They call him a “luck box” for a reason. Steve Trizis put on a masterclass in Week 12, riding pocket aces and timely holdings to claim his second victory of the season and rocket into the top five. With six weeks remaining and the prize pool surging past $68,000 – now guaranteeing seven $10K WSOP Main Event seats – this season has become a wide-open battle where no one is out of contention. Ray Mancini still commands the top spot at 73 points, but his lead over Ryan Harfouch (65) has shrunk to just eight points after Ryan suffered a brutal beat when Tim cracked his aces with pocket tens. David Smith (55 points) continues his surge into third place, while James McKinnon (50) holds steady in fourth. But it’s Steve Trizis who stole the show this week. His Week 12 triumph, backed by pocket aces against Andra Zachow’s 77, and a series of dominant hands at the final table, vaults Team Steve Trizis/Allen Wiseman to 44 points and fifth place overall. The classics kept coming all night: Tim’s TT over Ryan’s AA, Mark’s AA over Mohamed’s QQ, and Ryan bouncing back to eliminate David Smith. When the dust settled, Steve had navigated through a stacked final table featuring Dugg Hadden, David Smith, Jack Bittker, and Mark Winchell to claim the crown.

It was a classic!

A double for Mark AA>Mohamed’s QQ

And another classic! This time Ryan H>David S

JJ for Mark gets the win vs Mo

Bad timing for Tom!

Final Table!

A double for Ondrei Ronhaar through Dugg Hadden!

Andra Zachow finished 9th 77<Steve Trizis’ AA. What a luck box he is!!

David S A9> K6 Rob F

Rob Fulton 8th

David S A9> K5dd Ondrei

Ondrei Ronhaar 7th

David KJ > Dan G J2

Dan Goonin 6th

David K5> 88 Mark

Mark Winchell 5th

Steve Q9> Q8 Jack B

Jack Bittker 4th

Steve 85> 47 David S

David Smith 3rd

Steve K5> QT Dugg

Dugg Hadden 2nd

Steve Trizis for the win!

The final table in order of finish was:

1.Steve Trizis

2.Dugg Hadden 

3.David Smith 

4.Jack Bittker

5.Mark Winchell 

6.Dan Goonin 

7.Ondrei Ronhaar 

8.Rob Fulton

9.Andra Zachow

Steve Trizis’s dominant final table performance—dispatching Jack Bittker (Q-9 over Q-8), David Smith (8-5 over 4-7), and Dugg Hadden (K-5 over Q-T)—adds 14 crucial points and proves that momentum can shift in an instant. His jump to 44 points puts him squarely in the hunt for a WSOP Main Event seat, and with six weeks remaining, the math is simple: everyone still has a shot. Ray Mancini (73) holds the lead, but Ryan Harfouch (65) is one hot streak away from overtaking him. David Smith (55), James McKinnon (50), and now Steve Trizis (44) have positioned themselves as serious contenders, while Lee Tran/Hugh Mayes (42), Jack Feeney (41), Robert Fulton (39), and Tom McDonald/Dan Johnson (38) are all within striking distance. Even players in the teens to low 30s aren’t mathematically eliminated—with 14 points available each week, two or three big finishes could propel anyone into the top tier. Dugg Hadden’s runner-up finish (36 points) and David Smith’s continued consistency prove that every final table matters. The message is clear: in a season this deep and this competitive, no one is out of it yet. With seven guaranteed seats and climbing, the race to Las Vegas is heating up, and the next six weeks will determine who’s going to poker’s biggest stage.