News
KIRK CALDWELL AND STEVEN KERR WIN SEATS TO THE MYSTERY MILLIONS AT THE 2025 WSOP
After receiving countless submissions from players all over the world and sharing their stories with readers, Kirk “Pudge” Caldwell and Steven Kerr have been selected to receive seats to the upcoming Mystery Millions event at the 2025 World Series of Poker as a part of the WSOP Stories series.
Las Vegas, Nevada (May 15, 2025) - While the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is in the business of making millionaires and hosting tournaments that award poker players around the world with life-changing prize money, it can be argued the stories that are created at the WSOP every year is what the event is most known for.
The $2,500,000 won by Chris Moneymaker in the 2003 WSOP Main Event is certainly noteworthy, but what makes Moneymaker’s historic win compelling is how a recreational poker player earned his seat by winning an online satellite, outplayed some of poker’s best to win the title, and ignited the Poker Boom of the early 2000’s.
A source of inspiration for poker players around the world, the stories created every year at the WSOP can last a lifetime. Whether they entail overcoming the odds to win a bracelet or celebrating the ways in which poker brings people together, the WSOP has celebrated the fond memories of its players with the WSOP Stories series.
On February 27, 2025, the WSOP announced they would be accepting story submissions from players detailing their special memories from past WSOP events.
Featuring submitted stories on the WSOP website, the WSOP also announced they would reward the best submission with a seat to the $1,000 Mystery Millions tournament at the 2025 WSOP.
Receiving submissions and interviewing poker players from around the globe, the WSOP Media Team is incredibly thankful to all of the players who shared their story as we celebrated their fond memories associated with the WSOP.
Canadians Kirk “Pudge” Caldwell and Steven Kerr win seats to the Mystery Millions!
Kirk “Pudge” Caldwell posing with his bracelet
following his victory at the 2011 WSOP.
Recounting how their first-ever $150 home game satellite resulted in a WSOP bracelet victory worth $668,276 at the 2011 WSOP, Canadian poker players Kirk “Pudge” Caldwell and Steven Kerr shared a story that would be greatly enjoyed by readers on WSOP.com.
Inspired by Chris Moneymaker’s victory in the 2003 WSOP Main Event, Kerr organized a $150 WSOP satellite tournament amongst his poker buddies to send one of them to the 2011 WSOP.
Winning the seat and then going on to win the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament at the 2011 WSOP, Caldwell lived out every poker player’s dream of turning a satellite seat into a WSOP bracelet and six-figure score.
With Kerr submitting Caldwell’s story and taking part in an interview along with the WSOP bracelet winner, the WSOP Media team has elected to award both players with seats to the upcoming $1,000 Mystery Millions event at the 2025 WSOP.
We wish both Kirk and Steven the best of luck in the Mystery Millions tournament, and thank them once again for sharing their story. If you haven’t read Caldwell’s featured article detailing how he turned $150 into $668,276 at the 2011 WSOP, click here.
