$635 Main Event Day 1a | 2025 RPT Montana State Poker Championship

04-04-2025 22:31 UTC-6

Lucero Wins a Flip

Nick Becker

Level 11 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 0 ante

Action folded around to the player on the button who moved all in for about 30,000 to put himself at risk. Frank Lucero made the call in the big blind.

Button: 8♣8♥ All in
Frank Lucero: Q♦10♣

The board ran out J♥5♦A♦A♣J♦ with the button's pair of eights getting counterfeited. Lucero scooped the pot with two pair, aces and jacks with a queen kicker.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frank Lucero	240,000 7,500	7,500

Tags: Frank Lucero

Level: 11

Blinds: 2,000/3,000

Ante: 0

04-04-2025 22:21 UTC-6

Bennett Chipping Back Up

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Nick Becker

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Richard Bennett limped in early position, as did Brian Metzger in the hijack, and the player on the button. The small blind completed and the big blind checked.

The flop came 9♣4♣9♠ and it checked to Bennett who bet 5,000. Only Metzger continued to the Q♦ turn, which went check-check.

The K♠ river also checked through and Bennett tabled the winner with Q♣7♣, besting the A♥4♥ of Metzger.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Bennett (MT)	300,000 86,000	86,000

Brian Metzger	81,500 16,500	16,500

Tags: Brian Metzger Richard Bennett

04-04-2025 22:15 UTC-6

$1.4M Madness! Alan Keating’s Huge Pot & Doug Polk’s Code Doug Heater | PokerNews Podcast #885

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Chad Holloway

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

04-04-2025 22:13 UTC-6

Howell Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Nick Becker

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Alex Smith limped under the gun and the player in early position limped behind. Willy Sou then made it 12,000 to go on the button and Chance Howell three-bet to 33,000 in the big blind. Alex Smith called for less, putting himself at risk, early position folded, and Sou called.

The flop came 2♦J♣8♣ and Howell continued with a bet of 26,000. Sou made the call, bringing the A♦ turn.

Howell slowed down with a check and Sou fired out a bet of 60,000. Howell then came over the top and moved all in, putting Sou at risk who had about 105,000 behind. After some consideration, Sou ultimately elected to give up his hand.

Alex Smith: Q♣10♣ All in
Chance Howell: J♦J♥

The river brought the 3♥, awarding both the main pot and the side pot to Howell, who now holds a commanding chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chance Howell	530,000 152,000	152,000
Willy Sou	105,000 163,000	163,000
Alex Smith	Busted

Tags: Alex Smith Chance Howell Willy Sou

04-04-2025 21:58 UTC-6

Bell Flops Top Set

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Nick Becker

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Whitney Bell and Mike Fick got it all in on a flop of A♠5♦2♣, with Fick at risk.

Mike Fick: A♣4♦ All in
Whitney Bell: A♦A♥

Fick still had outs to a gutshot but was unable to get there when the turn and river landed 4♥, 7♥, respectively.

Player	Chips	Progress
Whitney Bell	155,000
Mike Fick	Busted

Tags: Mike Fick Whitney Bell

04-04-2025 21:48 UTC-6

Life Outside Poker: How Chess Streamer Alexandra Botez Won Half a Million Playing Poker

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Nick Becker

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 26th episode, Connor speaks with chess streamer and GGPoker ambassador Alexandra Botez about learning chess and poker from her dad, getting into streaming at Stanford, dealing with online trolls, creating content with her sister Andrea Botez and the similarities between chess and poker.

Botez also talked about winning $456,900 in a legendary 2022 Hustler Casino Live stream that included Phil Hellmuth, Mr. Beast and Ninja, as well as signing on as a GGPoker ambassador and securing two career-high cashes at World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise (she finished 60th in the $10,000 GGMillion$ Championship for $22,190 before finishing 187th in the $25,000 Super Main Event for $67,300).

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Alexandra Botez by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Be sure to follow Alexandra Botez and Connor Richards on X.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 0

04-04-2025 21:41 UTC-6

Top Chip Counts

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Nick Becker

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 0 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Chance Howell	378,000 43,000	43,000
Chad Bales	269,000 199,000	199,000
Willy Sou	268,000 12,000	12,000
John Majdic	263,500 203,500	203,500
Leo Valenzuela	236,000 236,000	236,000
Frank Lucero	232,500 4,000	4,000
Ryan Roeder	214,000 128,400	128,400
Richard Bennett (MT)	214,000 36,000	36,000

Kevin Detienne	206,000 77,000	77,000
Ron Crane	197,500 2,500	2,500
Peter Asmuth	184,500