Darren Elias added another highlight to his decorated poker career by winning event no. 4 at the 2025 Poker Masters, overcoming a dramatic heads-up battle against David Chen. The $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em tournament attracted 112 entries, building a $1,120,000 prize pool. Elias walked away with $280,000, along with key PokerGO Tour (PGT) and Player of the Year (POY) points.
The four-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion and WSOP bracelet winner entered the final day as chip leader, seemingly destined for an easy win. But the road to victory was anything but smooth, as Elias had to survive multiple all-ins and several shocking reversals of fortune before securing the title.
Darren Elias Overcomes Chen’s Surge
Elias started heads-up play with a commanding 6:1 chip lead over David Chen. Momentum shifted quickly, however, when Chen doubled through with ace-ten against Elias’ king-ten and then surged into the lead.
Within an hour, Elias was down to just 15 big blinds and all-in with king-three versus Chen’s dominating king-jack. A four-club runout saved his tournament life, and from there, Elias mounted one of the most improbable comebacks of the series.
Key hands included:
- Q♣7♣ vs. 9♠5♦ – Elias spiked a river seven to double through Chen’s two pair.
- 10♦8♦ vs. 7♥7♣ – Chen flopped a set, but Elias hit a straight on the river to retake the lead.
- Q♥J♣ vs. A♠2♣ – Elias closed it out with another straight to claim victory.
With the win, Elias boosted his lifetime earnings to nearly $15.1 million and earned 600 POY points, moving closer to the top 100 in the 2025 race presented by CoinPoker. His 280 PGT points also vaulted him inside the top 50 on the PokerGO Tour leaderboard.
Big Names Fall at the Final Table
The final day began with seven players in contention, including several notables:
- Mitchell Halverson (7th – $44,800): Extended his lead in the series-long Purple Jacket race.
- Victoria Livschitz (6th – $56,200): Ran pocket fours into queens and now boasts $2.5 million in career cashes.
- Adam Hendrix (5th – $72,500): The 2025 WSOP Main Event sixth-place finisher added another strong result.
- Stephen Song (4th – $100,500): The bracelet winner pushed his lifetime total past $11.3 million.
- Neil Warren (3rd – $129,000): Claimed the fourth-largest payday of his career.
David Chen’s Breakout Year Continues
Though denied the trophy, David Chen collected $185,000 for his runner-up finish. Just 22 years old, Chen made history last year as the youngest PGT title winner at the Poker Masters.
Four of his five largest scores have come in 2025, including a $260,000 second-place finish in a $25,000 Wynn Summer Classic event. With this result, Chen’s career earnings now exceed $2.3 million.
Poker Masters Event #4 – Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darren Elias | $280,000 | 600 | 280 |
| 2 | David Chen | $185,000 | 500 | 185 |
| 3 | Neil Warren | $129,000 | 400 | 129 |
| 4 | Stephen Song | $100,500 | 300 | 101 |
| 5 | Adam Hendrix | $72,500 | 250 | 73 |
| 6 | Victoria Livschitz | $56,200 | 200 | 56 |
| 7 | Mitchell Halverson | $44,800 | 150 | 45 |
Key Takeaways
- Darren Elias captures Poker Masters Event #4 for $280,000.
- Victory pushes him past $15.1 million in career winnings.
- David Chen continues stellar 2025 run with $185,000 finish.
- Mitchell Halverson remains series points leader in the Purple Jacket race.
With his trademark resilience, Darren Elias turned near elimination into another major victory, cementing his place among the frontrunners in the 2025 Poker Masters and strengthening his case in the PGT and POY standings.
Photo credit: PokerGO Tour / Antonio Abrego
