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Left for dead at 14 to 1, Martin Kabrhel rises to win the BSOP Super High Roller

Björn Norin

November 20, 2025

SÃO PAULO | BSOP Millions Super High Roller Coverage

In one of the most dramatic finishes of the 2025 BSOP Millions, Czech professional Martin Kabrhel overturned a 14 to 1 chip deficit to win the Super High Roller title at the WTC Sheraton. The victory earned him R$2,110,000 (approximately USD 422,000) and closed out a R$150,000 (USD 30,000) event that drew 44 of the toughest players in the region.

The final table was built for a Brazilian celebration, with local stars André Akkari, Thiago Crema, Rodrigo Seiji and Rafael Moraes all in contention. Kabrhel was the lone outsider, but once the cards fell in his favor, he controlled the key moments with clinical precision.

Breaking through the Brazilian wall

Kabrhel struck first by eliminating Rafael Moraes in sixth place. Moraes three-bet shoved A♠7 suited and Kabrhel called instantly with pocket tens. The board ran safely, and the Czech player picked up a crucial knockout.

Minutes later, Thiago Crema exited in fifth. His pocket fours were ahead preflop, but Kabrhel’s A♠9 paired an ace on the river, widening the gap between him and the remaining Brazilian contenders.

With two eliminations secured, Kabrhel entered the heads-up phase with momentum, but not the lead.

The collapse and the climb

Estonian professional Ottomar Ladva, a former chess grandmaster, dictated the early part of the heads-up match. He chipped away at Kabrhel with steady, controlled pressure until the Czech player was down to six big blinds. At that point, Ladva held close to 93 percent of the chips in play.

Comebacks from this depth are statistically rare, especially against an opponent with Ladva’s structure and discipline. Yet Kabrhel found a path back, doubling up twice in quick succession and earning just enough room to reintroduce pressure of his own.

As Ladva’s advantage slipped, his decision-making windows narrowed. Kabrhel exploited the shift aggressively, targeting mid-strength hands and forcing folds that had not been available earlier. Within forty minutes, the stacks were level. Soon after, Kabrhel moved in front.

The final hand

With the tournament on the line, Ladva moved all-in holding Q♣7♥. Kabrhel called with 3♥3♦.

The board ran 6♣ 10♦ A♦ 4♠ 4♣, leaving Kabrhel’s pocket pair untouched and sealing one of the most improbable victories of the BSOP season.

“I was very lucky”

After the win, Kabrhel was quick to acknowledge the role of fortune in the turnaround.

“I was very lucky,” he told reporters. “To come back from that deficit, you have to win every all-in. Today the cards wanted me to win.”

The trophy adds another major result to a résumé that includes two World Series of Poker bracelets and more than USD 12 million in live earnings. It also reinforces his reputation as one of poker’s most resilient and difficult endgame opponents.