Stephen Song Triumphs at North American Poker Tour $25,000 High Roller at Resorts World

On November 6, Stephen Song added another impressive title to his poker career with a win in the $25,000 high roller event at the North American Poker Tour in Las Vegas. With this victory, Song not only claimed $439,400 in prize money but also brought his career earnings to an impressive $8.7 million.

This victory marks Song’s 14th tournament title, following his recent win at the European Poker Tour Barcelona main event in September, where he took home a massive $1.4 million. “It feels really good to win a tournament,” Song said afterward. “It was a tough field too—had to battle some of the best players in the country or even the world.”

A Hard-Fought Victory

The high roller event saw a competitive field of 60 entries, creating a prize pool of $1,440,600. Eight players made it to the final table and cashed in the tournament. On Day 2, 28 players returned to the felt, but only four would make it through to the final day after Elias Gutierrez (5th), Thomas Eychenne (6th), Brock Wilson (7th), and Paul Jager (8th) exited with prize money.

Entering the final day, Song held a strong chip lead among the remaining four players, which he extended by eliminating three-time WSOP bracelet winner Jim Collopy in fourth place. He kept up the momentum by sending Edward Sebesta to the rail in third, setting up a heads-up showdown against Sean Winter, a highly respected player and challenging opponent.

A Battle to the End

Song entered heads-up play with a more than 2:1 chip advantage, but Winter didn’t make it easy. The two pros engaged in an intense back-and-forth, with each trading wins in a true test of skill and endurance.

The turning point came in a memorable hand where Winter limped in from the button, and Song checked his big blind. The flop came down as 10♦J♣6♠, and after a bet from Winter, Song check-raised, prompting Winter to call. The turn came 9♦, and both players checked. When the river revealed K♠, Song check-called a bet from Winter after a bit of thought, revealing K-8 to top Winter’s J-5. This key call solidified Song’s control over the match.

“Sean’s super tough, and that heads-up was grueling,” Song shared. “It all came down to that king-eight call. In a tournament, anything can happen—I’m just grateful it played out perfectly.”

Winter still walked away with $288,100, bringing his own career earnings to an incredible $32.7 million.

Final Table Results

1. Stephen Song – $439,400 (504 POY points)
2. Sean Winter – $288,100 (420 POY points)
3. Edward Sebesta – $208,900 (336 POY points)
4. Jim Collopy – $158,500 (252 POY points)
5. Elias Gutierrez – $122,500 (210 POY points)
6. Thomas Eychenne – $93,600 (168 POY points)
7. Brock Wilson – $72,000 (126 POY points)
8. Paul Jager – $57,600 (84 POY points)

The North American Poker Tour stop in Las Vegas continues with tournaments running through November 10 on the Las Vegas Strip. Stay tuned for more coverage of the series’ biggest moments and wins.