Pawel Wojciechowski Wins First WSOP Bracelet After Golden Run in Rozvadov

Players from Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece and Austria all reached the final table of the opening event of the 2025 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) bracelet event. The event was a $1,400-entry Bounty Hunter event with a top prize of $79,550, Pawel Wojciechowski won his first-ever WSOP bracelet, crowning one of the best days of his poker career in a golden achievement.

*including $12,000 WSOP Europe Main Event ticket

Rozvadov Welcomes WSOP Hopefuls

If the first event of the 2025 WSOP Europe festival is a guide, then the series could break previous records. With 15 bracelet events taking place, the chance to become a WSOP champion and grab a gold bracelet inspired 385 entries in the opening event, a €1,200-entry Bounty Hunter tournament that was new to the schedule.

Just 59 players began Day 2 with hopes of becoming the first WSOPE champion of the series, and the Polish professional player Wojciechowski began the final day in the lead, going wire-to-wire to win his maiden WSOP bracelet. A former soccer professional who won both the Polish Cup in his home country and the Belarussian Cup on his travels, ran extremely well on the final day but played well too.

When the final nine convened, Amit Buganim was the first player to bust, cashing for $3,875 when his ace-ten ran into the ace-king of Franz George. Soon, eight became seven, as Pablo Heredia ran into a very cold deck. All-in with ace-queen, he was snapped off by Wojciechowski who held pocket aces and not for the first time on the final day. Seeing it out through a clean board, the Polish player strengthened his stranglehold on the action as Heredia crashed out for $4,935 in eighth place.

Sikora Sent Home by His Countryman

With seven players left, Greek player Georgios Mylonas ran short in chips and again into the brick wall that was Wojciechowski. All-in with jack-nine, Mylonas was dominated by Wojciechowski’s ace-nine and a board of K-5-2-4-Q did nothing to change that, sending the Greek player home with $6,520 in seventh place.

The last remaining German player soon departed too. Committing his chips with king-ten, he started an ended his final hand behind the former EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final champion Jan Bendik, whose ace-queen eased to victory across a seven-high board to send George to the rail with $8,750.

Another Greek player busted next, as Ioannis Chorianopoulos won $24,325 (including a $12,000 WSOP Europe Main Event ticket). The Greek player’s pocket sevens were way behind Wojciechowski’s pocket queens and that didn’t change on the board of 5-5-5-J-A. And it wasn’t long after his elimination that Poland’s Mateusz Sikora was walking away from the felt too.

All-in with seven-three of spades on a flop showing J-9-8 with two spades, Sikora was called by Wojciechowski with king-queen in the same suit and while no help came for either man, a deuce and eight of clubs coming on the turn and river, they were enough to see the Polish champion-in-waiting take out his countryman for $29,375 in fourth place.

Wojciechowski ‘Grateful For This Day’

“From the beginning of the tournament, everything went my way.”

With three players left, Wojciechowski had almost as many chips on his own as his two opponents combined. French player Dorian Melchers busted after the break for $42,915 when queen-three was no good against Wojciechowski’s king-jack and that meant play was heads-up. With a lead of 2:1, it took just three hands to proclaim Wojciechowski the champion.

The Slovakian Jan Bendik not only won the 2016 EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final for a top score of $1,096,568, but he has been a reputable player for many years. However, when he held nine-three on a board of T-3-2-9-8 for turned two-pair, he faced a shove from Wojciechowski and the biggest decision for some time at the felt. Calling it off, Bendik was wrong to do so, as Wojciechowski turned over queen-jack for a rivered backdoor straight that x-ray eyes might have missed. It was an incredible final hand, and Bendik shook his opponent’s hand with a rueful grin.

Wojciechowski on the other hand, beamed from ear to ear and admitted that luck played more than its part in his winer’s interview.

“It means so much to me. I’m just grateful for this day. I ran so hot; it couldn’t be any other outcome than winning this bracelet. From the beginning of the tournament, everything went my way. I even had the set over set spot, and while that was tough, I took a deep breath, moved on, and then doubled right after the break. That brought me back into it.”

Stunning the poker world with his victory, Pawel Wojciechowski is the World Series of Poker’s latest bracelet winner and the first of 15 in Europe this September and October.

The ultimate Bounty Hunter ended up with the gold.