Joey Couden Wins Epic Salute to Warriors Event for Second WSOP Bracelet

The only former WSOP bracelet winner to reach the final stages of Event #45, the $500-entry Salute to Warriors event, claimed gold again last night in Las Vegas as Joey Couden won $187,937 in dramatic circumstances. The $500-entry Salute to Warriors event donates money to veterans every year and is always a popular tournament with players of all levels who want to show respect to their service men and women and win big bucks at the same time.

Joey Couden was the only bracelet winner in the field a long way from the line in Event #45 of the 2025 WSOP. The humble tournament regular, who also won the 2018 $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better event for $244,370, captured his second title seven years later in Las Vegas. Winning $187,937, Couden was presented with a giant cheque by the Vice President of the World Series of Poker, Jack Effel after the latest bracelet winner defeated fellow American Richard Buckingham heads-up.

Event #45 $500 Salute to Warriors Final Table Results:

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1^st	Joey Couden	United States	$187,937
2^nd	Richard Buckingham	United States	$125,034
3^rd	Ofer Saha	United States	$92,221
4^th	Yu Hsiang Huang	Taiwan	$68,619
5^th	Alexander Savchenko	Russia	$51,511
6^th	Brandon Sowers	United States	$39,015
7^th	Roger Hendren	United States	$29,818
8^th	Tim Caziarc	United States	$22,998
9^th	Luciano Melo	Brazil	$17,901

Record Numbers and Big Bucks

There were a record 3,937 entries in the 45^th event of the 100 that are hosted this year at the 56^th annual WSOP in Las Vegas. Taking place across both the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris casinos, the Salute to Warriors event took several days to crown a winner, however, and by the time the final table was reached, Couden held a commanding chip lead over the table.

Brazilian player Luciano Melo was the first to leave the party, cashing for $17,901 when his queen-ten couldn’t overtake Ofer Saha’s king-seven, which held to reduce the field to eight. That became seven moments later when American player Tim Carziarc moved all-in with ace-king against the inferior king-four belonging to Alexander Savchenko. Inferior, that was, until the four landed on the flop and no ace came to deny the Russian an elimination, Carziarc claiming $22,998 in eighth place.

Seven became six when Roger Hendren continued the streak of bad beats, his ace-king losing to Couden’s ace-ten, a flop of T-4-4 setting the tone, with another four on the turn and nine on the river ending the second consecutive American’s departure for $29,818. Brandon Sowers soon fell victim to Couden too, losing with ace-three to the latter’s jack-four as a four on the river broke Sowers’ heart and gave Couden yet more control of the final table.

Snapping the Salute

With five players left, Couden was in control and even when others picked up good hands, he had better. Russian player Alexander Savchenko cashed for $51,511 in fifth place when he moved all-in with ace-jack only to run into Couden’s pocket aces.

Yu Hsiang Huang actually had the best of it with king-deuce against Couden’s jack nine, but once again, the Poker Gods rewarded Couden, a nine coming on the turn after a deuce had fallen on the flop. Huang won $68,619 as he missed out on the podium places.

Ofer Saha figured a ‘coinflip’ might change matters but was wrong. All-in with pocket deuces, he couldn’t hold against Couden’s ace-five, as a board of A-T-6-J-8 gave the chip leader another elimination, Saha claiming $92,221 in third place.

That hand meant Couden’s chip lead was 5:1 when heads-up began, and it didn’t take long for him to finish Buckingham off. All-in with pocket threes, the two players were off to the races once more as Couden turned over queen-jack. A flop of Q-J-2 was a disaster for Buckingham, who was drawing to a three to survive. It never came, of course, an eight on the turn followed by a seven on the river. Buckingham won $125,034 as runner-up, with Couden celebrating his second bracelet win and a top prize of $187,937 with his friends on the rail.

The Champion in His Own Words

After his bracelet victory, Couden was delighted to share his thoughts on the dominant performance he’d put in.

“I couldn’t be more happy, good timing for me, for sure!” he said. “To start the day, I had a bad first 20 minutes. I lost half my stack. I started with 14 million, and got all the way down to five million.”

Thereafter, of course, everything changed and Couden scored bust-outs in quick succession.

“I won a couple of hands, doubled up to 25 million, and it was pretty smooth from there,” he said. “I kept winning small pots, and the field got shorter and shorter with their stack depths. Once it got sub 20 big blinds, it really just opened it up for me where I could more pressure on everybody.”

Once five players remained, Couden was a monster, trampling on his opponents’ dreams. That’s when ICM pressure helped him exert control over his tablemates.

“At that time, me personally, I am just high on the moment. I’m not thinking about what is happening, just making the best decision I can in the moment. It was easy to be happy and have fun. This is why we do this - that’s as fun as it gets out here!”

After the second bracelet of his career came down to a final flourish to be proud of, Joey Couden enjoyed a snappy salute to warriors he was more than happy to donate to at the far easier battlefield of WSOP tournament poker.

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Paul Seaton