The 56th Annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) kicked off in Las Vegas on May 27, the first day of the game’s biggest festival.
Thousands of players from all corners of the world have already descended upon Horseshoe and Paris, the two Caesars-owned properties hosting the Series.
With 100 gold bracelets and millions of dollars up for grabs, seasoned pros and young up-and-coming players alike will be looking to make this a summer to remember.
But who are the players with the best chances of standing out at the 2025 WSOP? We have tried to answer that question by compiling a list of the top ten players to look out for at this year’s festival.
#1 – Jesse Lonis
If you have been reading the poker news lately, the name of Jesse Lonis certainly hasn’t passed you by, as he has been dominating the highest stakes tournaments around the world.
Coming off a hot streak at the recent Triton Series in Montenegro, where he won over $5 million, Lonis will be entering the WSOP with a massive bankroll and his confidence at peak levels.
A high-stakes NLH specialist, Jesse will likely limit his WSOP exploits to events with buyints of $10k and above, jumping into an occasional lower stakes event on off-days.
When the time comes for the high-stakes stuff, expect Lonis to show up and bring his A-game, which is a scary thing to behold.
We would not be surprised at all to see Jesse win one or more WSOP bracelets and completely dominate the high-stakes portion of the Series if his recent performances are anything to go by.
#2 – David Coleman
This year will be the tenth that David Coleman plays tournament poker, and what a ride it’s been for the 2024 GPI Player of the Year.
From humble beginnings and playing in low to mid stakes tournaments on the East Coast, Coleman has graduated to one of the most feared poker players in the world.
Despite his impressive 2024 results and more than $9 million in total tournament winnings, Coleman is probably the best tournament player still without a WSOP bracelet.
Following a few close calls in recent Triton Series and PokerGO Tour events, Coleman will be looking to go all the way at the WSOP and book some wins, along with the first pieces of WSOP silverware in his career.
David is primarily a No Limit player, but has had his share of success in PLO events as well. Expect to see him in many of the big buyin events across these two disciplines, and potentially making some final table runs and battling it out for a few of the 100 bracelets on offer.
Kristen Foxen
Kristen Foxen has been on the most impressive tournament run we have seen from any female poker player in the history of the game, and she is nowhere close to done.
Along with her husband, Alex Foxen, Kristen has been dominating the tournament circuit, winning titles across the WSOP, Triton, and PokerGO Tour brands, and racking up over $10 million in tournament winnings.
While Kristen’s poker career dates back to early 2000s, her breakthrough came when she won the $1k Ladies Event at the 2013 WSOP.
Foxen now holds five WSOP bracelets to her name, and following her impressive Main Event run last year, she is easily one of the top favorites to have a great run this time around as well.
Kristen will be focused on mid and high stakes NLH events, including the high rollers with relatively small fields, giving her a reasonable chance at extending her bracelet record.
Landon Tice
A member of an emerging generation of poker players, Landon Tice has only been around the live tournament scene for five years, but has already managed to leave his mark.
With more than $2.5 million in tournament winnings to his name, the 24-year-old online tournament specialist has a lot to prove to the poker world.
Last year, Tice was a part of a famous prop bet between Daniel Negreanu and Matt Berkey, with his action cross booked against that of Jeremy Becker, another rising poker star.
Becker ended up having the better summer in 2024, although both players lost money and failed to live up to the expectations.
How much Tice will play at the 2025 WSOP remains to be seen, as live tournaments aren’t his specialty. If he does, however, he has a reasonable chance at some epic runs across the board.
You can expect to see Landon competing in many of the big field low to mid stakes NLH tournaments, which are his bread and butter, with an occasional appearance in some of the high-stakes events as well.
Jeremy Becker
When it comes to commitment, few players of any generation can come close to Jeremy Becker. Over the last few years, he has been one of the most active players on the circuit, and has kept the grind going nearly non-stop.
Those who know and support Becker are used to seeing him playing the various daily and nightly events across Las Vegas, but also bigger tournaments at various series in Sin City and beyond.
In 2025, Becker will be looking to add a WSOP bracelet to his impressive resume and go from being known as a daily tournament grinder to being a WSOP champion.
To do that, he will likely have to work his way through some of the big field NLH events, which he is typically used to grinding.
