Schuyler Thornton just did something that shouldn't be possible at a major poker final table: he won 12 straight hands to close out the WPT World Championship.

Twelve. Consecutive. Hands.

That's not just running good. That's running like you've made some kind of deal with the poker gods, and honestly, we're not entirely sure he didn't.

The Quick Hit

• First place: $2,098,456
• The field: 1,865 entries in the $10,400 buy-in event
• The finish: Won 12 straight hands heads-up against Soheb Porbandarwala
• The story: Thornton's first major poker tournament win

From Behind to Dominant

When the final table kicked off, Thornton wasn't even the chip leader. Soheb Porbandarwala came in with a 2:1 chip advantage and had the resume to back it up — he's a WPT Champions Club member with multiple major cashes.

But poker doesn't care about your resume. And Thornton apparently decided he was done waiting for his breakout moment.

The 12-Hand Massacre

This is the part that will have poker Twitter arguing for weeks. Thornton won 12 consecutive hands to close out the tournament. Twelve. If not for a fold on the very first hand of heads-up play, it would have been a clean sweep from start to finish.

We've seen hot streaks before. We've seen players get on heaters. But winning 12 straight hands at the final table of a WPT World Championship? That's the kind of thing you tell your grandchildren about.

The Career Breakthrough

Thornton isn't some random first-timer. He's been grinding the circuit for years, stacking up near-misses along the way. His most recent heartbreak? A runner-up finish in the $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw at this summer's WSOP.

But second place doesn't pay the same. And now Thornton has a WPT World Championship title, $2.1 million, and a spot in the history books alongside Eliot Hudon (2022), Dan Sepiol (2023), and Scott Stewart (2024).

Final Table Payouts

For those keeping score at home:

1. Schuyler Thornton - $2,098,456
2. Soheb Porbandarwala - $1,969,344
3. Jeremy Brown - $1,115,000
4. Jeremy Becker - $830,000
5. Maxx Coleman - $620,000
6. Chad Lipton - $465,000

The Bottom Line

Sometimes poker rewards patience. Schuyler Thornton ground through a field of 1,865 players, overcame a massive chip deficit at the final table, and then went on the most dominant closing streak we've seen in a major tournament.

First major title. Over $2 million. And a story that'll be told for years.

Not a bad way to wrap up 2025.