Josh Arieh is Living His Best Life in Las Vegas w3t1u
With a week of the 56th annual World Series of Poker in the books, one man who has been at…
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The Russian high-stakes pro emerged from a stacked 64-player bracket, outlasting every opponent in a format that leaves little room for error. The $500,000 win wasn’t just another bullet point on an already impressive resume—it was a calculated, hard-fought win that underscored his strength in this format.
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
1st | Artur Martirosian | Russian Federation | $500,000 |
2nd | Aliaksei Boika | Belarus | $300,000 |
3rd | Patrick Leonard | United Kingdom | $180,000 |
3rd | David Chen | United States | $180,000 |
5th | Chance Kornuth | United States | $86,000 |
5th | Thomas Eychenne | $86,000 | |
5th | Harvey Castro | United States | $86,000 |
5th | Mike Shi | United States | $86,000 |
Martirosian’s path through the event was anything but smooth, but it showcased the calm, disciplined approach that defines his game. He opened against Jeremy Ausmus and fell behind nine-to-one in chips before mounting a calculated comeback. That same control reappeared in the quarterfinals against Chance Kornuth and again in the final against Boika—each time, Martirosian kept his cool, adjusted his strategy, and shifted the match back in his direction.
His semifinal against Patrick Leonard revealed a sharper edge. A flopped set of kings gave Martirosian early momentum, and he made the most of it. Leonard fought back, but eventually, Martirosian’s A♠ Q♦ held against A♠J♦, sending him into the final match.
Boika’s semifinal was cleaner—he dismantled David Chen in a four-bet pot with the nut flush. It was a confident win and earned him a shot at the title.
Martrisosian now owns three WSOP bracelets, including two in heads-up championships. He previously won the 2023 WSOP Online $10K Heads-Up title and another bracelet at the WSOP Paradise series. While this wasn’t the biggest payday of his career, it marked his first bracelet win in a live Las Vegas event.
“It’s my favorite tournament,” Martirosian said post-victory. “Last year I made the semifinals and lost. So yeah, it feels good to finally close it out.”
Known for his composed style and strategic patience, Martirosian credited his background in online heads-up formats, particularly Spin & Go tournaments, as key to his success.
“I have a lot of experience in this format. I know how to be patient,” he told reporters, according to post-match coverage from WSOP media outlets.
With this win, Martirosian pushed his career live tournament earnings past $25.4 million and remains the top earner on Russia’s all-time money list.
The final began with Boika seizing early momentum. However, Martirosian took control after flopping a full house with A♣ 10♣ and widened the gap with a rivered set of eights. It was a decisive and hard-found end to the match.
On the final hand, Boika opened with K♥ Q♥ and snap-called Martirosian’s shove with A♦ 6♣.
The K♦ Q♦ 7♣ flop gave Boika top two pair, but the 4♦ on the turn game Martirosian a flush draw, and the 9♦ on the river completed it, ending the match and securing the title.
This victory earned Martirosian 504 Card Player POY points and 300 PokerGO Tour points, his first PGT score of the year. Coming off a strong showing at Triton Montenegro, where he cashed in nine events, Martirosian looks poised for a standout WSOP run.
With three bracelets and a proven edge in high-pressure formats, he’ll be a player to watch for the rest of the series.
Follow TightPoker for full coverage and updates from the 2025 WSOP as the series unfolds.
Photos from PokerGo and PGT