While winning a bracelet in such events is a big challenge, Becker has what it takes to do it, as he has shown time and time again across any number of poker festivals.
Be on the lookout for Jeremy Becker in tournament chip counts all summer, but don’t be surprised if he strikes big at the Wynn, Venetian, or any of the other Las Vegas poker rooms throwing tournaments throughout the summer.
Ari Engel
Possibly one of the most underappreciated poker players in the world. Ari Engel is a 4-time WSOP champion and the holder of 17 WSOPC rings, among his many accolades.
Over his illustrious poker career, Engel has won over $9 million in tournament prizes, all without playing any of the ultra-high-stakes events frequented by many of his peers.
Ari is a mixed game master, proficient in every form of poker played at the WSOP, which gives him a significant edge over the rest of the field when it comes to chasing bracelets.
For years now, Engel has been booking dozens of ITM finishes at the Series, and we expect 2025 will be no different.
The massive WSOP schedule this year will give him a good chance at making some final table runs and potentially adding bracelet number five to his portfolio.
If you aren’t too familiar with Ari Engel just yet, make sure to follow his runs this year and see how true pros who put in the hours and commitment go about winning big at the green felt.
Jeremy Ausmus
It is nearly impossible to talk about the WSOP without mentioning Jeremy Ausmus, a poker player whose career has been on the ultimate uptick.
With six WSOP bracelets to his name, Ausmus is already tied with many legends of the game. Last year could have easily seen him win a couple more, had it not been for a series of bad beats at final tables across the summer.
This year, Ausmus will once again be coming in hot and ready to take on anyone who dares stand in his path in any poker game there is.
A master of all the poker variants, Jeremy will surely play an impressive schedule of WSOP events, and almost undoubtedly make a few final table runs.
Whether he can turn those runs into victories and climb the WSOP bracelet holders list remains to be seen, but he will certainly be one of the players to watch at this year’s biggest poker extravaganza.
Gus Hansen
Born in Denmark in 1974, Gus Hansen is one of the biggest names in poker. He emerged during the days of the Poker Boom as one of the Full Tilt Pros, and remained a poker legend forever.
Gus was absent from the tournament poker scene for some years, focusing on cash game poker and his family, but has recently resurfaced and started playing as part of Team Winamax, his new sponsors.
Hansen’s tournament record has him down as a one-time WSOP bracelet winner and a three-time WPT champion, but that could all change this year.
A recent text message to Daniel Negreanu ahead of the $25k Fantasy WSOP Draft revealed that Hansen plans on playing a lot of events this year, which could bode well for his chances at winning another bracelet.
Of course, Gus will have to content with a whole new generation of poker players with higher technical skills than players had back in the day, but that is unlikely to stop him in his tracks.
With a little luck and plenty of discipline, the Great Dane could be back in the winner’s circle. For all those who support him and will be following his results across the series, it’s going to be a great summer!
Mike Matusow
Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is a part of the old guard, a group of poker players who made Texas Hold’em Poker what it is today.
Mike won his claim to poker glory in the early 2000s and took home four WSOP bracelets between 1999 and 2013, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen him at his best.
He’s had to content with a lot, suffering both physical and mental hardships, and struggling with substance addiction.
Yet, Mike has come out on the other side like the champion he is and seems to be more ready to play some poker than we have seen him in many years.
Even at his worst, Mike was always a contender for bracelets in various Omaha and Stud events, and this could be the year we see him go all the way once again.
Expect to see Matusow competing in a variety of events across lower and mid stakes, and be get ready for some epic monologues from The Mouth if cards don’t quite fall his way.
Victoria Livschitz
Going into the 2025 WSOP, the ladies remain under represented, with fields still dominated by men, and few women getting a chance to play for bracelets.
Yet, players like Victoria Livschitz are living proof that women can compete at the highest level of poker, as she has taken on the best and held her own for years.
A regular on the PokerGO Tour, the Ukrainian-born lady has won over $2.3 million in tournament prizes over just a few years, and will be looking to extend that record in 2025.
The WSOP will be an opportunity for her to add a bracelet to her trophy cabinet, a prize that would go a long way toward proving she has a place among the poker elite.
Look out for Victoria in various NLH events, including the high rollers, as she is likely to pony up the big bucks and compete in all but the few highest stakes tournaments this summer.
