The impromptu participation netted him another title and $237,852
Carlos Leiva wasn’t planning to enter the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), but after some encouragement from friends and fellow Argentinians, he decided to jump in. That last-minute decision ended in the biggest win of his poker career—a WSOP gold bracelet and $237,852 in cash.
The tournament attracted 1,932 entries, creating a prize pool of over $1.7 million. Leiva entered the final day as the chip leader and managed to keep control from start to finish. Hooman Nikzad, who finished second, made several attempts to close the gap, but Leiva stayed composed and kept the pressure on.
After his win, Leiva, still surprised by the result, credited the support of his friends on the rail for helping him stay focused. Though usually a No-Limit Hold’em player, he said the decision to enter the PLO event was spontaneous. Now with a bracelet to his name, he plans to continue his WSOP summer schedule with more confidence and less pressure.
Day 3 began with seven players left, and Leiva was the only one holding more than 100 big blinds. He widened the gap early after catching a bluff from Florian Ribouchon, and never really looked back. Joshua Palmer and Kyle Rosnes were eliminated next, followed by Dylan Weisman, the 2021 winner of this same event, who ran into trouble when his aces were cracked by Nikzad’s hand.
Brian McKain, battling through pain, fought hard but ultimately fell in third. That set the stage for a brief heads-up match where Leiva held a near 2-to-1 chip lead. After a few smaller pots, Leiva sealed the win by making a higher straight than Nikzad’s on the final hand, drawing cheers from a loud and supportive rail.
