Every now and then, a poker performance comes along that is so absurd, it leaves even the most seasoned grinders speechless.
Over the weekend on WSOP Online, one such moment occurred in the WSOP Online Championship series when a player under the screen name “StayGoldBaby” — real name Ivan Ruban — pulled off an absolutely jaw-dropping feat in a $1,000 buy-in High Roller Mystery Bounty event.
Not only did Ruban win the tournament, but he also managed to claim every single bounty on offer, all 14 of them, ending up with more than 60% of the entire prize pool, something extremely rare.
The $1,000 buy-in event, part of the ongoing WSOP Online Championship series, came with a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool and attracted a total of 61 entries, including 25 re-entries, generating a total prize pool of $57,950.
- $60 million guaranteed prize pool!
- Qualifiers starting as low as $0.50 on GGPoker with WSOP Express
- December 4 – 18, 2025
While the field wasn’t massive by online poker standards, in fact, 61 total entries is a relatively small turnout, it still featured plenty of strong regulars. And small field or not, what happened next was nothing short of incredible.
As is standard for Mystery Bounty tournaments, the first portion of the event played out as a regular tournament until Level 19, when the Mystery Bounty phase came into play — by that point, only 15 players remained. That’s when the story took a wild turn.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Run
Ruban, playing under “StayGoldBaby,” didn’t just navigate his way through the final stretch — he absolutely steamrolled it. Once the bounty portion began, he went on a rampage, knocking out every single remaining opponent.
Yes, all 14 eliminations were his.
Ruban’s mystery bounty haul was nothing short of spectacular. He bagged the $5,000 top bounty, two worth $3,000, four worth $2,000, and seven additional prizes worth over $850 each.
Altogether, his bounty earnings came to $25,000, literally the entire bounty pool. On top of that, he pocketed $10,708.75 for his first-place finish, bringing his total winnings to $35,708.75 or nearly 62% of the entire $57,950 prize pool.
Typically, tournament winners walk away with around 15% to 20% of the prize pool. For one player to scoop over three times that and take every single bounty along the way is virtually unprecedented.
Of course, the smaller field size made such a sweep theoretically possible — in a massive multi-thousand-player field, it would be practically impossible for one player to collect all bounties. But even in a 61-entry tournament, to win every single one requires a perfect storm of good cards, good timing, and a little poker magic.
Poker Community Reacts: “Insanely Impressive”
Naturally, the poker community was quick to take notice. The jaw-dropping result made its way onto X (formerly Twitter) where fellow pros and fans chimed in with a mix of awe, disbelief, and humor.
Well-known poker pro, Michael Bohermwald, from New Jersey, was among the first to highlight the incredible feat, calling it “one of the greatest tournament performances I’ve seen.”
Another respected New Jersey grinder, Michael Gagliano, known online as “Gags30,” echoed the sentiment, describing Ruban’s run as an “insanely impressive feat that may never be replicated.”
However, Gagliano also used the opportunity to make a broader point about the format itself, adding:
“One might suggest that this is quite silly to even be possible, and that it is an excellent example as to why mystery bounties are quite dumb, especially in smaller field events.”
It is a fair critique and one that has been echoed by others in the community who feel the mystery bounty format can produce wild, unbalanced results, particularly when the player pool isn’t large enough to spread the variance.
Regardless of where one stands on the mystery bounty debate, it is impossible to deny the sheer improbability and brilliance of Ruban’s performance.
Winning any high roller event is an achievement in itself, but knocking out every single player once bounties activate is something few, if any, have ever done in recorded online poker history.
