Faraz Jaka Takes Dominant Lead into LAPC Main Event Final Table
It was a fast and furious start to Day 3 of the $10,000 LAPC Main Event, where the final 40 contenders returned to battle into the money at the 2025 LA Poker Classic.
The first two levels of the day saw 15 players sent to the rail at The Commerce Casino & Hotel, and it took less than another 90-minute level to trim the field down to the 19 spots in the money.
Play slowed down from there, but the final table of nine was reached early in the last scheduled level of the night. By that point, Faraz Jaka had put his stamp on the day to bag up a significant chip lead, holding more than a quarter of the chips in play.
Jaka has posted six-figure scores in each of the past two months, with wins in Florida and Colorado, and is now in prime position to make it three in a row here in California. His day got kickstarted with an early double up and picked things up in a big way later on after cracking kings in the biggest pot of the tournament.
Jaka capped off his climb to the top by making a flush on the river to climb above the 2,000,000-chip mark, remaining there to finish with 184 big blinds heading into the final day.
All nine contenders have locked up at least $37,230 by outlasting the rest of the 145-entry field, which created a total prize pool of $1,348,500. Jaka holds the inside track at the moment in the hunt for the top prize of $372,280.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faraz Jaka | United States | 2,210,000 | 184 |
| 2 | Frank Brannan | United States | 1,242,000 | 104 |
| 3 | Elvyn Bello | Dominican Republic | 1,235,000 | 103 |
| 4 | Adam Weinraub | United States | 1,005,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Michael Nia | United States | 992,000 | 83 |
| 6 | Anthony Hu | United States | 813,000 | 68 |
| 7 | Gevork Kasabyan | United States | 558,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Jonathan Pastore | France | 375,000 | 31 |
| 9 | Cecile Ticherfatine | France | 280,000 | 23 |
Leading the chase of Jaka are the only other players with more than 100 big blinds in their bags. WSOP bracelet winner Frank Brannan sits in second spot with 1,242,000, while Elvyn Bello is right on his heels with 1,235,000. Bello will be looking to better his three final table finishes at the WSOP Circuit event at The Commerce in November, where his highest finish was sixth.
Next on the leaderboard is Adam Weinraub , who has now finished inside the top five in every day he has played this week. This final table score will take his career earnings above the $1 million mark. Michael Nia has earned his fourth cash of the series, looking to end it with a bang on Wednesday.
The other contenders include Anthony Hu , who carries a resume full of massive results that have seen him collect over $2.7 million in career earnings. The final table roster is rounded out by Gevork Kasabyan, Jonathan Pastore and Cecile Ticherfatine.
The bubble took just five hands after the clock was paused, as Vlastimil Pustina was the victim of a tough cooler to exit in 20th place and miss out on the money.
Earlier in the day, Billy Baxter saw his tournament run come to an end when the poker veteran ran into aces. Day 3 concluded after Mitchell Hynam hit the rail in tenth place, determining the final nine who will battle for the title.
LAPC Main Event Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $372,280 |
| 2 | $235,990 |
| 3 | $138,900 |
| 4 | $84,320 |
| 5 | $65,400 |
| 6 | $54,010 |
| 7 | $47,200 |
| 8 | $42,140 |
| 9 | $37,230 |
Action will resume at 2:00 p.m. local time, with 65:17 left in Level 18. Blinds will continue at 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 big blind ante. Players will get a 15-minute break after each level, with play continuing until a champion is crowned.
Don't miss any of the final table action, as the PokerNews live reporting team will have everything covered until the winner is taking photos with the trophy at The Commerce.