For the past five years, Winston Djonli has been a familiar face in low- and mid-stakes tournaments around Austin, Texas. While consistency brought him plenty of four-figure cashes and a few modest wins, a truly defining result had remained just out of reach—until recently.
That narrative shifted last month when Djonli posted what was then a career-best $115,682 by finishing runner-up in a $3,000 event, effectively doubling his lifetime tournament earnings. Just three weeks later, he found himself under the brightest lights yet, seated at the final table of the $1,700 WSOP Circuit Million Dollar Main Event at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma. Starting the day among the shorter stacks, Djonli completed a stunning comeback, collected every chip in play, earned $232,680, and captured his first WSOP Circuit ring.
Steady Mindset Under Pressure
“Honestly, it feels great,” Djonli said after the win. “I’m still kind of emotionally flat right after leaving the table. That’s usually how I play—I try to shut everything out and just focus on the cards. I’m sure it’ll sink in later.”
Reflecting on his recent surge, Djonli added, “I’ve been playing a long time, so it’s really nice to see some big results finally come together. I feel like I’ve had a bit of a breakthrough in how I approach the game, and it’s starting to show.”
Although Djonli spent much of Day 2 among the chip leaders—and even briefly held the top spot—his stack slipped late in the session. He returned for the final day fifth in chips among the nine remaining players. With six short stacks in the mix, the field quickly thinned, and within three hours, only four players remained.
The Hand That Changed Everything
Despite successfully laddering up, Djonli entered four-handed play as the clear short stack. His tournament life soon hung in the balance against start-of-day chip leader Chris Vickrey. Vickrey flopped a pair of nines against Djonli’s pocket sevens, leaving Djonli drawing thin. After missing on the turn, elimination seemed imminent—until a miracle seven hit the river.
The dramatic card flipped the script. Djonli survived, Vickrey was crippled, and shortly afterward, Vickrey exited in fourth place. Throughout the chaos, Djonli remained composed and unfazed.
“I felt pretty calm the whole time,” Djonli said. “I won’t pretend there were no nerves, but I think I handled it well. Experience helps. The more final tables you play, the more comfortable you get being there.”
From Short Stack to Heads-Up
Venkat Nagabhairava entered three-handed play with nearly two-thirds of the chips, while Djonli and Matthew Barnett were close to even. In a surprising twist, Nagabhairava was eliminated within a couple of orbits after losing key pots to both opponents, then running pocket fives into Barnett’s pocket queens to finish third.
Barnett carried a roughly 2:1 chip advantage into heads-up play, but Djonli dug in for a long fight. The duel stretched more than three hours, with momentum swinging back and forth. Djonli doubled early to take a narrow lead, only to see Barnett reclaim control after forcing folds with sustained pressure.
“I thought he played really well,” Djonli said of Barnett. “Heads-up, I knew it was going to be about patience. I was prepared for a long grind and was ready to be there all day if that’s what it took.”
A Fitting Finish
Djonli’s patience ultimately paid off. After correctly picking off a later triple-barrel bluff with top pair to regain the lead, he continued to trade blows with Barnett until the final hand. Barnett raised on the button with pocket aces, while Djonli defended with queen-four suited. The flop delivered trips for Djonli, and after a flurry of raises, all the chips went in.
When the turn and river failed to save Barnett, Djonli completed his red-hot run—securing the WSOP Circuit Million Dollar Main Event title, the biggest score of his career, and a long-awaited breakthrough victory.
