2025 WSOP Day 23: Hall of Famer Brian Rast Must Wait For Seventh Bracelet

Matthew Pitt
Senior Editor
7 min read
Brian Rast

Day 23 of the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw one bracelet awarded and another seven bracelet-awarding events whittle their respective fields down to more manageable numbers.

Event #37: $1,500 Monster Stack finally crowned its champion a day later than scheduled, and [Removed:548] is that champion. Day 4 ended with seven hopefuls who Davd Uvaydov led back into battle, but the night belonged to [Removed:549] who captured his first bracelet and $1,204,457.

Another bracelet should have been awarded because Event #50: $10,000 Razz Championship was scheduled to conclude. Only 12 players returned for the final day's play, yet Day 3 ended with Brian Rast and Andrew Yeh heads-up. The heads-up duo butted heads for two levels but neither player could get the job done.

Should Rast come out on top and capture his seventh bracelet, he will become only the 14th player to achieve such a feat. Already a Poker Hall of Fame member, Rast will rank alongside Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Erik Seidel, Johnny Moss, Billy Baxter, Benny Glaser, John Hennigan, Daniel Negreanu, Men Nguyen, Nick Schulman, and Scott Seiver in an exclusive club.

However, Yeh, who holds a 3:1 chip lead when play resumes at 12:30 p.m. local time on June 19, is in a prime position to spoil Rast's party.

Ron Fetsch Bags Huge Stack in the $1,000 Seniors

Ron Fetsch
Ron Fetsch

Ron Fetsch claimed the chip lead on Day 2 of Event #48: $1,000 Senior's No-Limit Hold'em Championship as the 1,445 returning players were reduced to a more managable 202 over the course of ten 60-minute levels.

Fetsch, who cashed in last year's Seniors and Super Seniors events, bagged 2,930,000 chips as the day's end, the equivalent of 117 big blinds, and 32 big blinds more than second-placed Mansour Alipourfard (2,125,000).

Last year's Super Seniors runner-up Yucel Eminoglu (2,070,000) bagged a top ten stack, while Kevin Nathan (1,650,000), Mike Leah (890,000), Antonin Teisseire (795,000), Andrew Kelsall (665,000), Men Nguyen (402,000), and Marcel Vonk (385,000) still have legitimate chances of adding to their bracelet collections.

Day 3 kicks off at 11:00 a.m. local time on June 19. The plan is to play another ten 60-minute levels. By the time they're done, the final table should be within sight.

Event #48: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship Day2 Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Ron FetschUnited States2,930,000117
2Mansour AlipourfardUnited States2,125,00085
3David HongUnited States2,090,00084
4Korte YeoUnited States2,080,00083
5Yucel EminogluTurkey2,070,00083
6Timothy FrasureUnited States2,035,00081
7Jonathan TareUnited States1,940,00078
8Aviel RubinUnited States1,915,00077
9Kelvin CrawfordUnited States1,800,00072
10Brian BaronUnited States1,775,00071
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Najeem Ajez Leads the $25,000 PLO High Roller Going Into Day 3

Najeem Ajez
Najeem Ajez

Australia's Najeem Ajez is the man to catch in Event #51: $25,000 High Roller Pot Limit Omaha where only 28 players remain in the hunt for the bracelet and a first-place prize that tips the scales at $2,292,155.

Ajez (7,845,000) holds a commanding lead over the chasing pack, his stack containing approximately 26 more big blinds than Lautaro Guerra (6,4440,000) in second place. Polish grinder Tomasz Gluszko (4,400,000) rounds off the podium places.

As you would expect from such a high buy-in PLO event, the field is stacked as this event enters the business end. Bryn Kenney (3,965,000), Day 1 chip leader Talal Shakerchi (3,850,000), Frank Brannan (3,565,000), and Isaac Haxton (3,545,000) will all return on Day 3 with a top ten stack.

Below them are the likes of Aaron Kupin (3,020,000), David Eldridge (2,140,000), Erick Lindgren (1,985,000), Ben Lamb (1,365,000), Scott Bohlman (1,320,000), and a certain Phil Ivey (785,000).

Twenty-eight players will sit back down at 12:00 p.m. local time, and play will continue until only five of them have chips.

Event #51: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Najeem AjezAustralia7,845,000157
2Lautaro GuerraSpain6,444,000129
3Tomasz GluszkoPoland4,400,00088
4Petko TsakovUnited States4,255,00085
5Gjergj SinishtajUnited States4,255,00085
6Daniel GeengUnited States4,205,00084
7Bryn KenneyUnited States3,965,00079
8Talal ShakerchiUnited Kingdom3,850,00077
9Frank BrannanUnited States3,565,00071
10Isaac HaxtonUnited States3,545,00071

Only 29 Remain in the $1,500 NLHE Freezeout

Julio Belluscio
Julio Belluscio

Event #52: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em has reached its third and final day, and only 29 players have the chance to become this tournament's champion. Some 345 players returned for Day 2, including Julio Belluscio, who finished top ofthe pile with 6,900,000 chips.

