In a dramatic poker climax worthy of a sports highlight reel, Shannon Shorr clinched the 2025 U.S. Poker Open Series Championship by winning the $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em finale on Thursday night. The Alabama native emerged victorious from a stacked 73-entry field, defeating Jose “Nacho” Barbero heads-up to claim $529,250, two prestigious trophies, and the overall series title.
A Final Day Full of Drama
Entering the last day, Matt Wantman led the series and needed only for neither Shorr nor Barbero to win the final event. But that hope was dashed when Landon Tice bowed out in third, guaranteeing the series title would go to the eventual tournament champion.
Shorr, 39, claimed his second U.S. Poker Open win of the week and third tournament victory in April, having also taken down the $10K NLHE earlier and the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Horseshoe Las Vegas. His April haul totaled an impressive $957,265, pushing his career earnings past $16.4 million.
“I’m Feeling Dialed In”
“To win a tournament, I always say you have to run good, which I did,” Shorr told PokerGO’s Jeff Platt, “but I’m feeling pretty dialed in. I’ve been working really hard on my mental game.”
With 538 points, Shorr edged out Wantman by just 26 points to win the $25,000 PGT Passport and the coveted Golden Eagle trophy.
“This is awesome,” Shannon Shorr added. “I can’t wait to show it to my kids.”
The Road to Victory
The tournament generated a $1.825 million prize pool, paying the top 11. Notables finishing in the money included:
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Eric Blair (11th – $54,750)
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Isaac Haxton (10th – $54,750)
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Masato Yokosawa (9th – $54,750)
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Dylan Weisman (8th – $73,000)
Play resumed on Day 2 with seven contenders. Shorr was third in chips while Barbero held the lead.
Clemen Deng busted first, earning $73,000 and pushing his career earnings past $4.1M. Sam Laskowitz followed in sixth after a cooler against Nick Petrangelo, taking home $91,250.
Momentum Builds
A crucial coin flip saw Shorr’s pocket fours crack Justin Saliba’s ace-ten, sending Saliba out in fifth for $127,750. Shorr then forced Landon Tice off pocket queens with a bold five-bet shove holding A-K, gaining the chip lead.
In a wild hand against Petrangelo, Shorr hit a flush and got a hero call from third pair. Petrangelo exited in fourth, collecting $173,375 and pushing his lifetime earnings above $40.1 million.
Coolers and Comebacks
In three-handed play, a set-over-set saw Barbero’s jacks beat Shorr’s fours, temporarily flipping the leaderboard. But Shorr bounced back, cracking Tice’s aces with pocket fives.
Eventually, Tice was eliminated in third ($246,375) after calling off with second pair against Barbero’s top two.
Heads-Up for Glory
Heads-up play began nearly even in chips. Barbero initially took the lead, but a failed bluff into Shorr’s full house flipped the momentum.
The final hand came quickly:
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Shorr limped with 10♥6♥
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Barbero raised with A♦J♥
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The flop: 10♦6♠2♥ — top two for Shorr
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After multiple streets of betting, Shorr shoved the river
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Barbero tank-called with ace high and was shown the winner
Barbero earned $346,750 as the runner-up and placed third in the series points race. His three cashes totaled $540,150, lifting his lifetime winnings to $23.1 million.
Shannon Shorr on Fire
With this title, Shorr now has five titles and eight final tables in 2025 alone. The 588 Card Player Player of the Year points he earned also vaulted him into the #1 spot in the standings, overtaking Jeremy Ausmus.
At just over a quarter into the year, Shannon Shorr is making a strong case for a career-defining run in 2025.
