Event #2: $500 Industry Employees No-Limit Hold'em Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

05-27-2025 14:21 UTC-8

Early Stage Kicker Problems

Robert Jones

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

After a raise from Charles Petry sitting under the gun to 400, and a re-raise to 1,200 from Rudolph Dacanay next to act, Philip Restivo sat on the button with a decision. He elected on a call, and Steven Harrison decided to do the same from the big blind, Petry closed the action with a call.

The players went four ways to a flop of A♣5♥3♠.

Harrison decided to lead out 5,000 into a pot of roughly the same size. Action folded around to Restivo, and he moved his remaining chips into play.

Harrison faced a decision for 18,500 chips and his tournament life. Before long, he risked it all.

Steven Harrison: A♦Q♥ All in
Philip Restivo: A♠K♣

With both players holding top pair, Restivo held a massive advantage with his king kicker. After a 5♣ on the turn, and a 3♥ on the river, Harrison was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Philip Restivo	68,000 68,000	68,000
Charles Petry	23,500 23,500	23,500
Rudolph Dacanay	23,500 23,500	23,500
Steven Harrison	Busted

Tags: Charles Petry Philip Restivo Rudolph Dacanay Steven Harrison

05-27-2025 14:48 UTC-8

Narciso Holds With Bullets; Sanchez Busts

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Frederick Narciso made it 600 to go from the cutoff with Stephen Sanchez calling from the small blind, before Claudio Elizalde squeezed to 2,300 from the big blind. Narciso and Sanchez called.

After the dealer spread out a flop of J♠4♣6♣, Sanchez shoved his short stack into the middle for around the size of the pot, and Elizalde moved all in over the top. Narciso called for his remaining chips and the cards were turned over with Elizalde having the chance to bust two players.

Stephen Sanchez: K♦J♦ All in
Frederick Narciso: A♣A♥ All in
Claudio Elizalde: Q♠Q♥

Sanchez had top pair, Elizalde had an overpair, but Narciso was ahead with pocket aces. The rest of the board ran out 8♣4♥, keeping Narciso's aces ahead until the end. Sanchez was out, and Elizalde was left with around 5,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederick Narciso	40,000 40,000	40,000
Claudio Elizalde	5,500 5,500	5,500
Stephen Sanchez	Busted

Tags: Claudio Elizalde Frederick Narciso Stephen Sanchez

05-27-2025 15:01 UTC-8

Sarabia Hits the Rail

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Eduardo Sarabia made it 1,200 to go from the hijack with roughly 7,500 remaining in his stack. After it folded around to Joshua Calderon in the big blind, he shoved to put Sarabia all in. Sarabia instantly called.

Eduardo Sarabia: 8♥8♣ All in
Joshua Calderon: 10♠10♦

Sarabia was likely to be headed to the rail as he needed a date with an eight to stay alive. However, the board ran out K♠3♠4♠4♦A♠ to give Calderon the winner with a flush, and Sarabia was out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joshua Calderon	38,000 38,000	38,000
Eduardo Sarabia	Busted

Tags: Eduardo Sarabia Joshua Calderon

05-27-2025 15:45 UTC-8

Brutal River Decision

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Robert Jones

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

John Vournas raised to 900 from early position, and Maxwell Donohue reraised to 2,500 from his immediate left. Action folded around to Donohue who decided he wanted to see three.

Heads-up to a flop of K♠8♠2♠. Action checked around.

Things became more interesting as the J♦ landed on the turn, and Vournas made a bet of 2,000. Donohue quickly called.

After the A♣ fell on the river, Vournas elected to put Donohue at risk for his remaining 16,000 chips, overbetting into a pot of 10,000.

After some deliberation, Donohue hesitantly called.

Maxwell Donohue: A♥J♥ All in
John Vournas: 7♠6♠

The worst runout imaginable for Donohue, as his runner-runner two pair was not enough to overcome the flopped flush from Vournas, concluding his tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Vournas	67,000 67,000	67,000
Maxwell Donohue	Busted

Tags: John Vournas Maxwell Donohue

05-27-2025 16:31 UTC-8

Elizalde Heads to the Showers

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Tim Baker

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

With around 2,500 in the pot on a flop of J♦10♥6♣, Claudio Elizalde shoved from the small blind for 3,300 and was instantly called by Jeffrey Lies out of the big blind. Carl McDonald called from the button and they went to the turn.

With Elizalde all in, the dealer burned a card and then put out the A♦ on the turn. Lies shoved for McDonald's remaining 15,000, forcing McDonald to fold.