Belluscio already has a WSOP bracelet, having triumphed in the $2,500 Big Bet Mixed event in 2023. He's now within touching distance of his second piece of WSOP hardware.

Standing between the Argentinian and that much-sought-after second bracelet are stars such as Asher Conniff (5,650,000), Stoyan Madanzhiev (3,955,000), Bryan Piccioli (2,395,000), Jeremy Saderne (1,225,000), and Felipe Ramos (1,215,000).

This event will restart at 1:00 p.m. local time on June 19, and play will continue until a champion emerges.

Event #52: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Julio BelluscioArgentina6,900,000138
2Asher ConniffUnited States5,650,000113
3Carlos KinilMexico4,350,00087
4Kurt FitzgeraldUnited States3,960,00079
5Stoyan MadanzhievBulgaria3,955,00079
6Carlos Leal KinilMexico3,425,00069
7Mauro FrancoliniItaly3,355,00067
8Samuel RosboroughUnited States3,220,00064
9Matan MesikaIsrael2,875,00058
10Bryan PiccioliUnited States2,395,00048

Day 1a of the Millionaire Maker Attracts 1,777 Players; Mateusz Moolhuizen Bags Big

Mateusz Moolhuizen
Mateusz Moolhuizen

Today saw 1,777 players begin their quest for glory in Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker, but after 11 action-packed levels, only 345 of them left for home having bagged up chips for Day 2.

Germany's Sascha Manns (776,000) clinched the Day 1a chip lead and returns on Day 2 armed with the equivalent of 310 big blinds. Dutch star Mateusz Moolhuizen (759,000) is hot on Manns' heels before a significant gap to Damarjai Davenport (427,000) in third place.

Last year's Millionaire Maker champion, Franco Spitale (183,500) looks set to make another deep run after bagging a decent stack, while Matthew Bode (180,500), David Singontiko (176,500), Thomas Cazayous (175,000), David Pham (174,000), Boris Angelov (172,500), and Mathew Frankland (156,000) all ended Day 1a with a stack worth a place in the top third of the overnight leaderboard.

Below them, but by no means out of contention due to this event's structure, are the likes of David "ODB" Baker (132,500), Adam Owen (122,500), Brett Schaffer (109,500), Brock Wilson (101,500), Joe McKeehen (101,000), Maria Konnikova (74,000), Barry Greenstein (73,000), and Caitlin Comeskey (71,000).

Day 1b is scheduled to shuffle up and deal at 10 a.m. local time on June 19, with entrants hoping to navigate through 11 hour-long levels and join the 345 Day 1a survivors on Day 2. PokerNews' traditional coverage begins on Day 2 on June 22.

Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Sascha MannsGermany776,000310
2Mateusz MoolhuizenNetherlands759,000304
3Damarjai DavenportUnited States427,000171
4Ciaran DuffyUnited Kingdom418,500167
5Alex KimUnited States392,000157
6Kristaps ZarinsUnited States380,500152
7Lee FlemmingUnited States376,500151
8Pedro FernandesPortugal338,000135
9Yen-Tuan ChenTaiwan335,000134
10John O'NealUnited States329,500132

Giuseppe Pantaleo Finds Himself Leading the $1,500 PLO

Giuseppe Pantaleo
Giuseppe Pantaleo

Day 1 of Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha saw its 1,564 entrants reduced to only 114 after a marathon of 17 levels of 40 minutes each. Giuseppe Pantaleo not only survived the frequent all-ins but bagged up 1,105,000 chips and the chip lead.

Pantaelo already has a bracelet, having won the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Tag Team event with Nikita Luther in 2019. He now has a realistic shot at bagging his second after starting this event in hot form.

The German isn't the only bracelet winner who bagged a big or healthy stack. Bruno Furth (761,000) continued his rich vein of form, while Robert Nehorayan (696,000), Rajesh Vohra (644,000), Bryce Yockey (593,000), Sean Troha (318,000), and Rep Porter (266,000) all progressed and could add to their bracelet collections.

Others, including Matt Vengrin (591,000), Punnat Punsri (385,000), Rayan Chamas (300,000), and Noah Boeken (152,000) returnon Day 2 looking to win a bracelet for the first time.

