Ian O’Hara Ends the Wait with a $1.2M Breakthrough at the 2025 WSOP

From 26 to 1: How O’Hara Ran the Table

The final day started with 26 players eyeing the top prize, and within minutes, eliminations started flying. Andrew Hulme and 25K Fantasy pick Xixiang Luo were both knocked out in a double elimination, followed shortly by Michel Molenaar, Gaston Catzman, and Inigo Naveiro, who all hit the rail in the first level.

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

The last player eliminated before the two-table redraw was Osmin Dardon in 13th. He was followed by Yannick Jobin and George Tomescu in 15th and 14th respectively, each collecting a bump in pay. Once the final 10 were reached, it was Ian O’Hara who eliminated start-of-day chip leader Eshaan Bhalla, helping him enter the final table with added momentum.

Ankit Ahuja was the first to bust at the official final table, followed by Mikhail Zavoloka, who clashed with O’Hara and came out second-best. Maximiliano Castagnini exited shortly after the dinner break in an unlucky confrontation, and Simon Wilson’s early-day success came undone as he slid down the counts and exited in sixth place after losing a crucial pot.

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman

Bahar Musa then took over the eliminations, knocking out Bogdan Munteanu in fifth, Andrew Robinson in fourth, and Jacopo Achille in third. Despite starting heads-up play with a commanding chip lead, Musa couldn’t hold on. O’Hara chipped up steadily, then surged ahead with a key two-pair hand. Minutes later, he sealed the win after outdrawing pocket eights in the final hand.

Final Table Results – Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Ian O’Hara		$1,189,408
2	Bahar Musa		$792,714
3	Jacopo Achille		$589,980
4	Andrew Robinson		$442,604
5	Bogdan Munteanu		$334,718
6	Simon Wilson		$255,186
7	Maximiliano Castagnini		$196,145
8	Mikhail Zavoloka		$152,009
9	Ankit Ahuja		$118,785

🎯 Who Is Ian O’Hara?

For those in the know, Ian O’Hara isn’t a new name. He’s been a consistent figure on the high-stakes tournament circuit for years, with over $6 million in career live earnings heading into the 2025 WSOP. What was missing from that résumé was a bracelet.

He’s come close before — most notably in the 2022 $10K 6-Max Championship, where he finished second, and a 2023 third-place finish in the $5K NLHE. But this one, finally, landed.

Photo Credit: Hayley Hochstetler

O’Hara brought his A-game to this final table, capitalizing on premium hands when they came and knowing when to apply pressure in the late stages.

There may not have been any wild celebrations at the Horseshoe afterward — O’Hara mentioned needing some proper sleep before thinking about partying — but the Florida native did confirm he’ll be back in 2026 to defend his title.

And something tells us this won’t be the last time he finds himself under the spotlight at a WSOP final table.