2025 World Series of Poker: Players Poised to Make a Splash

#1 John Racener

When you think of big-name US poker pros, John Racener might not come up in your top ten. Even though Racener’s accumulated over $12 million in lifetime earnings, including two WSOP bracelets and one circuit ring, he’s rarely mentioned among the US greats at the moment. 

A closer look at his cashes reveals that Racener has over 125 cashes at the WSOP in Las Vegas, netting him just shy of $9.5 million – meaning that the US-based player has focused his energy on playing as much as he can at the WSOP. 

Last year he cashed in 23 events live and online, placing in the top five in the WSOP POY standings and captured his second bracelet in Event #19 – since then, he’s had only 4 recorded cashes in various tournaments.  Based on previous performances, his time to shine has usually been in the summer. Right now, we’ll just have to wait and see if Racener recaptures the magic he had last year.

Photo Credit: PokerGO

#2 Colton Bloomberg

Colton Bloomberg made his poker presence known in December 2022 when he entered and final tabled the WPT World Championship at the Wynn, placing 6^th for a $1 million payday. 

His current $1.5 million in career earnings is mostly comprised of his WPT win, but almost half of the rest have come from the WSOP. Bloomberg made it into the money 10 times at the 2024 WSOP, including cashing in the Main Event for $35,000. Somewhat unbelievably, Bloomberg has only one trophy on his Hendon Mob profile, from 2022 during the Wynn Summer Classic. 

From where we’re sitting, Colton’s due for another deep run and at least a six-figure payday – don’t be surprised if he finds it during this year’s WSOP!

#3 Vincent Moscati

When you think of poker players peaking at the right time, Vincent Moscati should be the first name on your list.  He now owns 10 WSOP Circuit rings and 244 overall cashes at the WSOP – Vegas, circuits and Europe combined. Right now, he’s just shy of $2.5 million in career earnings; $1.4 million of which have come in WSOP events – yet the one thing Moscati is missing is a WSOP bracelet.

Two rings won at the last WSOP circuit event in Tunica last month entered Moscati into an exclusive club that only has 20 members – players with 10+ WSOP rings. 

Will he turn this into his first WSOP bracelet in Vegas?

#4 Michael Esquivel

One month changed Michael Esquivel’s perspective on everything – he went from being ready to pack up his poker dreams to final tabling three WSOP Circuit events in Tunica and North Carolina. This is including two wins at Harrah’s Cherokee, netting over $150k in winnings and getting his head on straight when it comes to pursuing bigger goals at this year’s WSOP. 

The pressure is off and Esquivel’s poker game is back – just in time to walk into Paris and the Horseshoe in a few weeks and tackle the biggest series in the game!

Photo Credit: RG Poker Series

#5 Valentin Vornicu

Valentin Vornicu, the pro from San Diego, California loves playing the WSOP – as of now, he has 14 career circuit rings and 127 total cashes, including the win from the $600 NLH event at the Commerce Circuit event earlier in May – his first ring at the Commerce. 

However, WSOP 2024 wasn’t an overly successful one for Vornicu as he only collected a payout in Event #3 – the $500 Kickoff. With that being said, Vornicu does have 36 career cashes at the WSOP and will definitely be looking to build his confidence for the Vegas series in a few weeks, where he’ll be looking for his first career WSOP bracelet.

#6 Ben Tollerene

Ben Tollerene is a member of the 8 figure lifetime earnings club. In his case, $4 million have come from the WSOP and while he had 3 final table appearances and 13 cashes in the series, the biggest score of his career came last year in the $250k Super High Roller event where he finished second for $3.5 million. 

He is the winningest poker player to come out of Texas and among the top 50 on the all-time list but his lack of WSOP bracelets, along with a win and 2 cashes during the EPT Monte-Carlo stop earlier this month might have Tollerene on the cusp of dominating the summer in Las Vegas. 

Will his streak continue?

Photo Credit: Poker Central

#7 Brandon Wilson

A poker pro with $5.6 million in lifetime earnings and no WSOP bracelets feels like someone who is setting themselves up for a memorable summer in Las Vegas. Brandon Wilson fits that description to a T. 

He opened 2025 after cashing several times at the WSOP Paradise Series in the Bahamas last December. He won two events at the PGT Last Change series in January for over half a million and then took down Event #6 at the US Poker Open for another $382k. Add his three cashes in the Triton South Korea to the count and Wilson is going to be one to watch at this year’s WSOP.

Photo Credit: PGT

#8 Brandon Wilson

Speaking of players on a bit of a poker streak in 2025, Clemen Deng is enjoying some serious success in 2025. With over a million dollars in winnings so far this year, including a third place at the PGT PokerGo Cup and a fourth place at the WPT Seminole in Hollywood, Florida. Deng also went to the Triton Series event in South Korea, where he scored almost $700k in Event #11. 

As far as the WSOP goes, Deng has had a solid performance at the WSOP – he’s final tabled 11 events and has 46 total cashes. With that said, he’s never final tabled at the WSOP in Vegas. So, the question is – can he use his current success to finally get that bracelet that’s eluding him?

#9 Eric Blair

The Las Vegas native has accumulated over a million dollars in winnings in 2025 after securing six cashes at the US Poker Open, including a second and a third placement that add over $330k to his lifetime earnings. 

Two cashes at the PGT PLO Series and another three at the PokerGO Cup in February should have Blair’s confidence at an all time high going into the WSOP where he’s looking to add to his $1.4 million in earnings in WSOP events. For now, his two WSOP rings are missing a bracelet, but considering Blair has had four final tables in Las Vegas last the summer, he’ll be on the hunt for it this summer.

Photo Credit: PGT

#10 Christopher Park

While Christopher Park has only $72k in lifetime winnings at the WSOP, this isn’t the whole story. Park’s 2025 has been on fire so far. A profitable trip to South Korea resulted in almost $730k in winnings in four events, including a win in Event #37 for $460k. He followed that up with a trip to Taipei City, cashing twice in the APT Taipei. While he only mustered up one cash at last year’s WSOP series – Event #89, the $3k Mid-Stakes Championship, expect Park to cash more than once this year – and maybe add a win to his resume.

The WSOP always brings out the biggest and best in poker, but it has always been the coming out party for someone new that most poker fans aren’t aware of.  While this list of 10 may not be totally unknown to you, these aren’t household names but by the end of the series, they very well could be.

Photo Credit: SoMuch Poker