Day 2, the second of three scheduled days, starts at 12:00 p.m. local time on June 19.

Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Giuseppe PantaleoGermany1,105,000111
2Michael MonroigUnited States893,00089
3Leonid YanovskiIsrael878,00088
4Tara DunnCanada849,00085
5Jacob SniderUnited States806,00081
6Bruno FurthUnited States761,00076
7Michael LinUnited States710,00071
8Daniel ClementeUnited States697,00070
9Robert NehorayanUnited States696,00070
10George Abi-ZeidUnited States689,00069

John Hennigan Gallops Into an Early Lead in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E.

John Hennigan
John Hennigan

Poker Hall of Famer and seven-time bracelet winner John Hennigan leads an all-star cast after Day 1 of Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. Day 1 saw 176 players buy in, 91 survive, and Hennigan bag up 350,500 chips, a solitary big blind more than Christopher Vitch (342,500) in second place.

Traditionally, this event draws in some of the biggest names in poker, and the 2025 edition has continued that trend. Day 2 will see poker Goliaths such as Marco Johnson (274,000), Mike Matusow (208,000), Scott Seiver (206,500), Huck Seed (190,000), Todd Brunson (189,000), Brian Hastings (182,500), Shaun Deeb (140,500), Benny Glaser (138,000), Yuri Dzivielevski (116,000), and John Monnette (110,000) all attempt to add to their already glowing poker legacies by taking down this tournament.

Cards are back in the air from 1:00 p.m. local time with the plan to play another eight levels, the first five of which last 60 minutes before extending to 90 minutes from Level 16 onward. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 12.

Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Bets
1John HenniganUnited States350,50044
2Christopher VitchUnited States342,50043
3Ryan MillerUnited States294,50037
4Daniel StrelitzUnited States288,00036
5Marco JohnsonUnited States274,00035
6Dave StannUnited States240,50030
7Walter ChambersUnited States233,50029
8Matt GrapenthienUnited States211,00027
9Justin SmithUnited States208,50026
10Mike MatusowUnited States208,00026

What To Expect on Day 24 in the 2025 WSOP

Patrick Moulder
Patrick Moulder is the reigning $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball champion

Six events will edge closer to awarding their prestigious bracelets on June 18, the 24th day of the 2025 WSOP, while Event #50: $10,000 Razz Championship will eventually crown it's worthy winner after an unscheduled fourth day's play.

Event #48: $1,000 Senior's No-Limit Hold'em Championship heads into its Day 3 from 11:00 a.m. local time, with Event #51: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha also starting its Day 3, doing so at 12:00 p.m. local time.

One of the 29 returning players in Event #52: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em should walk away as a WSOP champion because this tournament is due to conclude today.

The second flight of Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker kicks off at 10:00 a.m. local time and should see another big crowd, while Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha will further whittle its field down from 12:00 p.m. local time.

Last but not least, the star-studded Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship's Day 2 is set to shuffle up and deal at 1:00 p.m. local time.

Only one new event shuffles up and deals on June 19, Event #56: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball. This event drew in 371 entrants in 2024, and Patrick Moulder outlasted them all. Moulder collected $177,045 and his first gold bracelet.

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Matthew Pitt
Senior Editor

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.

