The Daytona Beach Poker Holiday Classic concluded after a full week of action, drawing 668 total entries across seven starting flights and generating a $167,000 prize pool, easily surpassing the $100,000 guarantee. The strong turnout brought together a deep and competitive field that returned on Sunday for a highly contested Day 2 finale.
When play reached its conclusion, Phillip Krnyaich was crowned the official winner after the final five players agreed to a five way chop. For Krnyaich, the victory carried extra significance. During the Harvest Deep Stack earlier this year, he remarked that he just could not seem to bring one home at Daytona Beach. That narrative officially ended with this Holiday Classic title.
Krnyaich’s win adds to an already impressive career résumé that features consistent tournament results and substantial lifetime earnings across some of poker’s largest stages. His largest recorded score came in December 2024, when he finished 2nd in the Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open for $193,325, a result that stands as the high point of a career filled with deep runs and major cashes.
Beyond that headline score, Krnyaich has compiled results at the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour events, and premier tournament series at the Wynn Las Vegas, demonstrating both volume and staying power in large, competitive fields. His success is not limited to one venue or series, but reflects a player who consistently contends wherever he plays.
The Holiday Classic victory also continues a strong stretch at Daytona Beach Poker, highlighted by a 3rd place finish in the Harvest Deep Stack for $13,500 earlier this year. Throughout Day 2, Krnyaich remained a steady presence near the top of the leaderboard, applying pressure as the field narrowed and positioning himself for the finish.
As the remaining five players opted to divide the prize pool, Krnyaich earned first place honors and added another meaningful title to his growing list of accomplishments. The Holiday Classic once again delivered a strong field, competitive play, and a memorable finish, continuing Daytona Beach Poker’s tradition of hosting must play tournament events.
Congratulations to Phillip Krnyaich on a well earned Holiday Classic victory.
Event Name: | Holiday Classic | Total Entries: | 668 | ||
Date: | Dec. 10th-14th | Players Advancing: | 82 | ||
Prize Pool: | $167,000 | Average Stack: | N/A | ||
Place | Last Name | First Name | City | State | Amount Won |
1st | Krnyaich | Phillip | Clermont | FL | $25,000.00 |
2nd | Hortelano | George | Tampa | FL | $14,500.00 |
3rd | Albano | Ruy | Orlando | FL | $14,500.00 |
4th | Helmick | Nathan | Rockledge | FL | $12,500.00 |
5th | Hidalgo | Ignacio | Orlando | FL | $12,071.00 |
6th | Preservati | Jonathan | Eustis | FL | $5,700.00 |
7th | Carranza | Ezequiel | Aurburndale | FL | $4,705.00 |
8th | Schaedlich | Brian | Ponde Vedra | FL | $3,805.00 |
9th | Harrell | Zachery | Merritt Island | FL | $2,932.00 |
10th | Glick | Michael | Palm Bay | FL | $2,400.00 |
11th | Gomez | Roiler | Altamonte Springs | FL | $2,400.00 |
12th | Hughes | David | DeLeon Springs | FL | $2,400.00 |
13th | Griffa | Gerardo | West Melbourne | FL | $1,943.00 |
14th | Scott | Motyk | Jacksonville | FL | $1,943.00 |
15th | Bobet | Seth | Deland | FL | $1,943.00 |
16th | Schween | Steve | Port Orange | FL | $1,618.00 |
17th | Martin | Xinxin | Daytona Beach | FL | $1,618.00 |
18th | Boiling | Stephen | Gallatin | TN | $1,618.00 |
19th | Tieu | Le | Jacksonville | FL | $1,326.00 |
20th | Fermin | Felix | St. Cloud | FL | $1,326.00 |
