Yinan Zhou, a virtually unknown 24-year-old from China, has scooped the $6,000,000 top prize and WSOP gold at the Super Main Event in the Bahamas. Yinan KO’d his idol, Justin Bonomo, at the final table en route to conquering the prestigious event.
With a $50million GTD prizepool, the otherwise exotic $25,000 buy-in proved no barrier to 1978 entrants, and among them the majority of the world’s best players.
Hellmuth Bubbles the Money
Some 297 players would partake of the monster prizepool on offer, including a large number of online qualifiers to day two. One player who wouldn’t be walking off with a share of the goodies, though, was Phil Hellmuth…
Bubble watch 🫧 👀
We're officially In The Money in the First Ever Record-Breaking $50M GTD WSOP SUPER MAIN EVENT!💰🥳 🎉 #wsopPARADISE
🇺🇸 Phil Hellmuth eliminated on the STONE BUBBLE! #gg pic.twitter.com/OJ4UWG1zgh
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 17, 2024
There were plenty of notable names who did make it to the paid spots, many of them min. cashing for $50k, including Artur Martirosian, Joao Simao, Alejandro Lococo, and Scott Seiver. Some went a bit deeper before hitting the rail:
- Daniel Negreanu (170th for $67,300)
- Erik Seidel (161st for $67,300)
- Alex Foxen (135th for $67,300)
- Adrian Mateos (103rd for $86,100)
- Joni Jouhkimainen (50th for $110,200)
- Rainer Kempe (31st for $180,300)
Moneymaker Bubbles Final Table
By the time the final table bubble was reached, a mix of old-school and new-school legends were on contention. The short stack was 2003 WSOP Main Event champion, Chris Moneymaker, who found himself up against another ‘relic’ from that era…
Chris Moneymaker: 9♠ 9♥
Liv Boeree: J♠ J♥
Moneymaker’s hijack shove saw Boeree reshove, Zhou folding pocket 10s in the small blind…
Flop: 8♣ 6♣ 2♦
Turn: 5♣
River: 4♣
That meant 10th spot and $500,000 for Moneymaker, a great run and his 4th-best career score.
The final table itself wasn’t short of famous players. Boeree aside, there was Justin Bonomo, second-highest tournament earner ever, with Michael Addamo and Mustapha Kanit also contending. Add a few names who were new or relatively new to such an exalted level and we were set for a barnstorming finale.
Addamo came in with a big chip lead, but all eyes were no Bonomo who had been promising to escalate a ‘clothing issue’. WSOP officials weren’t happy about his keffiyeh scarf, a potential breach of the rules they had agreed with broadcasters about ‘political’ gestures. The threat of DQ (and losing a huge chunk of money!) kept Palestine-supporter Bonomo in line, although the online rage continued unabated.
Back at the table, when Georg Lehmann fell in 9th place, the remaining octet were guaranteed $1,000,000 apiece, the payjumps now “house-priced” as the commentators termed it.
Bonomo couldn’t run it up to a mansion, falling to the man who would later reveal him as his idol when starting out in poker…
Justin Bonomo: 3♥3♣
Yinan Zhou: J♦J♣
Bonomo had left a chip behind when he raised in the hijack…
Flop: A♣ 5♠ 4♣
…and it went in as a flop call, but there was to be no escape…
Turn: 9♣
River: 10♦
“Free Palestine,” was Bonomo’s parting shot and we were down to six.
The biggest surprise was Addamo’s collapse, a massive bluff by Zhou getting through and then the following hand contributing to his 6th place exit …
🇦🇺 Michael Addamo was chip leading yesterday by a huge margin, but today he's been running into some tough luck. Watch more on the Official WSOP YouTube Channel! #wsopPARADISE #Poker pic.twitter.com/asbmfVhypo
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 19, 2024
For those too young to remember Liv Boeree in her prime, the English lass was one of the first poker ‘pin-up’ girls due to her stunning looks, but she was much more than just a model.
A degree in astrophysics brought her TV science show presenting roles and her poker resume is even more impressive, including a WSOP bracelet and EPT Main Event win, something no other female has yet equalled.
Back playing after a two-year hiatus, Boeree claimed the scalps of both Moneymaker and Addamo, before ending her glorious run in 4th spot, losing a race to Marcelo Aziz.
🇬🇧 Liv Boeree’s impressive return ends in 4th place in the Super Main Event. 🌟 She played brilliantly, earning $2,800,000, but her journey ends here. 🏆 We look forward to seeing her back at the tables soon! #GG #wsopPARADISE #Poker pic.twitter.com/g3urLxOTLn
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 19, 2024
Boeree’s $2,800,000 cash is officially the largest-ever by a woman and brings her career earnings tally to over $6.6million.
A Place on the Podium
The three-way battle was intense, but when something had to give it was Kanit’s luck, losing a huge pot with two pair against a higher two pair and then rivered to the rail by Aziz. The Italian star pocketed a career-best $3.6million to soften the blow.
Heads-up and there was little to choose between the Brazilian and Chinese “outside bets” who had bested a host of huge names to stake their claim at glory. There could be only one, though, and this time it was China in the headlines…
A big congratulations to 🇨🇳 Yinan Zhou, the Super Main Event winner, claiming $6,000,000! 🏆 🌟 Hats off to 🇧🇷 Marcelo Aziz Junior for finishing 2nd in an incredible performance. #wsopPARADISE #Poker pic.twitter.com/lBEuuBWEmD
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) December 20, 2024
Zhou, whose only cash of any real note was his 28th place finish for $ 72,200 at last year’s WSOP Paradise Main Event, was over the moon at his victory. “I played at the final table with my idol [Bonomo] and busted him,” Zhou told reporters afterwards, claiming he “enjoyed the final table” despite his nerves.
WSOP Paradise Super Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
| 1 | Yinan Zhou | China | $6,000,000 |
| 2 | Marcelo Aziz | Brazil | $4,600,000 |
| 3 | Mustapha Kanit | Italy | $3,600,000 |
| 4 | Liv Boeree | UK | $2,800,000 |
| 5 | Christopher Nguyen | Austria | $2,100,000 |
| 6 | Michael Addamo | Australia | $1,650,000 |
| 7 | Justin Bonomo | USA | $1,300,000 |
| 8 | Vadzim Lipauka | Belarus | $1,000,000 |
| 9 | Georg Lehmann | Germany | $750,000 |
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