Schuyler Thornton Dominates WPT World Championship, Secures $2.09 Million Victory
The final night of the WPT World Championship in Las Vegas unfolded far quicker than many had anticipated. What was expected to be a prolonged and tactical showdown instead became a decisive display of control, with Schuyler Thornton emerging as the undisputed centerpiece of the finale.
Held at Wynn Las Vegas, the prestigious $10,400 buy-in event marked the climax of the WPT season. Thornton navigated the final table with composure and precision, ultimately locking up the title and a top prize of $2,098,456, the largest score of his live tournament career.
Calm Execution in a Massive Championship Field
The 2025 WPT World Championship attracted 1,865 entrants, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most competitive stages in modern tournament poker. With each edition producing a new headline name, Thornton now joins the lineage of recent champions such as Eliot Hudon, Dan Sepiol, and Scott Stewart.
Thornton’s path to victory was far from straightforward. When the final table began, momentum favored Soheb Porbandarwala, a seasoned competitor and WPT Champions Club member who entered play with more than double Thornton’s stack. Early action suggested Porbandarwala was well positioned to dictate the pace.
That balance, however, would not last.
Turning the Tide Through Discipline and Timing
Rather than forcing confrontations, Thornton focused on calculated spots, allowing pressure to build naturally on shorter stacks. The elimination of Max Coleman marked the first major shift, triggering a rapid contraction of the field as medium and short stacks fell in succession.
Momentum swung decisively when Thornton held firm against Jeremy Becker, preserving an ace advantage to send Becker out. Moments later, he absorbed an aggressive line from Chad Lipton, a hand that effectively reset the power structure at the table and placed Thornton firmly in control.
The sudden change did not go unnoticed. Commentator David Lappin described the sequence as “a complete shift in table authority,” while Jesse Sylvia noted that the speed of the turnaround caught even experienced observers off guard.
Heads-Up Ends Swiftly After Deal
Once third place was confirmed, Thornton and Porbandarwala agreed to an ICM-based payout adjustment, leaving the championship title and WPT seat still in play.
What followed was a brief but emphatic heads-up contest. Thornton quickly extended his lead after flopping trip aces in a sizable pot, creating a commanding 5-to-1 chip advantage. From there, the match moved in only one direction, as Thornton captured 12 consecutive hands to close out the contest.
Porbandarwala searched for a late reversal, but each pivotal board favored Thornton, sealing the outcome.
“Capitalizing on Opportunity Is Part of the Game”
Speaking after the win, Thornton reflected on the dynamics of the final table. “I expected some shorter stacks to play for the win rather than ICM,” he explained. “That mindset opened up spots that worked in my favor.”
He added, “I did get cards at key moments, but recognizing when to press those edges is just as important.”
The victory pushed Thornton’s career live earnings past $4 million, according to The Hendon Mob, and delivered his first major championship title. More than a financial milestone, the win firmly establishes him among poker’s elite tournament performers.
The 2025 WPT World Championship concluded without excessive drama, but with unmistakable clarity. For one night in Las Vegas, the spotlight belonged entirely to Schuyler Thornton — a performance that now stands as a defining chapter in WPT history.