21st | Alpizar | Kahlina | Palm Coast | FL | $1,326.00 |
22nd | Dispenette | David | South Daytona | FL | $1,119.00 |
23rd | Call | James | St. Augustine | FL | $1,119.00 |
24th | Schoen | Douglas | Daytona Beach | FL | $1,119.00 |
25th | Fischbein | Steven | Daytona Beach | FL | $946.00 |
26th | Serafim | Carlos | Winter Garden | FL | $946.00 |
27th | MacDonald | David | Jupiter | FL | $946.00 |
28th | Chinchilla | Oscar | Boca Raton | FL | $776.00 |
29th | Malapati | Jaya | St. Johns | FL | $776.00 |
30th | Costa | Nick | Port Orange | FL | $776.00 |
31st | Tischchenko | Aleksandr | Dania Beach | FL | $776.00 |
32nd | Lee | Roy | Melbourne | FL | $776.00 |
33rd | Balaguer | Joaquin | Orlando | FL | $776.00 |
34th | Heywood | Sean | Ormond Beach | FL | $776.00 |
35th | Harder | Patrick | Kissimmee | FL | $776.00 |
36th | Gasparyan | Tigran | Daytona Beach | FL | $776.00 |
37th | Pierce | David | Casselberry | FL | $681.00 |
38th | Watson | Clyde | Orlando | FL | $681.00 |
39th | Fine | Michael | Apopka | FL | $681.00 |
40th | Yenko | Vincent | Orlando | FL | $681.00 |
41st | Censabella | Joseph | Winter Springs | FL | $681.00 |
42nd | Vienna de Sa | Sandro | Winter Garden | FL | $681.00 |
43rd | Galea | Jarrett | Orlando | FL | $681.00 |
44th | Barber | John | Titusville | FL | $681.00 |
45th | Wiedemann de Sa | Erick | Winter Garden | FL | $681.00 |
46th | Chanthou | Chan | Jacksonville | FL | $602.00 |
47th | Peixoto | Marcio | Winter Garden | FL | $602.00 |
48th | Favreau | Gary | New Smyrna Beach | FL | $602.00 |
49th | Jensen | J.J | Rockledge | FL | $602.00 |
50th | Joyner | James | St. Augustine | FL | $602.00 |
51st | Flores | Yamil | Oviedo | FL | $602.00 |
52nd | Haynes | Oran-Jon | Shreveport | LA | $602.00 |
53rd | Nguyen | Michael | Melbourne | FL | $602.00 |
54th | Bold | Justin | Jacksonville | FL | $602.00 |
55th | Wilczewski | Barney | Jacksonville | FL | $550.00 |
56th | Isayyid | Cesar | Windermere | FL | $550.00 |
57th | Nelson | Stephen | Sanford | FL | $550.00 |
58th | Levy | Gil | Sanford | FL | $550.00 |
59th | Maheshwar | Manthani | St. Johns | FL | $550.00 |
60th | Neal | Jason | Jacksonville | FL | $550.00 |
61st | St. Jean | Larry | Ormond Beach | FL | $550.00 |
62nd | Ilanlou | Jamshid | Jacksonville | FL | $550.00 |
63rd | Basque | Austin | Port Orange | FL | $550.00 |
64th | Martinez | Ramon | Viera | FL | $500.00 |
65th | Jenkins | Joel | Yulee | FL | $500.00 |
66th | Martell | Juan | Deltona | FL | $500.00 |
67th | Foster | Fabian | Davenport | FL | $500.00 |
68th | Finkelstein | Andrea | Daytona Beach | FL | $500.00 |
69th | Rikki | Tyau | Patrick SFB | FL | $500.00 |
70th | Beaver | Christopher | Radnor | OH | $500.00 |
71st | Vasquez | Attye | Davenport | FL | $500.00 |
72nd | Boulad | Marwan | Orlando | FL | $500.00 |
73rd | Jimenez | Marcel | Ormond Beach | FL | $500.00 |
74th | Francisco | Conrado | Orlando | FL | $500.00 |
75th | Kasper | Daniel | Minneola | FL | $500.00 |
76th | Rodriguez | Jose | Orange City | FL | $500.00 |
77th | Alves dos Santos | Tiago | Winter Garden | FL | $500.00 |
78th | Batson | Darrel | Edgewater | FL | $500.00 |
79th | Gratsch | Paul | Cocoa | FL | $500.00 |
80th | Kipp | Aiden | Jacksonville | FL | $500.00 |
81st | Jones | Keith | DeBary | FL | $500.00 |
82nd | Martin | Bryan | Daytona Beach | FL | $500.00 |
83rd | Peixoto | Marcio | Kissimmee | FL | $400.00* |
84th | Levy | Gil | Sanford | FL | $400.00* |
85th | Jimenez | Marcel | Ormond Beach | FL | $400.00* |
86th | Ilanlou | Jamshid | Jacksonville | FL | $400.00* |
87th | Ilanlou | Jamshid | Jacksonville | FL | $400.00* |
* Plus $1,200 Double Bag Bonus | |||||
