$102,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Invitational
Day 1 Completed
2025 Onyx Super High Roller Series
$102,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Invitational
Day: 1
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Final Table
4
5,650,000
5
3,175,000
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Day 1 of the $102,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Invitational is in the books at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. A total of 66 entries took their shot in this elite three-day contest, with 27 players making it through to Day 2.
It was Mikalai Vaskaboinikau who stamped his authority on proceedings, taking the lead early and never letting go. He bagged 10,475,000 after seven levels, giving himself a wide cushion over the chasing pack. Close behind are Cong Pham (6,970,000) and Laszlo Bujtas (5,800,000), while the ever-entertaining "Dubai Police" closed out the night on 5,650,000.
Vaskaboinikau wasted little time building his stack. He scored an early double-up when he five-bet with pocket aces and got the rest in on the flop against Ville Wahlbeck. Soon after, he sent Rob Yong to the rail by rivering the nut straight against the Onyx Club owner’s top two pair, before Armin Ghojehvand also fell victim when his aces were cracked by Vaskaboinikau’s flopped flush. With around 25 minutes left in the day, the Belarusian simply left his chips on the table and headed out, figuring he had already put in a full shift.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | Belarus | 10,475,000 | 419 |
| 2 | Cong Pham | United States | 6,970,000 | 279 |
| 3 | Laszlo Bujtas | Hungary | 5,800,000 | 232 |
| 4 | "Dubai Police" | United Arab Emirates | 5,650,000 | 226 |
| 5 | "flipandgo" | Cyprus | 3,175,000 | 127 |
| 6 | Phil Ivey | United States | 2,885,000 | 115 |
| 7 | Ilya Bulychev | Russian Federation | 2,750,000 | 110 |
| 8 | Biao Ding | China | 2,300,000 | 92 |
| 9 | Martin Dam | Denmark | 2,150,000 | 86 |
| 10 | Joni Jouhkimainen | Finland | 2,050,000 | 82 |
The lineup of survivors is loaded with talent, including Phil Ivey (2,885,000), Artur Martirosian (1,815,000), Nick Schulman (1,245,000), and Ben Lamb (915,000). With so many world-class names still in contention, the race to the trophy is wide open.
Of the 27 players advancing, 10 invitees will return alongside 17 pros as the field merges on Day 2. Vaskaboinikau led the invitees and the entire field with 10,475,000, while Bujtas finished as the best of the pros on 5,800,000.
Day 2 will resume at 2 p.m. local time on Tuesday, August 20. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 10, expected around 4:15 p.m.
Ketola and Cates Break New Ground
While the tournament action has been heating up inside the Merit Royal Diamond, something truly unprecedented is happening on the side. Ossi Ketola and Dan Cates are locked into one of the wildest heads-up cash game battles the poker world has ever seen.
It began with two separate $1,000,000 buy-in clashes, followed by a staggering $3,000,000 buy-in that Ketola managed to win. The two then pushed it even further with a pair of $5,000,000 buy-ins, and now they have agreed to a jaw-dropping $6,000,000 buy-in winner-take-all match, where the champion will scoop a record-setting $12,000,000 pot.
Every single match in this series is winner-take-all, making the swings as brutal as the stakes are enormous. This is poker history in the making, something never before attempted at these levels.
Tune in live and witness the insanity unfold on OnyxLiveTV.
Keep following PokerNews for chip counts, key hands, and all the live updates from the $102,000 Onyx SHRS PLO Invitational.
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
10,475,000
475,000
|
475,000 |
|
||
|
6,970,000
3,470,000
|
3,470,000 |
|
5,800,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
5,650,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
||
|
|
3,175,000
1,475,000
|
1,475,000 |
|
2,885,000
885,000
|
885,000 |
|
||
|
2,750,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
2,300,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
2,150,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
2,050,000
950,000
|
950,000 |
|
||
|
1,940,000
560,000
|
560,000 |
|
1,875,000
1,025,000
|
1,025,000 |
|
1,815,000
315,000
|
315,000 |
|
||
|
1,640,000
1,640,000
|
1,640,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,585,000
585,000
|
585,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,480,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
1,410,000
310,000
|
310,000 |
|
1,410,000
310,000
|
310,000 |
|
1,405,000
305,000
|
305,000 |
|
1,315,000
565,000
|
565,000 |
|
1,245,000
245,000
|
245,000 |
|
||
|
1,180,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
1,105,000
1,895,000
|
1,895,000 |
|
|
||
|
915,000
805,000
|
805,000 |
|
||
|
865,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
The survivors are now bagging up their chips and will be back tomorrow at 2 p.m. to play out Day 2.
Stay tuned for the chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Robert Cowen was seen getting up out of his seat with all of his chips heading over to Laszlo Bujtas, who now has around 6,000,000.
The floor have also stopped the clock and said that three more hands will be played before the survivors bag up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,000,000
3,000,000
|
3,000,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau has put in a good shift today and accumulated around 10,000,000 chips by eliminating countless opponents.
All that effort has, in this mind, earned him an early night as he has already left the poker room and heading out!
There are still around 22 minutes left on the clock, but shortly the tournament staff will announce how many more hands will be played before the survivors bag up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,000,000 | |
|
|
||
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
A reminder that the absolutely absurd $10,000,000 heads-up match between Dan "Jungleman" Cates and Ossi Ketola is still going on.
Don't miss it - OnyxLiveTV.
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
There was a flop of J♣10♥8♣ laying on the table when Biao Ding checked from the small blind and "Dubai Police" tapped the table in the hijack. "Gargamel" bet 150,000 from the cutoff, which only Ding called.
A K♠ on the turn drew another check out of Ding, then "Gargamel" fired 520,000, leaving just 10,000 behind. Ding went into the tank fora while, but eventually settled on a fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,200,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,500,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
|
1,100,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
On a board of J♥4♥9♥5♥, Armin Ghojehvand was already all-in for his short stack and Mikalai Vaskaboinikau had bet 300,000 into the dry side pot. Cong Pham then made it 1,200,000, Vaskaboinikau shoved, and Pham snap-folded.
Armin Ghojehvand: A♠A♣K♣5♦ 
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau: A♥6♦3♥2♠
Ghojehvand was drawing dead and there was no card that could help him. On the other hand. Vaskaboinikau continued to run hot and now has around 10,000,000!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
10,000,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,500,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
Busted | |
Level 7
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,000,000
1,900,000
|
1,900,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,000,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
3,000,000
2,180,000
|
2,180,000 |
|
|
2,500,000
1,560,000
|
1,560,000 |
|
|
2,000,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,900,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
|
1,500,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
1,000,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,000,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
950,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
920,000
770,000
|
770,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
900,000
425,000
|
425,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
875,000
525,000
|
525,000 |
|
|
850,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
|
750,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
|
680,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
350,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
