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After over eight hours of Day 3 play, Michael Wilklow triumphed in Event #1: $1,000 Mystery Millions at the 2025 World Series of Poker, outlasting a massive 19,654-player field to win $1,000,000 and his first gold bracelet at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. He defeated Michael Acevedo heads-up, capping off a dramatic final table.

2025 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 Mystery Millions

• Buy-in: $1,000
• Date: May 27 to June 2, 2025
• Entries: 19,654
• Prize: 1st Place GTD $1,000,000, plus bounties (Top Bounty GTD $1,000,000)

Day 3 Action
With most of the big bounties already scooped on Day 2, Day 3 was all about laddering up and playing for pay jumps. The hunt wasn't for heads anymore, it was for survival.

But survival proved costly.
The day kicked off with fireworks as Demarco Howard became the first casualty, running his pocket sevens straight into Daniel Westphal's pocket kings, no help from the board, and Howard hit the rail in 20th.

From there, it was carnage. Short stacks shoved, big stacks called, and eliminations piled up like chips in a heater's stack. The pace was relentless.

In just three hours, the field of 20 was carved down to the final 10. The unofficial final table was set when George Tatalovich's pocket sixes got cracked by Yu Hsiang Huang's K♠ Q♦, who paired up to seal the deal.

Now, with pay jumps looming large and the title in sight, the real game begins.

Final Table Action
The final table brought plenty of firepower. Michael Acevedo, the renowned poker author, and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Strelitz brought experience and pedigree, but neither could slow down the surging Wilklow.

Momentum swung hard in Wilklow's favor with five players left. In a pivotal pot, his A♠ K♦ outkicked Acevedo's A♥ T♣ for a critical double-up. From there, he caught absolute heat, steamrolling through the table and knocking out three of his last four opponents.

Heads-up, the chips flew back and forth as Wilklow and Acevedo sparred in a tactical duel. The turning point came when Acevedo ran a bluff, but Wilklow, holding just fourth pair, dug deep and made a fearless call that shifted the tide for good.

The knockout blow came shortly after. Wilklow turned a full house, Acevedo rivered a straight, and the chips went in. The board sealed it, and so did Wilklow's legacy.

As the final card hit the felt, Wilklow's rail exploded. His million-dollar victory wasn't just a win, it was a career-defining breakthrough, smashing his previous best cash by 20x now.

Winner's Reaction
Wilklow, a longtime player who has recently taken the game more seriously, credited his success to mental focus and sobriety:
"I've never felt more focused than today... In the past, when I've played the Main Event, I remember feeling very tired on Day 3; today was different."

He noted that quitting drinking last year helped with his endurance and preparation:
"Before the day started and during the breaks, I was reviewing my heads-up notes just in case, and I was glad that I did."

On the competition, Wilklow shared:
"I was most wary of Wesley because he was the most loose-cannony, although I know the player I played heads-up is quite studied."

2025 WSOP Event #1: $1,000 Mystery Millions - Final Table Results

Week One Bracelet Winners at the 2025 WSOP
While the Mystery Millions continues to captivate, plenty of players have already sealed their own place in WSOP history. Here's a full list of bracelet winners from Week One of the 2025 WSOP series:

Stay tuned as the cards keep flying and dreams turn into cold, hard cash in poker's most electric summer stage!

Source: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/06/michael-wilklow-2025-wsop-bracelet-48716.htm