Zak VanKeuren Wins WPT Prime Championship for $1,162,350

The WPT Prime Championship at Wynn Las Vegas came to a close on Sunday with Zak VanKeuren the last player standing out of nearly 10,000 entrants.

He secured his World Poker Tour win and a top prize of $1,162,350, which includes a $10,400 seat to the WPT World Championship.

“It doesn’t feel real. I’m just thinking I’m in a lucid dream right now. I’m just going to wake up soon," Zak VanKeuren said after his big-money victory.

"Hopefully it’s still real life in an hour. It feels crazy...WPT has the best tournaments out of anywhere, so it’s just a blessing to come out here and compete."

With a massive turnout – 9,670 entrants – the $1,100 buy-in again proved to be a successful event for the mid-major market.

"It is exceptional to have such a wonderful finale for a tour that brings out so many players throughout the year," said WPT CEO Adam Pliska.

"The players truly embody the Prime Tour and Championship, and we congratulate Zak, now cemented in its legacy."

The final table featured nine top contenders, including Jim Casement (2nd place – $759,890, Kevin Calenzo (3rd place – $560,000), Malik Zaman (4th place – $420,000), Joe Ozimok (5th place – $320,000), Ryan Stiner (6th place – $240,000), Colin Hong (7th place – $186,000), Ralph Marquez (8th place – $145,000) and WPT Champion Justin Young (9th place – $114,000).

In total, 1,206 players were awarded a payout. Other notable players to cash include recent WPT Champion and Season 22 WPT Player of the Year contender Dylan Smith (14th place), Joe Serock (39th place), WPT Champions Hugues Girard (82nd place), Taylor Black (97th place) and Viny Lima (99th place).

Throughout the 2024 season, the award-winning WPT Prime Tour saw significant field sizes and traversed eleven different countries: France, Netherlands, Slovakia, Australia, Canada, Italy, Taiwan, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom, and United States. The season also included a sail around the Caribbean Sea.

The 2025 WPT Prime season will bring more excitement globally with an early stop in Phnom Penh for WPT Prime Cambodia between February 14-18.