Daniel Aharoni thought he was out of contention, but instead won the WSOP Big O championship with $861,287.

Daniel Aharoni won the $10,000 Big O Championship, taking home $861,287 in prize money and his first WSOP gold bracelet. He dominated the final day, defeating Aaron Kupin to claim the title.

Daniel Aharoni never imagined he could win a World Series of Poker bracelet.。

This cash game player from New York rarely participates in tournaments; he hadn't even played in a WSOP event for two years. But when he decided to take on the $10,000 Big O tournament, he seized this rare opportunity.

Aharoni displayed overwhelming strength on the final day, defeating Aaron Kupin in heads-up play to emerge victorious from a field of 456 players and win the $861,287 first-place prize. This prize money is not only the highest of his career, but also exceeds the total prize money of all his previous tournament winnings.

Event #42: $10,000 Big O Championship Final Table Results

Post-championship remarks

In the final hand of the tournament, Kupin had a straight and a flush draw, as well as a low-card draw, but Aharoni ultimately held on with 10 pair and made a low-card draw on the river, winning the entire pot and securing the championship. "I had to dodge a lot of hands, obviously. In the end, it was just a relief," he said.

"This is absolutely important. It's very prestigious. Honestly, I never expected this to happen to me. I never participate in tournaments, so I'm very happy."

Aharoni has prior experience competing against top players in high-stakes tournaments. His only previous WSOP final table appearance was in 2024, when he finished seventh in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller event. That was his only WSOP winnings in the decade prior to this event. He's also a regular in high-stakes cash games, and during the final table, he took a moment to chat with Sam Soverel, reminiscing about their past rivalries.

"I never participate in tournaments, so I'm very happy."

Against this backdrop, Aharoni decided to return to the tournament battlefield with one of the most talent-rich events in the WSOP schedule. He experienced a magical journey over the past four days—ending in third place on the first day, remaining in fifth place on the second day, and then entering the final day with a huge chip lead over the final four.

"It's really fun. This is my first tournament in two years, so, you know, it's great to be at the WSOP. It's fun. When everything's going well, it's fun," he said.

Aharoni: Seize Your Second Life

Aharoni's journey nearly ended yesterday evening. Facing Bruno Furth's all-in, he thought he had lost and even stood up to bump fists with his opponent. However, Furth then noticed Aharoni had a runner-runner flush on the river, completing a miraculous and unexpected double-up, giving Aharoni a new lease on life. Aharoni admitted that after that hand he felt reborn and from then on, he went on to win the championship.

"That's really fun, obviously. You know, you only have one life in a tournament, so when you think you're dead and then you're resurrected, that feels amazing, obviously," he said.

Aharoni crushes the final four

Entering Day 4 with a massive chip lead, Aharoni never let his guard down. His strategy was to maintain constant pressure and gradually wear down his opponents. "I was quite confident. It's a very volatile game. Any Omaha game is very volatile. Add to that a card, and then there's the high and low. The cards really matter, obviously. So I was lucky. I think I played well most of the time, and I'm happy with my performance. Obviously, I'm happy with the result," he said.

"I would say I was on the gas the whole time, to be honest. I think I won the first seven or eight hands. It was a good start. That was good for my mentality."

Aharoni entered Day 4 with 13,050,000 chips, more than double that of second-place Kupin. He immediately launched an offensive, winning almost every hand at the start of the final table to further extend his lead. He then made a set of 10s with low cards, eliminating Furth and sending the two-time bracelet winner out of the game to finish in fourth place.

Aharoni's chip stack surpassed 20,000,000, more than three times the combined stack of his two opponents. However, he then encountered his first setback – Kupin made a flush with a low hand, doubling up to 6,000,000. Kupin then 4-bet to 2,800,000 from the big blind with a pair of aces. Aharoni jumped up from his seat, thought for a minute, and folded from the button, while Doug Lorgeree called all-in. Kupin showed a pair of aces, and Lorgeree prayed for diamonds to keep his tournament hopes alive. His prayers were answered, and Lorgeree was eliminated in third place.

At the start of the heads-up match, Aharoni led Kupin with 18,700,000 chips to 8,650,000. Kupin then doubled up to over 12,000,000 chips by forming a full house, but Aharoni maintained his offensive and slowly reclaimed those chips.

After Kupin caught a bluff on the river, Aharoni won a large pot with a straight flush, re-establishing a 2:1 chip lead. He then beat Kupin's full house with four eights, reducing Kupin's chip stack to just 4,000,000, and the two took a short break.

In the first hand after the break, Kupin bet 1,750,000 into the pot on the flop, and Aharoni went all in. Kupin called with his draw for 3,010,000, but Aharoni's 10 pair and low hand won him the pot and the gold bracelet.

While waiting for the gold bracelet to be awarded, Aharoni quickly glanced at the tournament clock to double-check how much he had won. He had never been motivated to chase a gold bracelet before, and even with a new piece of gold jewelry, he admitted that this victory wouldn't make a significant difference to his poker career.

"Maybe a little bit," he said when talking about his plans to pursue more gold bracelets.

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