Event #5: $250,000 Triton Invitational Day 1 | 2025 WSOP Paradise

12-07-2025 21:48 UTC-4

Chip Counts at the Break

Will Shillibier

Level 8 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

The stacks are still fairly deep with the blinds increasing to 2,500/5,000 (5,000) after the break. For example, Thomas Boivin is in a list of the ten shortest stacks in the field, but still sits fairly comfortably with a 45 big blind stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rafael Mota	1,278,000 161,500	161,500
Sameh Elamawy	1,149,500 43,000	43,000
Vinny Lingham	1,085,500 365,500	365,500
Charles Hook	991,000 109,000	109,000

Javid Ismayilov	855,000 97,000	97,000
David Einhorn	851,000 308,500	308,500
Ryan Rapaski	793,000 66,000	66,000
Jean-Noel Thorel	788,500 49,500	49,500
Ye Wang	753,500 107,500	107,500

Kayhan Mokri	728,500 82,000	82,000

Mark Hammond	720,500 30,500	30,500
Joseph Oren	677,000 227,000	227,000
Stephen Chidwick	675,000 73,500	73,500

Talal Shakerchi	660,500 11,000	11,000
Taylor von Kriegenbergh	660,000 25,000	25,000
Matthias Eibinger	646,000 339,500	339,500

Alejandro Lococo	627,500 151,500	151,500

Albert Daher	622,000 199,000	199,000
Jonathan Jaffe	618,000 82,000	82,000
Juan Pardo	602,500 14,500	14,500
Alex Kulev	575,000 15,000	15,000

Dejan Kaladjurdjevic	574,500 118,500	118,500
Gabriel Andrade	571,000 49,000	49,000
Tom Heung	557,000 216,000	216,000
Cong Pham	554,000 89,000	89,000

Read full

Tags: Thomas Boivin

12-07-2025 21:44 UTC-4

Final Break

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Josh Noy

Level 8 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Players have reached the last 15-minute break of the opening day.

Play will resume with blinds of 2,500/5,000/5,000, and two more levels to complete before bagging for Day 2.

12-07-2025 21:44 UTC-4

Watson Flipped by Fritz

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Will Shillibier

Level 8 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Alex Foxen opened to 5,000 from under the gun and Manuel Fritz called in the cutoff.

Mike Watson three-bet to 33,000. It folded back to Foxen who also folded before Fritz four-bet all in for 357,000. Watson called and was all-in for 143,000.

Mike Watson: Q♣Q♦ All in
Manuel Fritz: A♠K♣

Fritz spiked a king on the K♦9♣2♦10♠8♠ board and sent the runner-up in the $75,000 Triton PLO earlier this week to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Manuel Fritz	519,000 139,500	139,500
Alex Foxen	285,000 75,000	75,000

Mike Watson	Busted

Tags: Alex Foxen Manuel Fritz Mike Watson

12-07-2025 21:37 UTC-4

Pocket Pair for Von Kriegenbergh

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Josh Noy

Level 8 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Action was heads up to the 2♥2♠7♣ flop, where Taylor von Kriegenbergh led out for 45,000 from the big blind. Jesse Lonis called to the 2♦ turn, and von Kriegenbergh fired again for 60,000.

Lonis stuck in another call, and both players checked it down after seeing the 6♠ river. Lonis mucked his cards after watching von Kriegenbergh table 8♠8♣ for a full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Taylor von Kriegenbergh	635,000 186,500	186,500
Jesse Lonis	290,000 73,000	73,000

Tags: Jesse Lonis Taylor von Kriegenbergh

12-07-2025 21:31 UTC-4

Zhang Burns SIX Time Banks

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Will Shillibier

Level 8 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

After an open to 10,000 from Javid Ismayilov, Yu Zhang three-bet to 40,000 and Mark Hammond four-bet to 102,000 from the small blind.

Ismayilov folded and Zhang called.

The flop came J♣10♦6♠ and Hammond continued for 100,000. Zhang called. The turn was the 8♥ and Hammond shoved for 260,500 into a pot of around 430,000.

Zhang sat with only slightly less in his stack, 245,000 or so, and used up six of his time banks before ultimately folding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Hammond	690,000 216,500	216,500
Yu Zhang	245,000 175,500	175,500

Tags: Javid Ismayilov Mark Hammond Yu Zhang

12-07-2025 21:30 UTC-4

Recent Eliminations

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Will Shillibier

Level 8 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Among the recent eliminations is Triton Poker Series Ambassador Jason Koon, who ran fives into the pocket queens of Aleksejs Ponakovs.

Player	Chips	Progress
Charles Hook	1,100,000 38,500	38,500

Ryan Rapaski	859,000 296,500	296,500
Aleksejs Ponakovs	210,000 12,500	12,500

David D'Alessandro	Busted
Jason Koon	Busted

Johan Guilbert	Busted

12-07-2025 21:20 UTC-4

Top Pair for Ismayilov

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Josh Noy

Level 8 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Mark Hammond raised to 8,000 in early position, and Cong Pham quickly three-bet to 30,000 on his left. Javid Ismayilov made the call on the button, while Hammond got out of the way.

Pham led out for another 30,000 on the 7♠3♥K♣ flop, and Ismayilov stuck in the call. The J♥ turn saw Pham fire 60,000 into the middle, and another call was made.

Both players then checked down the 6♥ river, and Ismayilov tabled K♦Q♣ for top pair. Pham indicated he had a jack, and mucked his cards allowing Ismayilov to claim the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Javid Ismayilov	952,000 60,500	60,500
Mark Hammond	540,000 66,500	66,500
Cong Pham	465,000 162,000	162,000

Tags: Cong Pham Javid Ismayilov Mark Hammond

12-07-2025 21:15 UTC-4

Pros vs Invitees Discussion

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Will Shillibier

Level 8 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

The tournament chip counts currently show the top seven players in the chip counts are Invitees, playing separately in the Invitee side of the tournament.

Players such as Adrian Mateos and Jesse Lonis were discussing the format, with invitees allowed two re-entries as opposed to the pro's one, and the Return on Investment (ROI) for each side.

"The stakes are so high at the final table though," said Mateos.

"Who would have to go over there to make there then?" asked Daniel Negreanu.

"I'd love to play over there," said Kristen Foxen.

"If you get to play over there, I'll play over there," replied Danny Tang.

"What qualifies you for the Invitee side, Kristen?" asked Negreanu.

"I'll just say that my husband plays poker!" she replied.

"That would make every woman in America eligible," joked Lonis.

Tags: Adrian Mateos Daniel Negreanu Danny Tang Jesse Lonis Kristen Foxen

12-07-2025 21:01 UTC-4

Pardo Pressures Mulder

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Josh Noy

Level 8 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Juan Pardo opened to 8,000 from under the gun, and action folded around to Teun Mulder in the big blind.

Mulder called to see the 5♠9♦3♦ flop, and checked to his opponent. Pardo counted out a bet of 28,000, good enough to take the pot as Mulder slid his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Juan Pardo	588,000 190,500	190,500
Teun Mulder	186,000 144,000	144,000

Tags: Juan Pardo Teun Mulder

Level: 8

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 4,000