Evan Sandberg Wins Second Straight WSOP Circuit Ring at Lake Tahoe

Evan Sandberg now has two WSOP Circuit rings to go with the two WSOP Online Series bracelets he took home in 2021 and 2022. Incredibly, he won both of the Circuit rings in back-to-back Main Events at the same venue. Taking down the 2025 WSOP Caesars Republic Main Event for over $125,000 one year after winning the previous year’s event, Sandberg’s victory bookends a remarkable few years at the live poker felt.

Double Drama for Sandberg

Back in November 2024, Evan Sandberg turned his WSOP Online prowess into success at the live felt too. Converting the WSOP Circuit Main Event in Lake Tahoe, he won $133,837 when he beat his fellow American James Czarnecki to the title. In an amazing achievement, Sandberg won back-to-back Main Events at Lake Tahoe last night when he defeated Francisco Trujillo from Spain heads-up.

The $1,700-entry Lake Tahoe Main Event at Caesars saw 436 entries build a massive prize pool and, despite three fewer entries meaning a slightly lower top prize for Evan Sandberg, his victory over the Spanish player Francisco Trujillo was no less incredible. Winning heads-up, Sandberg took home the top prize of $133,837 and his second WSOP Circuit ring.

In 2024, Sandberg had started the six-handed final table as the lowest of the low, working his way back to glory from being the shortest of the six finalists. That wasn’t the case this week at Lake Tahoe, but when the final battle dawned, Sandberg faced an uphill battle holding just 34% of the chips in play. Coming back to take the lead, Sandberg made no mistake, seeing it out to reign victorious and claim the $125,269 top prize.

A History of World Series Success

Sandberg’s record in WSOP events is an impressive one, and with all of his four wins under the banner coming within the last four years. In November of 2021, Sandberg won the $94,568 top prize in the $2,000-entry No Limit Hold’em 8-Max WSOP Online Event. Less than 12 months later, in October 2022, Sandberg won his second WSOP Online title, claiming $124,831 up top in the $1,000 buy-in NLHE Event.

While his two online wins and back-to-back titles at Lak Tahoe account for a large proportion of Sandberg’s biggest wins on his The Hendon Mob, his largest ever poker result is the first-place prize he received after winning the 2021 The Wynn Fall Classic. Banking $293,322, Sandberg’s biggest win also came in the timeframe these WSOP successes have.

On Day 2 of the Caesars Republic Lake Tahoe Circuit Main Event that he just won, Sandberg was one of the stragglers down the bottom of the leaderboard. A fearless display through the bubble, however, changed the course of his tournament and he powered into the final table with genuine hope.

An early departure for the talented multiple WPT Main Event winner Eric Afriat in seventh place for $16,908 boosted everyone’s chances, and after Melanie Pittard (4^th for $42,280) and Tim Thorp (3^rd for $59,620) left, it was left to Sandberg to take on Trujillo, with the same end result as in 2024.

The Latest Circuit Winner Speaks

“I’m pretty good at picking up on what type of player someone is quickly.”

After his epic win, Sandberg was ecstatic with the result and proud of the manner in which he played.

“I was just really lucky yesterday, but on the first day and today I felt like I was really playing my A+ game. Overall, I’m really happy and grateful. I was really happy with myself, how patient I was, and then I went on a heater.”

Things were certainly easier when the final table began than in 2024, and Sandberg acknowledged the difference in approach he was able to make.

“Last year’s run, I was short-stacked going to the final table, and for most of it I was grinding a short stack,” he said. “This time, my short-stacking was on Day 2, and I was really lucky. Today I had a decent stack, and I felt like I was just playing poker from the start.”

Heads-up, Sandberg had very little to go on when it came to working out how to play against the tricky Spaniard, Francisco Trujillo.

“The only information I had on him was his Hendon Mob, which was pretty empty,” said Sandberg. “I actually thought going in that he would be the ‘spot’ at the table, but I quickly realized I was wrong. I think I’m pretty good at picking up on what type of player someone is quickly. I could tell even in the first 20-30 minutes that he had probably played a lot of online poker because he seemed like he was a well-studied player.”

After booking one of the most impressive wins of his poker career so far, Sandberg was asked if he intended defending his title again at Lake Tahoe in 2026.

“Of course, I have to!” he laughed. “What do they call it, a three-peat?”

After this week’s immense achievement, who would question Evan Sandberg ability to retain a poker title?