How Much Money the 2025 WSOP Main Event Finalists Really Took Home After Taxes
There is one “player” invisibly present at every WSOP Main Event final table each year. Year after year, this “player” wins the most. Its name is Mr. Taxman. Russ Fox, a federally licensed tax professional with Clayton Financial and Tax of Las Vegas, writes an annual blog post about the tax burdens the players at the final table take on. Here is information about Mr. Taxman’s winnings at the 2025 WSOP Main Event final table.
A General Overview of the Prize Money and Taxes at the 2025 WSOP Main Event Final Table
- Total final table payouts: $31.25M
- Total taxes withheld: $10.05M
- IRS share: $9.13M
- Effective tax rate on all payouts: 32.37%
Here Are the Final Table Payouts for the Main Event Finalists After Paying Taxes
| Position | Player | Pre-Tax Winnings | After-Tax Winnings | Tax Amount | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Mizrachi | $10,000,000 | $6,032,745 | $3,967,255 | 39.67% |
| 2 | John Wasnock | $6,000,000 | $3,790,106 | $2,209,894 | 36.83% |
| 4 | Kenny Hallaert | $3,000,000 | $3,000,000 | $0 | 0.00% |
| 3 | Braxton Dunaway | $4,000,000 | $2,524,527 | $1,475,473 | 36.89% |
| 5 | Luka Bojović | $2,400,000 | $2,400,000 | $0 | 0.00% |
| 6 | Adam Hendrix | $1,900,000 | $1,202,000 | $698,000 | 36.74% |
| 7 | Leo Margets | $1,500,000 | $795,000 | $705,000 | 47.00% |
| 8 | Jarod Minghini | $1,250,000 | $768,447 | $481,553 | 38.52% |
| 9 | Daehyung Lee | $1,000,000 | $482,788 | $517,212 | 51.72% |
| Total | $31,050,000 | $20,995,613 | $10,054,387 | 32.37% |
The Luckiest: Kenny Hallaert and Luka Bojovic
Kenny Hallaert resides in London, while Luka Bojovic lives in Vienna. Both the United Kingdom and Austria do not tax gambling winnings.
The US tax treaty with the United Kingdom and the US tax treaty with Austria exempt gambling winnings (so the IRS gets nothing). As a result, both players will take home their full winnings. Thanks to this, Kenny Hallaert moves up to 3rd place in final payouts after taxes.
Photo Credit: Austin Currington
The Unluckiest: Leo Margets and Daehyung Lee
Both players will lose nearly half their winnings. Leo Margets is a resident of Spain — one of the least poker-friendly countries when it comes to taxes. She will pay a 47% tax on her winnings, totaling $705,000.
A similar situation applies to Daehyung Lee, a resident of South Korea. The US-South Korea tax treaty does not cover gambling. Therefore, $300,000 will be withheld at source for the IRS. In South Korea, gambling winnings are taxed at marginal rates ranging from 6% to 45%, plus a 10% local surtax.
In total, Daehyung Lee is expected to lose more than half his prize — $517,212. However, he should be able to claim a foreign tax credit on the $300,000 withheld by the US.
Photo Credit: Rachel Kay Winter
The Biggest Tax Bill Goes to the Winner
The highest tax burden falls on Florida resident and champion Michael Mizrachi: $3,967,255. This figure includes federal income tax and self-employment tax.
So the real winner of the 2025 WSOP Main Event is Mr. Taxman. His total “winnings” amount to $10,054,387 — more than the first-place prize!
Photo Credit: Rachel Kay Winter
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