The WPT bestbet Scramble Championship once again delivered unforgettable poker action as the World Poker Tour returned to bestbet Jacksonville for its highly anticipated 2025 edition. A total of 327 entries paid the $5,000 buy-in to chase the title, pushing the final prize pool to $1,487,850, far exceeding the $1 million guarantee. After five days of high-stakes competition, Connor Rash emerged victorious, earning $315,350 and securing a coveted seat into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas.
This year’s WPT bestbet Scramble Championship continued the legacy established in 2012 when bestbet Jacksonville first joined the WPT lineup. Since then, it has become one of Florida’s most respected poker stops, drawing elite professionals, rising stars, and ambitious regional talent.
Rash’s Breakthrough Win Sets New Career Milestone
For Tallahassee native Connor Rash, this victory represents the biggest moment of his poker career. Prior to this, his highest live score had been an eighth-place finish in the 2024 WSOP $10,000 Six-Max Championship for $78,455.
With this win at the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship, Rash officially crosses $1 million in lifetime earnings, climbing to $1,007,637.
Final Table Drama: Huge Swings and High-Pressure Decisions
Six players returned for the final day, with Rash holding the chip lead. However, the road to victory was anything but smooth.
Early Setback
Rash quickly faced resistance when Byron Kaverman’s A-K suited beat Rash’s pocket tens. Soon after, Dylan Smith rivered a full house to take a large portion of Rash’s stack.
Dylan Smith Takes Early Command
Smith was the first to score a knockout, eliminating Jessica Dawley’s pocket sevens with pocket eights. He then eliminated Matthew Ahern with pocket queens, narrowing the field to four.
⚡ Momentum Shifts: Rash Reclaims Control
Rash regained momentum during four-handed play after winning a key pot against Smith with a wheel straight. As stacks grew shallow, both players exchanged double-ups, but Rash regained control with a massive flush-over-top-pair confrontation that surged his stack to 137 big blinds.
The next elimination came when Rash’s 7♣6♣ cracked Russell Dizer’s A♥8♥, giving Dizer a fourth-place finish worth $112,000.
Kaverman Falls in Third
Poker legend Byron Kaverman was eliminated next. His A♣K♦ lost to Rash’s K♣5♥ after Rash paired his five on the flop. Kaverman took home $150,000, pushing his career earnings to nearly $21.9 million.
Rash entered heads-up play with a massive 7:1 chip lead over Smith.
⚔️ Heads-Up Battle for the WPT bestbet Scramble Championship Title
Despite the huge deficit, Smith fought hard—doubling with pocket fours and then narrowing the gap further after a successful value bet with tens and sevens.
But the end arrived quickly.
Final Hand
- Rash: 9♠8♥
- Smith: 7♥5♣
- Flop: 10♠7♠5♥ → Smith makes two pair, Rash has open-ender
- Turn: J♥ → Rash completes his straight
- River: K♦ → sealing Smith’s fate
Smith was eliminated in second place for $200,000, and Rash officially claimed the 2025 WPT bestbet Scramble Championship title.
Final Results – WPT bestbet Scramble Championship 2025
| Place | Player | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Connor Rash | $315,350 + WPT WC Seat |
| 2nd | Dylan Smith | $200,000 |
| 3rd | Byron Kaverman | $150,000 |
| 4th | Russell Dizer | $112,000 |
| 5th | Matthew Ahern | $85,000 |
| 6th | Jessica Dawley | $65,000 |
