Event #17: $2,000 No-Limit Holdem Day 3 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-05-2025 18:23 UTC-8

First Limped Pot

Roxanne Johnson

Level 31 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

In a tournament where aggression is the norm, a limped pot is a rare sight—but that's exactly what unfolded. Xiaohu Liu limped from middle position, Quan Zhou followed suit, and both blinds came along, with Umesh Babusukumar completing from the small blind and Benjamin Williams checking his option.

The flop arrived with A♠Q♦Q♣, a board that rarely rewards passive play unless someone’s been slow-playing a monster. Surprisingly, the action checked all the way around.

The 5♥ hit the turn, and once again, no one bit—check, check, check, check.

On the river 6♦, Babusukumar took a stab and bet out 500,000, and everyone folded except Liu, who made the call and flipped over the winning hand with A♥10♥ for two pair aces and queens. Umesh Babusukumar showed 5♦3♣ for two pair queens and fives.

Player	Chips	Progress
Quan Zhou	13,850,000 50,000	50,000
Xiaohu Liu	7,930,000 1,630,000	1,630,000
Benjamin Williams	4,300,000 590,000	590,000
Umesh Babusukumar	3,500,000 1,800,000	1,800,000

Tags: Benjamin WIlliams Quan Zhou Umesh Babusukumar Xiaohu Liu

06-05-2025 18:02 UTC-8

Henrik Juncker Eliminated in 8th Place ($49,421)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 31 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Dusti Smith opened to 375,000 from middle position and Henrik Juncker shoved 595,000 from the hijack. Quan Zhou was on the button and put in a tiny four-bet to 865,000, then Smith put in a gigantic five-bet to 3,590,000. After some time thinking, Zhou called, leaving himself around 2,800,000 behind.

When the dealer put out a flop of J♦5♥2♣, Smith instantly moved all in, and Zhou snap-called for 2,810,000.

Henrik Juncker: A♥9♦ All in
Quan Zhou: J♣J♥ All in
Dusti Smith: A♣K♦

Zhou had flopped top set and was a huge favorite to storm into the chip lead. The 5♣ turn made that happen as Zhou made a boat, leaving both Juncker and Smith drawing dead. A meaningless 4♠ hit the river, and Juncker hit the rail as Zhou took the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Quan Zhou	13,800,000 7,800,000	7,800,000
Dusti Smith	7,700,000 5,700,000	5,700,000

Henrik Juncker	Busted

Tags: Dusti Smith Henrik Juncker Quan Zhou

Level: 31

Blinds: 100,000/200,000

Ante: 200,000

06-05-2025 17:53 UTC-8

Smith Raises the Flop

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Kai Cocklin

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Umesh Babusukumar opened to 300,000 from early position and Dusti Smith called in the hijack. Quan Zhou called in the small blind, and Rafael Mota also completed in the big blind.

The flop came 3♠4♠A♣ and when it checked to Babusukumar, he bet 400,000. Smith then counted out a raise and put around 1,550,000 into the pot, which earned her the chips as everybody else folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dusti Smith	13,400,000 2,400,000	2,400,000

Quan Zhou	6,000,000 500,000	500,000
Umesh Babusukumar	5,300,000 900,000	900,000
Rafael Mota	3,500,000 760,000	760,000

Tags: Dusti Smith Quan Zhou Rafael Mota Umesh Babusukumar

06-05-2025 17:49 UTC-8

Zhou Loses a Huge Pot

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Nataly Sopacuaperu

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Xiaohu Liu completed the small blind and Quan Zhou checked out of the big blind. The dealer showed the flop K♣2♣4♥. where Liu bet 175,000 and got raised to 420,000 by Zhou. Liu called.

The turn revealed Q♠ and both players checked to the river 5♣. Liu continued and bet 300,000, Zhou went all-in with the bigger stack and Liu called with around 2,500,000 behind.

