But with the attendances up across Las Vegas at the WSOP, players are clearly hungrier than ever to win one of the 100 WSOP bracelets on offer in live events alone.

Bananas or not, the World Series of Poker was one of the most enjoyable finals for many years and with numbers now around the 10,000 mark as a baseline, the next few years should see increased qualifier numbers on GGPoker grow the biggest tournament poker event in the world even bigger in 2026 and beyond.

WSOP 2025 $10,000 Main Event World Championship Final Table:
Place	Player	Country	Pre-Tax Prize	Post-Tax Prize
1st	Michael Mizrachi	United States	$10,000,000	$6,032,745
2nd	John Wasnock	United States	$6,000,000	$3,790,106
3rd	Braxton Dunaway	United States	$4,000,000	$2,524,527
4th	Kenny Hallaert	Belgium	$3,000,000	$3,000,000
5th	Luka Bojovic	Serbia	$2,400,000	$2,400,000
6th	Adam Hendrix	United States	$1,900,000	$1,202,000
7th	Leo Margets	Spain	$1,500,000	$795,000
8th	Jarod Minghini	United States	$1,250,000	$768,447
9th	Daehyung Lee	South Korea	$1,000,000	$482,788