The seven-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Josh Arieh fell just short of his eighth WSOP crown last night in The Bahamas as Atlantis Resort saw a dramatic finale in the $10,000 8-Game Mix Event #12. Seven players reached the final table but Arieh fell out of the running early before a monumental heads-up battle between two men with vastly different records in the late stages of WSOP events played out.

Big Field Rewards WSOP Scheduling

Include a mixed game event on the WSOP schedule and the compliments are many but getting the attendances for such tournaments is always the proof of it being a good idea. That was certainly the case in this, the 12^th event of the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise series in The Bahamas.

Taking place at Atlantis Resort, scene of so many pivotal moments in poker history, the $10,000-entry 8-Game Mix 6-Max event had a whopping 115 entries, producing a $1.1 million prize pool and seeing some of the world’s best take part in the three-day event. Among the players to cash early but not run super-deep was the eight-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser. The British poker hero cashed in 17^th place for $21,000.

Jesse Lonis crushed early but fell away late in the day to win $22,900 in 12^th place, before Dylan Weisman, who had already reached a final table this series, went out just before this time, exiting in 10^th place for $26,200. Timing his run to the final table just right, the German player Koray Aldemir, a former WSOP Main Event winner in 2021, doubled up through Philip Sternheimer when pocket aces got the job done on the outskirts of the business end of the event.

Arieh Goes Close

Josh Arieh came into the final day hopeful of topping the 13 players who remained and thereby winning his eighth WSOP bracelet. The Atlanta, Georgia man has previously told us of his hopes of making it into the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame and with competition getting fiercer every year, each major trophy he wins is important.

Into the final table, Arieh fell to Philip Sternheimer in a hand of Seven Card Stud for a score of $38,400 in seventh place. The British player got the better of the American but soon, Chris Klodnicki scored one for the States when he took out both Dan Shak in sixth for $49,200 and the Canadian Mike Watson in fifth for $65,400 in a single hand of Razz.

Unable to push on and dominate the table, Klodnicki left in fourth place for $90,100 when the Brazilian player Felipe Ramos took him out. Sternheimer was the next victim of an elimination when Ramos continued his surge. Winning in 2-7 Triple Draw, Brazil’s sixth most successful poker player of all-time went into the heads-up battle with 75% of the chips… but everything was about to change.

Aldemir Makes the Moves

Koray Aldemir came into the final showdown with just a third of Ramos’ chips. That changed, however, and hours later, the stacks were level. By the time the clock ticked way past midnight, it was a slugfest, and Aldemir too the lead around 3am. Soon after, a key hand in Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better gave him the lead.

A few minutes later, the German player had the win, condemning Felipe Ramos to a fourth WSOP runner-up finish as the GGPoker Global Ambassador would have to wait to get his hands on the gold yet again.

In No Limit Hold’em, Aldemir won with pocket kings as he claimed his second WSOP bracelet and for considerably less than the $8m he pocketed for winning the first World Championship proper to be held after the COVID outbreak. Holding with the cowboys, Aldemir Won $287,800 as Ramos consoled himself with a still awesome cash of $188,900 in second place.

WSOP Paradise Event #12 $10,000 8-Game Mix 6-Handed Final Table Results:
Position	Player	Cumulative Winnings	Prize
1st	Koray Aldemir	Germany	$287,800
2nd	Felipe Ramos	Brazil	$188,900
3rd	Philip Sternheimer	United Kingdom	$128,400
4th	Chris Klodnicki	United States	$90,100
5th	Mike Watson	Canada	$65,400
6th	Dan Shak	United States	$49,200
7th	Josh Arieh	United States	$38,400