The concept of 'baby run good' is well known in the poker world. Many pros who are expecting a child or are a new parent find themselves making deep runs.
Zachary Fischer fits into that camp, expecting a baby soon with his wife. And like many before him, Fischer made the most of his status, claiming his first WSOP Circuit ring along with the first-place prize of $324,135 after winning the $1,700 Main Event at Harrah’s Cherokee.
He defeated a stacked field of 1,437 players to claim the biggest title of his career, pushing his live recorded earnings past the $1 million mark.
Fischer has been playing poker for ten years, the last four professionally, and has accumulated three second-place finishes in ring events. But on Monday night, he would not be denied.
The WSOP Circuit in Cherokee always brings out massive crowds, and this stop was no different. The Main Event generated a prize pool of $2,177,055, with the lion’s share going to Fischer’s bankroll and baby fund after shouts of “That baby’s getting a sick crib!” rang out during Fischer’s winner interview.
“It really means a lot to me,” Fischer said following the largest score of his career. “It feels overwhelming and I’m just really happy. I’ve been playing for a really long time and really chasing a ring. This is my first major win.”
The win could not have come at a better time. “I just got married and I’m having a kid soon, so the baby rungood is real.”
Chip leader falls as Fischer rises
A field that started with 1,437 hopefuls was reduced to just 13 for the final day of battle. Leading the way into the final day was Marc Lacroix, who was looking to complete a wire-to-wire performance.
After just one level of Day 3 play, the remaining ten players combined at a single final table.
Dustin Ragsdale and Eduardo Paz were the first to exit, followed by Lacroix who ran out of steam quickly to finish in eighth.
Young crusher Leo Taffe was the next casualty in seventh after running his pocket tens into the queens of J.B. Wells.
A trio of quick eliminations — Matt Yankowski, Andrew Smith, and Shane Lea — set the stage for a lengthy three-handed battle.
Warren Sheaves, Wells, and Fischer exchanged pots in a tense atmosphere as the weight of the payjumps bore down on them.
Ultimately, it would be Sheaves who fell in third after getting the rest of his stack into the middle with A-5 and coming up short against the pocket sixes of Wells.
His elimination paved the way for a grueling two-hour heads-up battle.
See-saw battle heads-up
Both players held commanding chip leads at one point as Wells looked primed for victory, riding the wave of momentum after winning several consecutive pots.
The pivotal hand came in a three-bet pot on a K-9-8 board. Wells shoved with middle pair, putting Fischer to the test for his tournament life, and Fischer eventually made the call with pocket queens. He held on to retake the lead.
Shortly after, Fischer moved all-in from the button with Q-Ts suited. Wells called off his final ten big blinds with J-5s. Queen-high was enough for the victory and Fischer celebrated with his rail.
2025 WSOPC Cherokee Main Event
- Zachary Fischer — $324,135
- J.B. Wells — $216,089
- Warren Sheaves — $153,035
- Shane Lea — $109,942
- Andrew Smith — $80,140
- Matt Yankowski — $59,284
- Leo Taffe — $44,516
- Marc Lacroix — $33,939
- Eduardo Paz — $26,277
