It’s one of those rare poker tales that reads like fiction—but it’s all too real. At the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), a name barely known outside exclusive cash game circles just walked into one of the toughest tournaments of the summer and walked out a millionaire. Chang Lee, a South Korean high-stakes cash game player with exactly one recorded tournament under his belt before this event, took down Event #26: $25,000 High Roller 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, earning a jaw-dropping $1,949,044 and his first-ever WSOP gold bracelet.
For a debut tournament, it was nothing short of extraordinary.
A Record-Breaking Field, a Singular Champion
This wasn’t your average soft-entry event. The $25K High Roller drew a record-breaking 392 entries, creating a prize pool of $9,212,000—a reflection of its growing prestige at the WSOP. The final table read like a Poker Hall of Fame waiting list: Joe McKeehen, Byron Kaverman, Orpen Kisacikoglu, and Mathew Frankland, to name a few.
Yet, in the end, it was the newcomer Chang Lee who stood tallest.
Final Table Results – Event #26: $25,000 High Roller
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chang Lee | South Korea | $1,949,044 |
| 2 | Andrew Ostapchenko | United States | $1,299,333 |
| 3 | Elijah Berg | United States | $894,265 |
| 4 | Mathew Frankland | United Kingdom | $626,823 |
| 5 | Masato Yokosawa | Japan | $447,613 |
| 6 | Joe McKeehen | United States | $325,757 |
| 7 | Orpen Kisacikoglu | Turkey | $241,701 |
| 8 | Byron Kaverman | United States | $182,902 |
“I Really Studied the GTO”: Lee’s Journey Through the Field
While some players spend a decade preparing for their WSOP moment, Chang Lee’s journey began just four days before the event, when he landed in the U.S. jetlagged but determined.
“I wanted to win this tournament,” Lee said in a post-win interview. “I really studied the GTO.”
Despite being exhausted from a 15-hour flight and a layover in L.A., Lee had locked in on this particular event. “The first day, I got super coolered three times… top set aces twice and lost to runner-runner straights,” he revealed. Undeterred, he fired a second bullet at the last minute of Day 1, coming back fresh on Day 2 with a new mindset and stack.
What followed was a masterclass in pressure poker. Lee adopted a hyper-aggressive style that exploited the table dynamics. “The other players were so tight. If I bet big, they would fold,” he explained. His willingness to bluff—even when caught—and fire big bets made him unpredictable and dangerous.
Key Turning Points: From Rebuy to Ruler
One of the most pivotal hands of Lee’s run came with 16 players remaining. He was all-in with pocket queens versus pocket kings, a classic cooler situation. Miraculously, Lee hit a running straight to survive. From that point on, he never looked back.
As play narrowed to the final table, he continued his aggressive tempo, eliminating several top contenders en route to victory. His fearlessness was perhaps best illustrated when he bluffed Mathew Frankland deep into Day 3 and showed it, asserting his dominance at the table.
Final Table Drama: From Eight to One
The action-packed final table kicked off with Byron Kaverman busting in 8th after Frankland outflopped him. Then came Orpen Kisacikoglu, who ran his ace-seven into Andrew Ostapchenko’s ace-king. Joe McKeehen followed in 6th, and Masato Yokosawa bowed out in 5th in a blinds battle.
Frankland’s run ended in 4th, marking his biggest live score to date. Soon after, Elijah Berg fell to Ostapchenko, setting the stage for a tense heads-up match between Lee and Ostapchenko.
Heads-Up Brilliance
With a massive payout difference and the bracelet on the line, both players came out swinging. In the final hand, Ostapchenko held ace-king, while Lee had king-four. A seemingly standard matchup quickly turned when Lee’s hand improved to two pair, sealing the victory.
His reaction? Calm, composed, and philosophical.
“I need to see the stream. If my play was good, maybe I play more tournaments,” he smiled, contemplating his next steps.
What’s Next for Chang Lee?
Despite the glory and the money, Lee remains analytical. “Let me think about it,” he said when asked if he’d play more events at the 2025 WSOP. “I need to decide which game is more profitable—cash games or tournaments.”
It’s a refreshing contrast in a field often driven by ego and limelight. For Lee, it seems to be all about EV—not just in hands, but in life.
Final Thoughts
Chang Lee’s stunning victory in the $25,000 High Roller serves as a reminder that poker still has room for surprises—even in the age of solvers and GTO. Whether this is the start of a decorated tournament career or a glorious one-off, Lee’s win has already entered WSOP lore.
His story—a jetlagged high-stakes cash game grinder with limited tournament experience—defying one of the toughest fields of the summer is what makes poker so compelling. Skill, strategy, luck, and heart—all collided in the right proportions to crown a new champion.
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Source: PokerNews – Chang Lee Wins WSOP $25,000 High Roller
PC Regina Cortina
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