Bernhard Binder Wins WSOP Paradise Super Main Event for $10 Million

Bernhard Binder has claimed the biggest victory of his career, winning the 2025 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event for a $10,000,000 first prize and his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

The 27-year-old Austrian topped a record-breaking field of 2,891 entries in the $25,000 buy-in event, which carried a historic $60 million guarantee and ultimately generated a $72,275,000 prize pool. It stands as the largest non-WSOP Main Event prize pool in poker history .

Binder’s win came just weeks after fellow high-stakes regular Mario Mosbock suggested that the Austrian could be one of poker’s breakout players of 2026. That prediction arrived early in the Bahamas, where Binder converted a commanding final-table run into a career-defining title.

A Breakthrough Year Sealed on Poker’s Biggest Stage

Earlier this year, Binder had already enjoyed a major milestone, winning the GGMillion$ Main Event for $1.8 million. The WSOP Paradise victory multiplied that payday nearly tenfold and delivered his first live bracelet on one of poker’s grandest stages.

Standing across from him at the end was Jean-Noel Thorel , the 78-year-old French businessman and Triton Poker regular who had been the story of the tournament for much of the week. The two represented the youngest and oldest players at a final table that also featured Eric Wasserson, Terrance Reid, and Natasha Mercier.

After nearly four hours of heads-up play, the final hand saw Thorel move all in with king-queen, only for Binder’s ace-eight to hold and bring the marathon duel to an end.

“Thorel is a special opponent,” Binder said in an interview with PokerNews. “Playing heads-up against him is challenging because there are more unexpected things that happen than against most players. It was a great challenge.”

THE WINNING HAND! 🏆 @WSOP $25,000 Super Main Event

Bernhard Binder takes down the Super Main Event for $10,000,000!! GGWP ❤️🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/gViHSfPRR2

— PokerNews (@PokerNews) December 19, 2025

Final Table Results

A Final Table Full of Storylines

The final eight featured no shortage of narratives. Mercier returned with hopes of surpassing Liv Boeree ’s fourth-place finish from the previous year, which remains the largest-ever tournament cash by a woman. Terrance Reid continued an unlikely deep run after stepping away from his usual role in poker media.

Wasserson made an early impact on the final day, eliminating Franco Spitale in eighth place when his pocket queens held against ace-jack. Peter Chien followed in seventh after falling victim to a runner-runner flush from Binder despite having his opponent dominated.

Mercier’s tournament ended in fifth place when her ace-queen was undone by a rivered king against Thorel. Wasserson exited next, getting his chips in with ace-jack against Binder’s king-queen, only to see four diamonds hit the board and leave him drawing dead.

Reid bowed out in fourth place after check-shoving middle pair and running into a flopped flush held by Binder, bringing his run to an end just shy of the podium. Belarmino De Souza finished in third place after falling to Thorel, setting the stage for a heads-up battle that pitted youth against experience in one of the most anticipated duels of the series.

A Rail to Remember

Binder’s victory was celebrated by a vocal Austrian rail that supported him throughout the final table, wearing matching Team Binder shirts and filling the room with chants.

“If I was here alone and won this, it wouldn’t mean a fraction of what it means now,” Binder said when speaking to PokerNews. “To celebrate with so many people, and to know that I also had an impact for them, makes it special.”

Among those on the rail was Samuel Mullur, a long-time friend of Binder and a WSOP bracelet winner himself. Reflecting on their relationship, Binder added another personal note.

“When he wins something big, I think I’m more happy for him than he is for himself, and when I win something big, I think he’s more happy for me than I am for myself,” Binder said in the same interview. “It’s amazing to have such good friends.”

A Landmark Victory

With a $10 million first prize and a record-setting prize pool, the 2025 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event will be remembered as one of the defining tournaments of the modern era. For Bernhard Binder, it marks the transition from elite online performer to global live poker champion, firmly placing him among the game’s biggest names.

Quotes and hand details courtesy of PokerNews.