In this Series

1 2025 WSOP Day 1: The Wait Is Over; Two Events Kick Off the Series2 2025 WSOP Day 2: First of 100 Bracelets Awarded; Keokham Wins the Industry Employees Event3 2025 WSOP Day 3: No Bracelets But Plenty of Action at the Horseshoe and Paris4 2025 WSOP Day 4: Four-Time Bracelet Winner Chance Kornuth Progresses in $25K Heads-Up Event5 2025 WSOP Day 5: Benny Glaser in Command in the $1,500 Dealer's Choice6 2025 WSOP Day 6: Daniel Negreanu Closes in on Eighth Bracelet7 2025 WSOP Day 7: Stephen Chidwick is Crushing the $25K PLO/NLH8 2025 WSOP Day 8: Nick Schulman Is Hunting For Bracelet No. 79 2025 WSOP Day 9: Extra Day Needed as Lamb Bags Big in $25,000 PLO/NLHE10 2025 WSOP Day 10: $10K Dealers Choice Stretches to Day 4, Big Names Advance in $25K11 2025 WSOP Day 11: Final Tables Set in $25K 6-Max and $1,500 Badugi; Friedman Leads Stud Championship12 2025 WSOP Day 12: Can Mike "The Mouth" Matusow Finally Break Bracelet Drought?13 2025 WSOP Day 13: Nick Schulman Out in Front in $10K NL 2-7 Championship14 2025 WSOP Day 14: Another Deep Run For Daniel Negreanu15 2025 WSOP Day 15: Phil Ivey Among the Leaders in the $10K PLO816 2025 WSOP Day 16: Boivin Leads a Host of Stars in the $100K17 2025 WSOP Day 17: Heads-Up Showdown Awaits in $10,000 PLO818 2025 WSOP Day 18: Ridiculously Stacked Limit Hold'em Championship Final Table Set19 2025 WSOP Day 19: David "ODB" Baker Eyes Third Bracelet in Seniors High Roller20 2025 WSOP Day 20: Who Else? Kabrhel Leads $250,000 Super High Roller Field21 2025 WSOP Day 21: Boivin Holds a Commanding Lead in the $250K SHR22 2025 WSOP Day 22: Five Bracelets Awarded During an Exceptionally Busy Day23 2025 WSOP Day 23: Hall of Famer Brian Rast Must Wait For Seventh Bracelet24 2025 WSOP Day 24: Seiver Hunts His Eighth Bracelet in the $10K H.O.R.S.E.25 2025 WSOP Day 25: Isaac Haxton and Alex Foxen Bag In PLO High Roller26 2025 WSOP Day 26: Gus Hansen Bags Top Ten Stack In 9-Game Mix27 2025 WSOP Day 27: Chris Moorman Shines on Millionaire Maker Day 228 2025 WSOP Day 28: Jake Schwartz Bags a Top Ten Stack in the $5K NLHE 6-Max29 2025 WSOP Day 29: Michael Mizrachi Starts Stongly in Quest for Fourth $50K PPC Title30 2025 WSOP Day 30: Erick Lindgren Sets the Pace on Day 2 of the $50K PPC31 2025 WSOP Day 31: Michael Mizrachi Still in Contention for a Record 4th PCC Bracelet32 2025 WSOP Day 32: Defending Champ Shiina Okamoto Leads Ladies Event33 2025 WSOP Day 33: Shiina Okamoto Defends Title With Seven Players Left34 2025 WSOP Day 34: Alex Foxen Among the Leaders in the $10K PLO35 2025 WSOP Day 35: Daniel Negreanu On Course For His Eighth Bracelet36 2025 WSOP Day 36: Phil Hellmuth Closes In On 18th WSOP Bracelet37 2025 WSOP Day 37: Legend Billy Baxter Gets the $10,000 WSOP Main Event Underway38 2025 WSOP Day 38: Michael Mizrachi Bags Main Event Day 1b Chip Lead39 2025 WSOP Day 39: Selbst and Lindgren Bag Day 1c Of Main Event40 2025 WSOP Day 40: Shaun Deeb Is Three Spots Away From Eighth Bracelet41 2025 WSOP Day 41: Oleksii Kravchuk Bags Massive Main Event Stack on Day 2abc42 2025 WSOP Day 42: San Kim Tops Monster-Sized Main Event Day 2d Field43 2025 WSOP Day 43: Punnat Punsri Shines in the PLO Mystery Bounty as Main Event Reaches Day 344 2025 WSOP Day 44: Japan's Masashi Oya Leads the $50K High Roller; WSOP Main Reaches Day 545 2023 WSOP Europe Champ Among Chip Leaders After Day 3 of WSOP Main Event46 2012 Champ Greg Merson Among 522 Players To Survive the Money Bubble and Day 4 of the 2025 Main Event47 Sebastian Schulze Soars to the Top on Day 5 of the 2025 WSOP Main Event48 2025 WSOP Day 45: All-Star Cast Hunts $2.68M Prize in the $50K High Roller49 2025 WSOP Day 46: Barry Greenstein Among Last Bounties in HOF Event50 2025 WSOP Day 47: Mike Matusow Bags Second Biggest Stack In $10k 6-Max51 2025 WSOP Day 48: Patrick Leonard Seven Eliminations Away From a Second Bracelet52 Aces vs. Queens vs. Jacks Propels Kenny Hallaert to 2025 WSOP Main Event Chip Lead53 Kenny Hallaert Remains at the Top After Day 7 of $10,000 Main Event World Championship54 2025 WSOP Main Event Final Table Set: Mizrachi and Margets Headline Final Nine55 2025 WSOP Day 49: Dzivielevski In Pole Position After Day 1 of the $25K H.O.R.S.E.56 2025 WSOP Day 50: Phil Ivey Close to Reeling in His 12th Bracelet57 2025 WSOP Main Event Final Table Set: Mizrachi and Margets Headline Final Nine58 Michael Mizrachi on Verge of History w/ Four Left in 2025 WSOP Main Event59 2025 WSOP Day 51: They Think It's All Over…It Is Now!

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