Nelson Mari Sanchez Wins $777,777 in 2025 WSOP Lucky 7’s Event #90
As the 2025 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas nears its thrilling conclusion, Event #90 — the $777 Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em — delivered one of the most entertaining storylines of the summer.
What made this event so unique wasn’t a complicated format or a twist on traditional poker rules. Instead, it was all in the branding: a $777 buy-in, seven-handed play, and a guaranteed first-place prize of $777,777. With a massive 8,012 entries and a $5,447,111 prize pool, it quickly became one of the most popular tournaments of the series.
In the end, Mexico’s Nelson Mari Sanchez emerged as the lucky champion. He outlasted Canada’s Alex Liu in a short heads-up battle to secure the $777,777 top prize — by far the biggest payday of his career. Sanchez had only one prior recorded cash for $4,924, making this victory a poker fairy tale come true.
Liu, who entered heads-up play at a chip disadvantage, couldn’t turn things around but still walked away with a career-best score of $332,777.
One of the most familiar names at the final table was British pro Patrick “Pads” Leonard, but he exited in eighth place on the very first hand of the day after running ace-jack into ace-king.
[Nelson Mari Sanchez]
2025 WSOP Event #90: $777 Lucky 7’s Final Table Results
1 Nelson Mari Sanchez – Mexico $777,777
2 Alex Liu – Canada $332,777
3 Nicola Bracchi – Italy $244,777
4 Allen Shen – Canada $181,777
5 Kieran Walsh – Ireland $135,777
6 Hertsel Levy – Panama $101,777
7 Hayato Kitajima – Japan $77,777
8 Patrick Leonard – United Kingdom $59,470
Final Table Recap: Sanchez Turns Short Stack Into Historic Victory
Eight players returned for Day 3 of the Lucky 7’s event, led by Italy’s Nicola Bracchi with 37 big blinds. Close behind was Allen Shen (29 big blinds), while Hayato Kitajima started as the short stack with just eight. Patrick Leonard and Nelson Mari Sanchez both returned with 12 big blinds.
Leonard’s tournament ended quickly after running ace-jack into Bracchi’s ace-king on the first hand of the day. The board ran clean, sending the British pro home in eighth place.
Sanchez, however, gained momentum early and never looked back. He climbed from one of the shortest stacks to chip leader in a matter of hands and eliminated Kitajima in seventh. On a 10♣8♦3♦ flop, Sanchez held two pair (ten-eight), while Kitajima had ace-queen. An ace on the turn gave the Japanese player hope, but the river blanked, and he exited with $77,777.
In sixth place, Hertsel Levy moved all-in and got called by both Bracchi and Sanchez. The board was checked down, and Bracchi revealed trips with nine-four to bust Levy for $101,777.
Sanchez then snapped off a failed bluff attempt from Ireland’s Kieran Walsh, who shoved on a 9♠6♥Q♥7♦Q♦ board. Sanchez called with a full house (queens full of sixes), and Walsh was eliminated in fifth place for $135,777.
Sitting with nearly two-thirds of the chips in play, Sanchez wasn’t slowing down. He busted Allen Shen next. Shen found second pair with eight-four but ran into Sanchez’s pocket aces and exited in fourth with $181,777.
Bracchi, who had led at the start of the final table, was Sanchez’s final obstacle before heads-up. Bracchi shoved with ace-four, but Sanchez called with ace-king and flopped a straight. The Italian departed in third for $244,777.
[Patrick Leonard]
Heads-Up: Sanchez Closes in Style
Sanchez entered heads-up play with a dominant chip lead over Alex Liu — more than 3:1. It didn’t take long to finish. Just four hands in, Liu shoved with ace-three and ran into Sanchez’s ace-ten. A ten landed on the flop, and no help came on the turn or river.
Liu earned $332,777 for his impressive runner-up finish, while Nelson Mari Sanchez celebrated the biggest win of his life, collecting $777,777 and the gold bracelet.
