WPT Bay 101: Vanier, Peacock, Betbese and Vezhenkov Lead Charge

_{Vanier and Peacock will be fighting it out at the poker table. (Image: World Poker Tour)}

The 2025 edition of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship kicks off October 24 at 10:15 a.m. PT. With a $5,300 buy-in ($4,800 to prize pool, $500 registration fee) and the broadcasting of the final table (six players) in Las Vegas in December, this event packs serious stake and visibility.

One in eight entries will cash (approx. 12.5 %), and the structure features 60-minute levels in early days, shifting to 90-minutes as the field narrows, before a televised final table heads-up format of 60/30 minutes. The tournament uses the Action Clock from level 16 on Day 2, with time-extension chips rolling over and strategic implications for players.

Beyond the prize money, the winner receives a $10,400 seat into the WPT World Championship. The format and visibility make this a key stop for aspiring poker champions and established pros alike.

Top Rated Players to Watch

Here are the top four ranked poker players heading into the event, with their recent performance context and stats.

Mike Vanier

Mike Vanier (USA) enters with a strong profile: live tournament earnings total approximately $2.73 million, with his top live cash standing at $595,000. He won his first WPT main-tour title at the WPT Choctaw Championship in May 2025, for $338,000. Vanier, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, has polished his career with 113 recorded cash-es. With that momentum, he enters Bay 101 as a serious contender.

Art Peacock

Art Peacock (USA) boasts live earnings of roughly $2.51 million, with a career-best cash of $776,000 after capturing his first WPT title. His win came at the 2025 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship, where he took $776 k. A veteran in the circuit, Peacock brings experience, a big recent win, and momentum into the Bay 101 field.

Nico Betbese

Nico Betbese (Argentina) has amassed about $1.995 million in live earnings and recently claimed his first WPT title at the WPT Venetian Las Vegas Championship, pocketing $706,960. That win came over a 1,153-player field and marked a breakout moment for Betbese. His success on the WPT stage makes him a dark horse to watch in this event.

Artem Vezhenkov

Artem Vezhenkov (Russia) has live earnings near $2.09 million and is known for his online and live tournament strength. He captured the WPT Cambodia Championship in February 2025 for $390,650. Vezhenkov blends online brilliance with live pressure performance, making him another credible threat.

New Zealand's Poker Stars

While the Bay 101 field will feature global pros, New Zealand’s poker community has a vested interest in events like this. Kiwis such as Sosia Jiang (career earnings $6.1 million), Lee Nelson ($2.55 million), and Thomas Ward ($1.84 million) sit atop the New Zealand All-Time Money List, proving the region’s players can compete with the world’s best.

These names set the benchmark for the next generation of New Zealand talent eyeing major-tour breakthroughs. Watching Bay 101’s format and field gives aspiring Kiwi players insight into what it takes to thrive at poker’s top tier, deep-stack strategy, composure under clock pressure, and endurance across four long days.

Key Event Details 

 Structure & pacing: Day 1 features eight 60-minute levels; Day 3 shifts to 90-minute levels once down to 24 players; Day 4 continues 90-minute levels until six remain, then the televised final table moves to 60/30. A slower pace gives players more room for decisions and deep‐stack play.

Action Clock rules: Starting Day 2 after level 16, the Action Clock by Poker Atlas comes into effect. Time-extension chips accumulate and aren’t reset. Multiple extensions thrown by a player result in added 30 seconds per chip. Strategically, players who manage their time well could gain an edge, especially in tougher spots.

Ante format: Big blind ante, a single ante posted by the big-blind player equal to the big blind. When a player has less than a big blind, the ante takes precedence. This accelerates the action and forces more pre-flop decisions.

Seating & redraws: Tables start 9-handed, move to 8-handed at Day 3 start, and 6-handed at 36 players. Redraws will happen at end of Day 1 and Day 2, then again at 36, 18 and 7 players (or at Tournament Director’s discretion). Such redraws reduce positional advantages and shake up player dynamics.

Payout & prize incentives: One in eight entries will cash. Notably, $10,400 from the prize pool will be issued to the 1st-place finisher as a seat into the WPT World Championship in Las Vegas, adding an extra trophy beyond the money.

Televised final table: The final table of six will be televised in December, offering significant exposure for players. For many entrants, the prestige of reaching the final table may matter as much as the cash prize.

What's in it for the Fans?

The WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship blends deep-stack poker with the glamour of television coverage and the incentive of a seat in December’s world finale. For fans back home in New Zealand, it’s a chance to see how international elites prepare and play, and a reminder that Kiwi pros like Jiang, Nelson, and Ward are right up there among the game’s elite.

As the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship revs up on October 24, the spotlight will fall on the top contenders, Vanier, Peacock, Betbese and Vezhenkov, along with a strong supporting field. The structure, rules innovations (Action Clock, big blind ante), and the televised final table all converge to make this one of the most compelling tournaments of the season. Players who balance strategy, time-management, and stamina over four days will be the ones to watch.