Schuyler Thornton

Schuyler Thornton was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, and today lives in Austin, Texas. He recorded his first live tournament cash in 2012 and spent years building a reputation as a regular in Texas card rooms and on mid-stakes regional circuits such as the WSOP Circuit. Throughout that time, he showed skill in both No Limit Hold'em and mixed games, a versatility that would later serve him well on the game's biggest stage.

Before his 2025 breakthrough, Thornton's largest live cash was $191,453. He had come close to a major title on several occasions, most notably a runner-up finish in the $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw at the 2025 World Series of Poker. He also posted a fourth-place finish in the 2025 WSOP Circuit Dallas Main Event for $70,535 and a 10th-place run in the WPT Choctaw Championship for $33,000.

Thornton's career changed forever in December 2025 at Wynn Las Vegas. He won the WPT World Championship, a $10,400 buy-in event that attracted 1,865 entrants, and took the title after a heads-up battle that lasted just 13 hands. The win placed him alongside recent champions Eliot Hudon (2022), Dan Sepiol (2023), and Scott Stewart (2024).

A Dominant Final Table

Heads-up play began with Thornton holding roughly 185 big blinds to Soheb Porbandarwala's 125. Thornton folded the first hand, then won 12 consecutive hands to close out the tournament. A huge pot early in heads-up play came when Thornton flopped a set of aces, moving him to a 5:1 chip lead. On the final hand, Porbandarwala got his stack in with A♥6♥ against Thornton's A♦K♠; the board ran out K♣5♥4♥ and blanks on the turn and river.

The final table itself was controlled by Thornton after a slow start. Porbandarwala had opened with more than a 2:1 chip advantage over Thornton, the only other big stack. Thornton first eliminated Maxx Coleman in sixth place ($540,000) when A♠Q♦ held against A♣10♥. He then sent Jeremy Becker out in fifth ($710,000) with the better ace, and soon after had Chad Lipton all-in and drawing thin with A♥Q♦ on a Q♥J♥4♦ flop; Lipton's J♣10♠ failed to improve and he exited in fourth for $940,000. Three-handed, Jeremy Brown doubled once through Porbandarwala before running top pair into Thornton's set of fours, finishing third for $1,250,000.

The Heads-Up Deal and Payouts

Before heads-up play, the two remaining players agreed to a chop. The official payouts left $2,098,456 for first and $1,969,344 for second, with an additional $160,000 and a $10,400 WPT seat awarded to the winner. Thornton therefore took home $2,258,856 in total for the victory, while Porbandarwala collected $1,969,344.

In his postgame interview, Thornton admitted he ran exceptionally well: "I ran hotter than anyone could ever dream of running. I had it every single time. And he made good folds a couple of times. Then I just dwindled him down. I think I made one bluff." He was also unsurprised by the aggression of the shorter stacks, specifically Jeremy Brown: "I know Jeremy Brown is not a pro. I think he was going for the win more than caring about ICM, which is awesome, good for him."

The WPT win pushed Thornton's live earnings past $4.2 million, placing him among the most successful Texas-born players on the all-time money list. His runner-up in the 2025 WSOP $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw came just months before the WPT title, and he had earlier posted results such as the WSOP Circuit Dallas Main Event fourth-place finish and the WPT Choctaw Championship tenth-place finish. These deep runs, combined with a decade of consistent cashes, established Thornton as a dangerous presence in both hold'em and mixed-game fields.

Thornton is described as a disciplined yet opportunistic player. At the WPT final table, he was the only player who managed to close the gap on Porbandarwala's early lead, and he took control by consistently putting his opponents to tough decisions. His calm demeanor and quick, aggressive heads-up play drew attention from commentators, with David Lappin and Jesse Sylvia remarking on the suddenness of Lipton's elimination. The PokerOrg report called the 13-hand heads-up finish a "beatdown" and noted that Thornton's only non-win in the duel was a fold on the very first hand.