Veteran and First-Timer Make History in 2025 WSOP Bracelet Wins

Brad Ruben Claims Fifth Bracelet in $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw

Day 3 of Event #12 began with five players still in contention, but it didn’t take long for things to heat up. Han Liu, chip leader to start the day, opened strong — but Ruben quickly caught up with a gutsy hero call holding just a pair of fours. That call not only shifted momentum but also set the tone for the rest of his run.

Five-time bracelet winner Brian Yoon came in as the short stack and briefly managed a double-up before his luck ran out. Facing Jun Weng, Yoon watched a nine-low leave him drawing dead to a ten, exiting in fifth place. What followed was a stretch of cautious, tactical play, with no short stacks and average stacks over 100 big blinds. Liu and Ruben took turns in the lead while Yueqi Zhu and Weng steadily slipped behind.

Liu’s aggression kept him in control, but Ruben hung in. He eliminated Zhu in third with a pat ten versus draw-to-improve, setting the stage for a heads-up clash where Liu held nearly double the chips.

Despite the deficit, Ruben chipped away. He collected value with both jack-low and ten-low hands, steadily climbing. The turning point came in a four-bet pot where Ruben stood pat and Liu drew one — then shoved with a bluff after catching a pair of sixes. Ruben quickly called with an eighty-six, leaving Liu crippled. A few hands later, it was over—Ruben’s nine-low beat Liu’s ten-low, and bracelet number five was his.

Top 5 Payouts – Event #12: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Brad Ruben		$138,080
2	Han Liu		$90,569
3	Yueqi Zhu		$60,738
4	Jun Weng		$41,654
5	Brian Yoon		$29,228

🏆 Who Is Brad Ruben?

Brad Ruben’s name is quickly becoming a regular fixture in WSOP history books. Since bursting onto the scene with an online PLO win in 2020, Ruben has collected bracelets in Razz, Dealer’s Choice, and now 2-7 Lowball—making him one of the most versatile mixed game players of the decade.

He credits his success to experience in lesser-played variants and a bit of positive variance — “I’m 5-0 heads-up,” he noted, half-grinning. Off the felt, Ruben has been vocal about mental health advocacy and wears a green sweater during play to promote awareness. His win in Event #12 wasn’t just a poker milestone — it was a personal message of resilience and purpose.

Photo Credit: Alicia Skillman & Trevor Scott

Yosef Fox Wins $10K Mystery Bounty and Pulls the $250K

If you were writing a poker screenplay, it might look suspiciously close to how things unfolded in Event #11. Yosef Fox, long-time WSOP grinder from Monticello, Wisconsin, outlasted a 616-player field, banked over $700K, and — oh, right — pulled the elusive $250,000 mystery bounty envelope on the final day. That bounty alone accounted for nearly half of the $335,000 he earned in bounties.

The moment has finally arrived! The largest bounty — $250,000 — has been pulled in Event #11: the $10,000 Mystery Bounty.

It took until the third level on Day 3 — with just three players left — for the big one to hit. Our lucky winner is Yosef Fox who scored the knockout on… pic.twitter.com/FBFK0BwPH1

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 3, 2025

Final table play began with five players left and plenty of fireworks ahead. Fox’s pocket jacks cracked Patrick Kennedy’s kings, a hand that not only knocked Kennedy out in fifth but also triggered the $250K bounty draw — Fox’s name on the ticket. That flip in fortune set the tone for the rest of the table.

James Mendoza, the Day 3 chip leader, couldn’t hold onto his edge. He sent a double to Alejandro Peinado and then busted in third after a lost flip with king-jack against Peinado’s sevens. That left Peinado and Fox heads-up, but the match was more coronation than contest. Fox maintained his lead, steadily applying pressure until the final hand—jacks versus ace-deuce suited. Peinado paired, but it wasn’t enough. Fox’s jacks held.

Top 5 Payouts – Event #11: $10,000 Mystery Bounty

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Yosef Fox		$729,333
2	Alejandro Peinado		$486,192
3	James Mendoza		$336,594
4	Richard Green		$237,123
5	Patrick Kennedy		$170,036

🏆 Who Is Yosef Fox?

Yosef Fox has been playing the WSOP since 2007, but this was the bracelet he’d been waiting for. His previous best finish came in the 2015 Main Event (100th), and he’s cashed several times since — but the big one eluded him. That is, until now.

What made this win even more special? His son Jorden, himself a WSOP bracelet winner, flew in on a last-minute standby flight to catch the final day. Yosef and Jorden now form one of poker’s rare father-son bracelet duos, joining the likes of Doyle and Todd Brunson. And with another son, Levi, having already cashed in WSOP events, Yosef teased: “If Levi can get one… we will be the next Brunsons.”