Zhou had already accepted defeat and turned over his J♠9♠ as Liu flipped over A♦3♥ for a wheel to double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Quan Zhou	6,500,000 3,610,000	3,610,000
Xiaohu Liu	6,300,000 2,750,000	2,750,000

Tags: Quan Zhou Xiaohu Liu

06-05-2025 17:47 UTC-8

Samy Boujmala Eliminated in 9th Place ($38,369)

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Roxanne Johnson

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Samy Boujmala shoved all of his chips into the middle from early position, and Scott Bohlman quickly isolated with a raise to 1,350,000. The rest of the table got out of the way, and the cards were on their backs.

Samy Boujmala: K♣Q♥ All in
Scott Bohlman: A♥Q♣

Boujmala was behind but live, hoping to catch a king or some board magic.

The dealer fanned a dry runout of 5♦9♠2♥8♠J♠, and Juncker’s ace-high held firm. With no help for Boujmala, his tournament run came to an end as Juncker scooped the pot and added another notch to his list of eliminations.

Player	Chips	Progress
Scott Bohlman	9,000,000 1,500,000	1,500,000

Samy Boujmala	Busted

Tags: Samy Boujmala Scott Bohlman

06-05-2025 17:33 UTC-8

Juncker Pays Off Babusukumar

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Kai Cocklin

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Henrik Juncker made it 300,00 to go from early position and Umesh Babusukumar defended his big blind.

On the 10♠5♦A♦ flop, Babusukumar check-called a bet of 200,000 from Juncker to the 5♥ turn, where both checked.

An 8♠ hit the river and Babusukumar gathered chips and threw 700,000 into the pot. Juncker was thinking for a while and eventually dropped in the call.

Babusukumar then revealed A♣3♥ for a pair of aces, and Juncker quickly mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Umesh Babusukumar	6,200,000 2,050,000	2,050,000
Henrik Juncker	1,000,000 1,900,000	1,900,000

Tags: Henrik Juncker Umesh Babusukumar

06-05-2025 17:24 UTC-8

Bohlman Adds to His Stack

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Nataly Sopacuaperu

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Dusti Smith opens in middle position to 375,000, only Scott Bohlman called in the big blind. The flop showed: K♦8♦3♥ and Bohlman check-called 380,000 to the turn 10♥ and another 880,000 to see the river 6♦.

Both players checked for the showdown, but as soon as Bohlman flipped K♥2♥ for a pair of kings, Smith mucked her hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dusti Smith	11,000,000 1,780,000	1,780,000

Scott Bohlman	7,500,000 700,000	700,000

Tags: Dusti Smith Scott Bohlman

06-05-2025 17:17 UTC-8

Babusukumar On the Right Side of a Cooler

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Kai Cocklin

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Xiaohu Liu opened from under the gun to 325,000 and when it got to Umesh Babusukumar in the small blind, he ripped in his stack of 1,875,000. Once the action was back on Liu, he called.

Umesh Babusukumar: K♦K♣ All in
Xiaohu Liu: A♠K♠

It was a bit of a cooler situation that, at least on paper, favored Babusukumar. The flop of 7♦Q♥3♣ kept his Cowboys in the lead and the 2♣ turn put him one card away from a double-up. Babusukumar did get his double-up when the 10♦ hit the river, and Liu had to cough up the chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Umesh Babusukumar	4,150,000 2,560,000	2,560,000
Xiaohu Liu	3,550,000 2,350,000	2,350,000

Tags: Umesh Babusukumar Xiaohu Liu

06-05-2025 17:14 UTC-8

Allen Shen Eliminated in 10th Place ($30,161)

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Roxanne Johnson

Level 30 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Dusti Smith opened the action from under the gun with a raise to 375,000. Allen Shen, in middle position, responded with a shove for 680,000—leaving just 50,000 behind.

Action folded back around to Smith, who mistakenly believed Shen was all in. She tossed in a single chip to call and prematurely tabled her hand. The rest of the table quickly intervened, urging her to cover her cards, as Shen was technically not all in yet.

Fortunately for Smith, Shen didn’t catch a glimpse of her exposed hand, and the action continued without further incident.

The flop came out as 9♦Q♠J♣ and Smith announced, "All in." Shen agreed, stating, "Okay, I have two outs".

Allen Shen: 5♦5♣ All in
Dusti Smith: A♣9♣

Shen would need to hit a five to survive, but instead Smith hit another nine 9♣ and a 3♠ on the river to win the pot with trip nines.