2025 WSOP Day 41: Oleksii Kravchuk Bags Massive Main Event Stack on Day 2abc

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Jul 07, 2025 4 min read Last updated Jul 13, 2025

July 6 was the 41st day of the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, and it was dominated by the $10,000 Main Event. Day 2abc of the Main Event saw 2,946 players return to the action, with 1,320 of those returnees progressing to Day 3.

While the Main Event was slowly but surely whittling down its field, two events concluded and saw their worthy champions get their hands on a bracelet. PokerGO founder Cary Katz, a player we are more used to seeing in high roller and super high roller events, triumphed in Event #83: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em. Katz wasn't going to play this event, but decided to register late. Four days later, Katz captured his first bracelet and $449,245 in prize money.

The second bracelet of Day 41 went to Czech backgammon pro Zdenek Zizka, who will forever be known as the champion of Event #84: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em. Zizka not only won his first bracelet and a career-best $232,498, but he also denied Shaun Deeb his eighth bracelet and kept the 2025 WSOP Player of the Year race interesting.

Oleksii Kravchuk Claims the Lead as Juliet Hegedus Shines

The first of two Day 2s in Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship is done and dusted, and it is Ukraine's Oleksii Kravchuk (937,500) who topped the counts. The Ukrainian came close to becoming the Main Event's first chip millionaire during Day 2abc. Although he fell short, he still bagged up 70 more big blinds than Randall Lack (762,500) in second place and 85 more than Nicholas Bond (724,500), who finished in third.

Day 2abc saw plenty of poker's talented female players progress to Day 3, including Juliet Hegedus (627,000). Fresh from a sixth-place finish in the $1,000 Ladies Championship, Hegedus bagged up an impressive 627,000 chips, which were enough for eighth place on this flight's leaderboard.

Other ladies who punched their Day 3 tickets include Susan Faber (435,000), Marte Sandberg (403,000), Lara Eisenberg (214,000), Katie Lindsay (170,000), and three-time bracelet winner Vanessa Selbst (160,500).

As you would expect, because it's the Main Event, the field was littered with bracelet winners and heroes who have previously captured WSOP or WSOP Europe Main Event titles. They included Max Neugebauer (435,000), Greg Raymer (226,000), the legendary Phil Hellmuth (187,000), Damian Salas (129,000), Greg Merson (123,000), Jack Sinclair (120,000), and Johnny Chan (94,500).

Nineteen players selected for $25K Fantasy Draft duty also punched their Day 3 tickets. James Obst (501,000), Kevin Gerhart (362,500), Calvin Anderson (312,500), Viktor Blom (287,000), and Jason Mercier (245,000) are the best-placed of those elite grinders. Stephen Chidwick (144,000), Yuri Dzivielevski (135,000), Adrian Mateos (94,500), and Daniel Negreanu (71,000) are still in but further down the counts.

_{Check out the full Day 2abc chip counts here}

Day 2d commences at noon local time on July 7, and 3,776 players who survived Day 1d's shenanigans will return to their seats. Some late entrants will join them, as late registration remains open until the end of the second level of the day.

PokerNews will be on hand to bring you industry-leading live coverage of poker's World Championship, so join us again from 12:00 p.m. on July 7, where you can rail your favorite players.

Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship End of Day 2abc Top Ten Chip Counts

Stanton Bags Ultra Stack Day 1a Chip Lead

Day 1a of Event #85: $600 Ultra Stack is concluded after 22 action-packed levels at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The first of two flights attracted 2,718 entrants, of whom only 213 bagged chips at the end of the night. Those survivors will return to the action at 1 p.m. local time on July 8.

Steven Stanton was the owner of by far the biggest chip stack in the tournament at the end of Day 1a, bagging 3,185,000 after winning consecutive million-chip pots to close out proceedings.

Behind him, Phillip Pope (2,210,000) of Texas and Venkatara Ganne (2,190,000) both bagged up stacks within one small blind of each other. Pope has a WSOP Circuit ring to his name, having won the $1,700 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event in Tulsa in March 2019, a result that earned him $215,000. He has done his chance of adding a bracelet to his WSOP jewelry collection no harm at all with this fast start in Event 85.

Ganne also has a WSOPC ring. The New Jersey resident won it in November 2015; it came with a career-best prize worth $38,874.

Illinois' Robert Laird (1,870,000) completed the podium places.

Five bracelet owners progressed to Day 2 from this flight, most notably David Williams (1,160,000), the 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up. Henrieto Acain (1,075,000), David Moses (995,000), Men "The Master" Nguyen (235,000), and Dieter Dechant (200,000) also progressed.

Others to look out for on Day 2 include Michael Acevedo (1,160,000), PokerStars' Caitlin Comeskey (870,000), and Jacob Baumgartner (775,000).

Day 1b shuffles up and deals at 10 a.m. local time on July 7. Players lock horns and butt heads for 22 levels, each spanning 30 minutes, with 20-minute breaks every four levels. PokerNews' traditional coverage of this event begins on Day 2 on July 8. We shall see you then.

Event 85: $600 Ultra Stack Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts

What to Expect on Day 42 of the 2025 WSOP

It should not come as a surprise that WSOP Main Event fever continues dominating the headlines. Day 2d shuffles up and deals at 12:00 p.m. local time with at least 3,776 players returning to their seats. We say at least because late registration remains open for the first two levels.

Only one bracelet-awarding event runs tomorrow, starting at 10:00 a.m. local time. Day 1b of Event #85: $600 Ultra Stack. Our traditional coverage of this event starts from Day 2.

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.

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• Tags $25K Fantasy WSOP25 Adrian Mateos Caitlin Comeskey Calvin Anderson Cary Katz Greg Merson David Williams Jason Mercier Johnny Chan Juliet Hegedus Katie Lindsaey Lara Eisenberg Max Neugebauer Michael Acevedo Oleksii Kravchuk Phil Hellmuth Thomas Eychenne Va
• Related Players Phil HellmuthJohnny ChanDavid WilliamsJason MercierCary KatzGreg Merson