'Breaking my brain': WSOP Shootout winner grabs $1M bonus only he could win

Michael Lavin parlayed a 2,800-entry freeroll into a $1 million bonus and his first live WSOP bracelet in the $1,500 Shootout on Friday night at the 2025 World Series of Poker. 

Lavin, who has 17 online WSOP Circuit rings and one online bracelet, added his first live WSOP hardware and a $1 million bonus from the Gold Rush Promotion on ClubWPT Gold on top of the first prize of $267,373. The contest awarded the seven-figure prize for any Gold Rush ticket holder who won one of 11 select events at the WSOP. Tickets can be claimed in freerolls and social media promotions. Lavin secured his pass in a 2,800-entry freeroll on the online poker platform. 

"It’s still overwhelming," Lavin told us after the win. "It’s very difficult to be happy with poker when you play professionally. You lose a lot. To win feels f*****g awesome. I’m still processing it all."

The East Coast poker party will likely go deep into the night.

A million-dollar twist

The million-dollar prize was a unique twist in an event that already operates differently than the others. The WSOP Shootout starts with single-table tournaments, sending the winner of each to another round of sit-and-gos. The 15 Round 2 winners gathered on Day 3 to play down to a winner. 

"It made the whole tournament so weird for me," Lavin said about the bloated top prize that was only available to him. "I had to win, and second made no difference. Through the whole final table I had to play completely different. It was breaking my brain."

The forced strategy worked, and aggressive play had Lavin on top of the counts early in final table play. He would not relinquish the dominating lead on a path to beating Michael Rossitto in heads-up play. 

"I played different than I would have. I had to be uncomfortable and do a lot of different shit."

Lavin was emotional for his first live WSOP win and his extra million dollars.

East Coast loyalty

The anticipated circus-like atmosphere of the promotion didn't come to fruition, but Lavin had a loyal rail the whole way. Lavin is an East Coast player, a tight-knit and loyal community of poker players who have played together for years. 

Lavin's cheering section was led by the trio of Michael Bohmerwald, Stanton Tentnowski, and Deon Smith. All three are from the poker-rich Rust Belt, where they've stomped the ground at Borgata and online for some time now. 

"I met him through a friend of mine that I played baseball with," Tentnowski said. "I found out that he’s big into golf and a poker player. I’m a poker player and very into golf, and we linked up like that. He’s a very good golfer, even though I take his money because I have a fake handicap."

Bohmerwald met Lavin three years ago. "I just got into poker around COVID. I met him at Borgata, and we played a couple of rounds of golf. We battle a lot online now, especially with the merged states." Smith met him at a WSOP Circuit event, and they've been friends since. "I flew (to the WSOP) with him, and we are in the same hotel."

Smith, Bohmerwald, and Tentnowski (in that order).

Jess Beck

All three consider Lavin one of the best people they know, and all three were floored by the situation he found himself in. 

"This is a rare situation, and you can’t study for it," Bohmerwald said. "You just have to play and win." 

"It’s a weird dynamic," Tentnowski added. "All of our heads were spinning coming into the day."

Their heads were spinning, but the strategy was clear: just win. "He doesn’t care about ladders," Smith said.

As for the money, they say Lavin won't change much. He will probably pay for a few drinks and some meals this summer. "We might play a better golf course next time," according to Bohmerwald. 

Lavin's plans? "Golf tomorrow."

2025 WSOP $1,500 Shootout final table results