Zdenek Zizka Becomes Latest Big Winner at Brazilian Series of Poker

The $100,000-entry BSOP Super High Roller attracted some huge players from all over the world, but in the end it was a relative rookie who took down the tournament and helped himself to a $1.2m top prize. Czech player Zdenek Zizka beat Shaun Deeb to a bracelet at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas last summer. Now the backgammon champion is proving more than adept at the high stakes poker felt too, no matter where he plays.

BSOP Festival Rounded Off in Style

The Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) has seen some huge wins in the past fortnight, with another Czech player, Martin Kabrhel, reaching the promised land with a stunning comeback victory in the $30,000-entry event earlier this week. The latest tournament was at the highest stakes, however. Each of the 36 entries put up $100,000 to play the event, with only six of them guaranteed to make profit by the time registration closed.

When the bubble burst, it was a home country player who missed out on the money. Fausto Martello moved all-in for nine big blinds with king-ten offsuit but was called by the Czech player Zizka, whose pocket eights were more than strong enough to risk an elimination given his stack. A flop of A-J-3 contained no immediate help for Martello, although a gutshot draw was added to his outs. However, a seven on the turn and another ace on the river condemned the Brazilian to a seventh-placed exit worth nothing.

When the final table convened, Zizka held a big lead, starting the six-handed showdown with 94 big blinds, more than double his nearest rival, Brazilian high roller regular Felipe Boianovsky (45BB). The Brazilian crusher Renan Bruschi (40BB) was behind him, with Martin Kabrhel (23BB), Estonia’s Ottomar Ladva and Brazil’s Gabriel Tavares both kicking off with just 12 big blinds.

Kabrhel Unable to Make the Podium

“Round of applause for Gabrielo!”

A quick exit came for the short-stacked Tavares in sixth place for a result worth $238,700. All-in pre-flop with pocket queens, Tavares was way behind the pocket kings of Martin Kabrhel, whose cowboys shot down the ladies after a ten-high board. As Tavares accepted commiserations from the other four players, Kabrhel himself was less than forgiving.

“Round of applause for Gabrielo! Best guy in Brazil. Maybe top three!” Kaabrhel laughed.

Soon, five became four as Ottomar Ladva left for a score of $300,000 in fifth place. On a board of K-8-3-K-4, Ladva’s bet of 450,000 chips was raised all-in by the eventual winner Zizka, who held pocket threes for a full house. Ladva’s was a non-believer and called it off to his doom with pocket jacks, missing out on the final four.

Soon, the king of the comebacks was out. Martin Kabrhel is used to cheering ‘Casino Royale!’ upon winning poker hands, and he was shouting that on the flop here, all-in and at risk as he was with pocket nines against the superior jacks of Renan Bruschi. A flop of A-Q-9 had given the Czech professional a miraculous set but a jack on the turn reversed that fortune and an inconsequential three on the river ended the hand in the Brazilian’s favor as Kabrhel cashed for $400,000 in fourth place.

Zizka Books Another Win

Although the remaining trio discussed a deal, no numbers could be agreed upon and soon, only two of them were left fighting over the trophy and all the money on the line. All-in with ace-king of clubs, Renan Bruschi was up against the pocket sevens of Zizka and the pocket nines of Boianovsky, and across a board of Q-5-3-7-5, the Czech player took out the Brazilian for a score of $540,000.

After a swift dinner break, Zizka and Boianovsky returned to battle it out for glory. With 9.6 million chips, the Brazilian had a slim lead, but Zizka was on 8.4m and had all the recent tournament momentum after winning a huge backgammon championship and a WSOP bracelet during the summer. Making the nut flush in the first hand, Zizka took the lead but a small pot back with a pair of jacks meant the chip stacks were level.

Boianovsky took a  big lead to move into a 2:1 advantage but soon, a great call from Zizka flipped the script. Holding a pair of aces, Zizka beat Boianovsky’s busted flush draw from the flop and the Czech player used the lead to devastating effect. Raising it up with pocket tens, he called off Boianovsky’s shove with a suited ace-nine, and across a jack-high board, took both the final hand and the trophy, along with a top prize of $1.2 million. Celebrating with friends, Zizka was even congratulated by his countryman Kabrhel.

“Having his support definitely means a lot, [it’s a] nice feeling,” Zizka told reporters. “So far I enjoy [Brazil]. I had one more deep run, so I can’t complain!”