Ian Johns Captures WSOP Limit Hold’em Championship

Veteran pro Ian Johns has done it again. The Seattle native etched his name deeper into poker history after taking down the prestigious $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship at the 2025 World Series of Poker, earning his fourth career WSOP bracelet and the top prize of $282,455.

Johns topped a stacked field of 118 entries to win what is widely considered the crown jewel of limit hold’em events. It marks his second victory in this championship, having first claimed the title in 2016. That same summer, he also bagged the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. bracelet just 10 days earlier. His first bracelet came all the way back in 2006 when he shipped a $3,000 limit hold’em event—making three of his four WSOP titles in fixed-limit formats.

Another Loaded Final Table

The road to Johns’ fourth bracelet wasn’t easy, as he had to navigate a final table stacked with elite talent. Among those falling short were Daniel Negreanu (8th – $31,316), Ryan Bambrick (5th – $67,782), Pedro Neves (4th – $92,774), Anthony Zinno (3rd – $130,447), and high-stakes icon Viktor “Isildur1” Blom, who finished runner-up for $188,295.

This latest victory pushes Johns’ lifetime tournament earnings past $2.2 million, with the majority coming from his impressive WSOP résumé. The 40-year-old also picked up 600 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points and 282 PokerGO Tour (PGT) points for the win.

It’s been a strong series for Johns so far, with this result marking his second cash of the summer. He previously finished ninth in the $1,500 Limit Hold’em event just days earlier.

Big Names Fall Short

Of the 118 entries, the top 18 players made the money in this year’s championship, splitting a $1,097,400 prize pool. Among the notables who cashed but missed the final table were Patrick Leonard (16th), John Hennigan (15th), Jeremy Ausmus (12th), Dzmitry Urbanovich (10th), and Scott Bohlman (9th), who was the first casualty on Day 3 after his aces were cracked.

Negreanu was next out the door after his ace-ten was outdrawn by David Lieberman’s queen-nine. Lieberman bowed out in seventh ($39,349) after a costly clash with Zinno and a final confrontation against Max Hoffman’s pocket nines.

From Three Players to One Champion

Once the action was three-handed, Johns, Zinno, and Blom traded blows in a prolonged battle. Eventually, Zinno found himself short and committed with K♠10♦ against Johns’ A♠9♥. A seven-high board offered no help, and Zinno was eliminated in third place for $130,447—bringing his career earnings to just shy of $12.7 million.

Heads-up play began with Johns holding a slight lead over Blom and quickly expanded after Johns scooped a big pot with a full house. The final hand saw Johns raise the button with A♣10♦ and call a three-bet from Blom, who held Q♠9♠. On a 6♠5♣3♠ flop, Blom led out with his flush draw, but Johns called. The 10♥ on the turn gave Johns top pair, prompting a raise over Blom’s bet. Blom moved all-in, and Johns made the call. The K♥ on the river was a brick, sealing the win for Johns.

Blom’s Deep Series Continues

Despite falling just short, Viktor Blom added another big score to his impressive 2025 WSOP run. This marked his third final-table appearance and fourth cash of the series. His biggest result remains a sixth-place finish in the $50,000 High Roller, which netted him $349,068. With this runner-up result, Blom’s live tournament earnings now exceed $8.4 million.

Final Table Results – 2025 WSOP $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship

With the win, Johns joins a growing list of 2025 bracelet winners who are adding to their existing collections—22 of the first 39 bracelets awarded this summer have now gone to past champions.