Most “best poker players of the year” lists follow one simple rule: sort by money won. That approach is easy — but it misses the bigger picture when it comes to sustained, long term poker tournament performance.
A single seven-figure score can outweigh an entire year of elite consistency. Meanwhile, players who repeatedly reach final tables, win multiple events, and close tournaments out often get buried lower down the rankings.
So for this list, we did things differently…
This is a ranking of the top live poker tournament performers of 2025, judged primarily on finishing positions, not prize money.
How We Scored This Top Poker Tournament Player 2025 List
Instead of total earnings, we focused on where players finished across the year.
Our core data comes from the 2025 Card Player Player of the Year leaderboard, which tracks:
- Tournament wins (titles)
- Final table appearances
- Consistent deep runs across qualifying live MTTs
- To make performance easier to compare, we applied a simple, transparent scoring lens:
- Win (1st place) = high impact result
- Final table appearances = sustained elite performance
- Volume of top finishes = consistency over time
To visualise this, we used a Placement Performance Index (PPI):
- PPI = (Titles × 5) + Final Tables
This doesn’t replace official rankings, but it helps highlight who spent the most time at the business end of tournaments in 2025.
The Top 10 Poker Tournament Performers of 2025
Here are the names that rise to the top, based on a performance based ranking.
1. Jesse Lonis — The Benchmark for Consistency
- Titles: 8
- Final Tables: 27
- Placement Performance Index: 67
If 2025 had a definition of “elite volume,” Jesse Lonis would be it.
Eight wins in a single year is exceptional by any standard, but pairing that with 27 final tables puts Lonis in a category of his own. This wasn’t a heater — it was relentless pressure across multiple tours and formats.
What makes his year especially impressive is conversion. Lonis didn’t just go deep; he closed events out again and again, proving his edge once stacks got shallow and decisions mattered most.
2. Punnat Punsri — High Roller Precision
- Titles: 4
- Final Tables: 27
- PPI: 47
While Lonis led on outright wins, Punnat Punsri matched him for final table volume — and did it primarily in tougher, smaller, high-roller fields.
Punsri’s 2025 performance was about precision. He consistently navigated elite lineups and avoided the big downswings that often come with high buy-ins. Fewer titles than Lonis, but just as many final tables tells a story of sustained, high-difficulty success.
3. Alex Foxen — Still the Gold Standard
- Titles: 5
- Final Tables: 19
- PPI: 44
By now, Foxen’s presence near the top of any performance-based list almost feels inevitable.
Five wins and nineteen final tables underline why he remains one of the most feared tournament players in the world. What stands out in 2025 is how balanced his results were — strong finishes across different tours, formats, and field sizes.
Foxen’s year wasn’t built on one spike. It was built on constant contention.
4. Sam Soverel — Aggression That Paid Off
- Titles: 6
- Final Tables: 17
- PPI: 47
Few players polarise opinions like Sam Soverel — and that’s exactly why his 2025 results matter.
Six titles puts him among the most prolific winners of the year, and his seventeen final tables show that his high-pressure style wasn’t reckless — it was effective. Soverel consistently pushed edges where others hesitated, and the results followed.
5. Brandon Wilson — Quietly Ruthless
- Titles: 5
- Final Tables: 15
- PPI: 40
Brandon Wilson didn’t dominate headlines in 2025 — but he dominated final tables.
Five wins and fifteen final tables reflect a player who maximised opportunities. Wilson’s year was about execution: fewer wasted deep runs, fewer missed chances to win when momentum swung his way.
He may not have had the flashiest scores, but few players were more efficient when it mattered.
6. Artur Martirosian — The Model of Control
- Titles: 3
- Final Tables: 18
- PPI: 33
Martirosian’s 2025 was a masterclass in controlled excellence.
Eighteen final tables show just how often he reached the final stages, and while the title count was lower than some peers, his consistency across elite fields stands out. Martirosian’s game thrives in high-skill environments, and his results reflect that edge.
7. Stephen Chidwick — Consistency Personified
- Titles: 2
- Final Tables: 19
- PPI: 29
Chidwick’s low win count might surprise some — but nineteen final tables tell the real story.
This was another year where Chidwick lived deep in tournaments. He repeatedly put himself in position to win, often against the toughest opposition available. Even without multiple titles, his placement volume cements his status as one of poker’s most reliable closers.
8. Klemens Roiter — Breakthrough Volume
- Titles: 2
- Final Tables: 18
- PPI: 28
Roiter’s presence here reflects a year of sustained progression.
Eighteen final tables show he wasn’t just running well — he was belonging at the sharp end of events. His 2025 results mark him as a player transitioning from “dangerous” to “established threat” on the live circuit.
9. Andrew Ostapchenko — Efficiency Over Exposure
- Titles: 3
- Final Tables: 14
- PPI: 29
Ostapchenko didn’t flood the schedule — but when he showed up, he delivered.
Three wins and fourteen final tables highlight a year built on selective excellence. His performance suggests strong preparation and a clear understanding of where his edge was strongest.
10. Quan Zhou — Making the Most of Every Run
- Titles: 2
- Final Tables: 14
- PPI: 24
Rounding out the list is Quan Zhou, whose 2025 results reflect a player who maximised deep runs.
While the raw volume is lower than others on this list, his ability to turn opportunities into podium-level finishes earned him a deserved place among the year’s top performers.
