Event #18: $10,000 Dealers Choice 6-Handed Championship Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

Jun 03, 2025

Freeman Scores the First Knockout

David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

All of Tal Avivi's remaining 35,000 was being pushed to Zachary Freeman following a board of 9♦2♥7♦6♠5♣, and tablemate Ryan Hoenig filled in the details.

According to Hoenig, three players limped in before Avivi potted in the small blind. All three opponents called to the flop, where Freeman bet 6,000. Only Avivi called.

Freeman then potted on the turn, Avivi repotted all in, and they got all their chips in the middle. Freeman ended up with A♥9♥4♥3♠ for a straight, while Avivi had A♦K♣Q♠5♥ for just a pair of fives as he became the first player eliminated from the field.

Tags: Tal Avivi Zachary Freeman

Jun 03, 2025

Zhu Catches Good on Seventh

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Brett Slezak

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

Razz

Action was picked up on fourth street in a hand between Yueqi Zhu and Ariel Mantel.

Yueqi Zhu: 6x3x2x / 8x9x5xQx
Ariel Mantel: XxXx / 6x9x4xQx / Xx

Mantel led the whole way as Zhu called bets on fourth, fifth, and sixth.

On seventh, Mantel checked to Zhu who bet and Mantel called. Zhu revealed his hole cards as he made his eight on the end to best the nine of Mantel.

Tags: Ariel Mantel Yueqi Zhu

Jun 03, 2025

Chambers Drags Another Big Pot

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David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

2-7 Triple Draw

Anthony Zinno raised on the button and Walter Chambers reraised in the small blind. David Wesson then made it four bets from the big blind and both opponents called.

Chambers and Wesson both took two, while Zinno took one. Zinno then bet and Chambers and Wesson stuck around and called.

Chambers and Zinno drew one on the second draw, while Wesson took two. Zinno then bet again and both opponents called. Chambers and Wesson drew one, while Zinno stood pat.

All three players checked and Chambers turned over 8x7x6x3x2x to win the pot.

Tags: Anthony Zinno David Wesson Walter Chambers

Jun 03, 2025

Eslami Wins Without Showdown

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Brett Slezak

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

2-7 Triple Draw

Robert Wells raised from the hijack, Ali Eslami three-bet from the button, Wells made it four bets, and Eslami called.

Wells took one and Eslami took two. Wells bet, Eslami raised, and Wells called.

Wells drew one and Eslami was now pat. Wells checked to Eslami who surprisingly checked behind.

On the final draw, Wells drew one again and checked. Eslami fired out a bet which earned a wry smile from Wells who was confused by Eslami's line. Wells let his hand go after a minute of contemplation as Eslami dragged a sizeable pot without showdown.

Tags: Ali Eslami Robert Wells

Jun 03, 2025

Liberto Takes a Big Chunk Off Chen Without Seeing a Flop

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David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

No-Limit Hold'em

After Huabao Chen three-bet in the small blind, Justin Liberto four-bet to 9,300 in the hijack. Chen then five-bet to 21,000.

Liberto moved all in and Chen, with around 32,000 remaining, snap-folded.

Tags: Huabao Chen Justin Liberto

Jun 03, 2025

A Few New Entries

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David Salituro

Level 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

Level: 3

Limit Flop/Draw: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 800 Completion 800-1,600 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 400/600 Ante, 200-400 Blinds

Jun 03, 2025

Chambers Hits Gin on the Draw

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David Salituro

Level 2

Limit Flop/Draw: 300-600, 600-1,200 Limits
Stud Games: 100 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 600 Completion 600-1,200 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 300/500 Ante, 200-300 Blinds

5-Card Draw

More than 30,000 was already in the middle as Jordan Siegel, Walter Chambers, and David Wesson went three-handed past the draw. Siegel then led out and bet 12,000 from the small blind.

Chambers raised to 40,000 in the hijack and Wesson quickly folded. "Are there rebuys?" Siegel asked as he went deep into the tank.

"If I go ahead and check the river, what do you do?" Siegel wondered to himself as several minutes went by. He eventually folded and Chambers showed quad jacks as he took the pot.

"Wow, I'm glad I didn't hit my card. I had two pair and I would've been out of here," Wesson added after the hand.

Tags: David Wesson Jordan Siegel Walter Chambers

Jun 03, 2025

Chen Still Finding His Bearings as Liberto Collects

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Brett Slezak

Level 2

Limit Flop/Draw: 300-600, 600-1,200 Limits
Stud Games: 100 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 600 Completion 600-1,200 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 300/500 Ante, 200-300 Blinds

Badugi

Justin Liberto raised from the cutoff and Huabao Chen called in the big blind.

"So what now?" inquired Chen.

"Discard, then betting," the dealer replied.

Chen took two and check-called after Liberto took one.

Chen drew two and Liberto drew one again, and Chen check-called.

On the final draw, Chen took one and Liberto patted behind. Chen quickly check-called a final bet from Liberto who tabled Q♦8♣7♠3♥ for a queen badugi which was good to drag the pot.

Tags: Huabao Chen Justin Liberto

Jun 03, 2025

"May the Best David Baker Win"

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David Salituro

Level 2

Limit Flop/Draw: 300-600, 600-1,200 Limits
Stud Games: 100 Ante, 200 Bring-In, 600 Completion 600-1,200 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 300/500 Ante, 200-300 Blinds

A-5 Triple Draw

John David Rogers raised on the button before David "Bakes" Baker reraised in the small blind. David "ODB" Baker called in the big blind, as did Rogers.

"Bakes" stood pat while "ODB" and Rogers took two. "Bakes" led out with a bet and "ODB" raised. Rogers then reraised and both Bakers called.

"Bakes" and Rogers stood pat on the second draw, while "ODB" took one. "May the best David Baker win," Yehuda Buchalter shouted out from another table. Action checked to Rogers who bet, and "Bakes" raised. "ODB" got out of the way, while Rogers called.

Both players stood pat and "Bakes" bet again. Rogers called and "Bakes" showed 6x5x3x2xAx for a pat-six.

"Another pat-six"" Rogers said as he mucked.

"Three pat sixes in one round is insane," Bakes replied as he took down the big pot.

Tags: David "Bakes" Baker David "ODB" Baker John David Rogers