Craig Savage Bides His Time to Triumph in WSOP $500 No Limit Holdem Freezeout

Table Of Contents

Event #61: $500 No-Limit Holdem Freezeout at the 2025 World Series of Poker has concluded here at The Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The event attracted a massive field of 5,082 runners, generating a total prize pool of $2,109,030 with $229,628 being awarded to the champion.

A total of 211 players bagged up from Day 1 of the tournament to fight it out in Day 2 for the title and take home the coveted WSOP bracelet along with the first-place prize.

After a relatively quick Day 2’s play, the 211 players were whittled down to the final table of nine who battled it out for the title. The final table went by fast, lasting a little over three hours. After a short heads-up match between Tony Harrison and Craig Savage, Savage was crowned the champion and took home the $229,628 first place prize whilst Harrison took home the runners-up second place prize of $152,874.

Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize (USD)
1 Craig Savage United States $229,628
2 Tony Harrison United States $152,874
3 Robbie Schiffbauer United States $113,244
4 Arthur Morris United States $84,584
5 Ben Fan China $63,706
6 Edwin Chang United States $48,387
7 Abhishek Mhatre Canada $37,064
8 Yudai Futai Japan $28,635
9 Sean Cronin United States $22,314

Game Plan Works for Savage

By far the biggest cash of Savage’s career and his first WSOP bracelet, the Dallas native had a relatively slow start to Day 2 and in his own words, was relatively short-stacked throughout the whole tournament. His philosophy was to just stay in the event and not take any unnecessary risks, and he felt that he would then be able to push on and win what he had promised himself to do at the beginning of the year.

Savage got a great boost to his stack by eliminating Mark Evangelista in 18th place to help him through to the final table, where he started off in fifth spot.

Again he picked his spots and bided his time laddering up the payouts and picked up some much-needed double-ups through Arthur Morris and then again when he needed luck on his side, he was awarded it. Savage also doubled up through Robbie Schiffbauer twice while also once through Harrison.

The crucial hand at the final table came when he took a monster pot from Schiffbauer, spiking an ace to send him into the chip lead, leaving Schiffbauer on fumes, who was eliminated shortly afterwards.

The heads-up battle against Harrison lasted only a few hands and wrapped up when Savage picked up pocket queens against Harrison’s ace-king. The champion spiked a queen on the flop to leave Harrison drawing dead by the turn, giving Savage the title and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

In this Series

FAQ

Can I play in the US?

Can I play in the US? WPT Global does not currently provide services to US players.

Is WPT Global a good site?

Is WPT Global a good site? WPT Global has a reputation for being a generous online poker site, one that offers a substantial welcome bonuses and plentiful ongoing promotions. PokerNews’ relationship with WPT Global allows us to offer the best WPT Global welcome bonus, so always use our links when creating an online poker account.

How does account verification work?

How does account verification work? WPT Global reserves the right to request documents to verify the identity of players and prevent problem or fraudulent activity. The types of documents required are: proof of identity (ID card, passport, driver’s license), proof of address (utility bills or bank statements not more than three months old) and proof of deposit (cards or e-wallet). When requested, players must provide full, clear, color photos or screenshots of verification documents.

How much is the WPT diamond membership?

Who owns the WPT? In 2021 the World Poker Tour was sold to Element Partners for $105 million.

Is it safe to play on WPT Global?

Is it safe to play on WPT Global? WPT Global is licenced in Curaçao by Gaming Services Provider N.V. and its RNG (random number generator) is independently certified by Gaming Laboratories International (GLI).

This site only collects related articles. Viewing the original, please copy and open the following link:Craig Savage Bides His Time to Triumph in WSOP $500 No Limit Holdem Freezeout

WPT Global
news poker-players
Recommended Articles