Claudio Elizalde: 6♠5♣ All in
Jeffrey Lies: K♥Q♠

Elizalde was drawing dead with bottom pair against the turned Broadway straight of Lies. An irrelevant 4♣ came on the river to cement Elizalde's elimination from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeffrey Lies	120,000 120,000	120,000
Carl McDonald	15,000 15,000	15,000
Claudio Elizalde	Busted

Tags: Carl McDonald Claudio Elizalde Jeffrey Lies

05-27-2025 16:48 UTC-8

Brutal River Ends Brajovic's Run

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Tim Baker

Level 6 : 300/600, 600 ante

Robert Brajovic made it 2,300 from early position with only Stacy Kimbrel calling from the button.

The dealer put out a flop of A♥10♣7♠ and Brajovic continued with a bet of 2,500. Kimbrel stuck around with a call.

The 2♣ fell on the turn and Brajovic fired again, this time for 4,300. Kimbrel called once more.

When the Q♦ appeared on the river, Brajovic tossed out a bet 6,500, and after a few moments, Kimbrel jammed for around 43,000. Brajovic had around 36,000 remaining in his stack, and after thinking for over a minute, made the call.

Kimbrel turned over the nuts with K♥J♠ for a straight to win the pot, as Brajovic showed top two pair with A♠Q♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stacy Kimbrel	120,000 120,000	120,000
Robert Brajovic	Busted

Tags: Robert Brajovic Stacy Kimbrel

05-27-2025 17:04 UTC-8

Set vs. Set for Heaps

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Robert Jones

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Spencer Mclaughlin limped under the gun, Patrick Chung followed with another call as next to act, and Christine Nino bumped the price of admission to 6,000 from Chung's immediate left. Both Mclaughlin and Chung called.

With a little over 19,000 in the middle, three players saw a flop of 10♥5♣4♠.

After two checks, Nino fired a bet of 10,000 out. Mclaughlin then slid his roughly 40,000 remaining chips in the middle putting himself at risk. Chung quickly folded and Nino quickly called.

Spencer Mclaughlin: 5♥5♦ All in
Christine Nino: K♦K♥

Nightmare struck on the turn for Mclaughlin as the K♠ was slapped down.

Nino faded the one outer, and has put herself in a beautiful position during the early stages of this tournament, building a massive stack!

Player	Chips	Progress
Christine Nino	130,000 130,000	130,000
Spencer Mclaughlin	Busted

Tags: Christine Nino Patrick Chung Spencer Mclaughlin

05-27-2025 17:18 UTC-8

When You Know, You Know

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Robert Jones

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Action folded to Joshua Morgan in the cutoff who raised to 1,300. Allan Kwong reraised him from the button to 3,500. Morgan completed, and they went heads-up to a flop.

A♣10♣4♥ was the flop these players saw. Morgan checked, Kwong bet 2,700, and Morgan made his move going all in for a total of 20,500. Kwong hesitated for a brief second, then made the call putting himself at risk.

Joshua Morgan: Q♣J♦
Allan Kwong: A♠Q♥ All in

The brutal K♠ peeled off on the turn, and Kwong's only two outcomes became chop or lose.

The 8♥ river was no help for Kwong, and he was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joshua Morgan	62,000 62,000	62,000
Allan Kwong	Busted

Tags: Allan Kwong Joshua Morgan

05-27-2025 18:10 UTC-8

Top Set Facing a Raise

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Robert Jones

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Andrew Bart opened the action with a raise to 1,800 from early position. Tyler Penner followed with a call as next to act, along with Winton Lemoine from the cutoff, Michael Leasure from the button, and the big blind completed.

Five players saw a flop of 10♥7♥3♠.

After a check from both the big blind and Bart, Penner fired a bet of 7,000 out into a pot slightly under 10,000. Lemoine released, and Leasure raised to 20,000. Penner then went all in for 4,000 more, and Leasure completed the action with a call.

Tyler Penner: A♦K♥ All in
Michael Leasure: 10♣10♦

Penner, in dire need, found some outs on a 5♥ turn, but bricked out and was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Leasure	103,000 52,000	52,000
Andrew Bart	22,000
Winton Lemoine	15,000
Tyler Penner	Busted

Tags: Andrew Bart Michael Leasure Tyler Penner Winton Lemoine

05-27-2025 18:10 UTC-8

Aces Hold for Double Knockout

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Erick Torres

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

A pot with three-way action developed preflop. Leandra Tanner opened the action with a raise before Danel Morez elected to jam.

Action folded to Yomali Santiago-Ramirez, who committed her stack before Tanner called off, covering both opponents.

Leandra Tanner: A♦A♣
Yomali Santiago-Ramirez: A♥J♦ All in
Danel Morez: K♥Q♠ All in

Tanner's aces held on a board of Q♥3♣4♠6♦7♣ , knocking out Santiago-Ramirez and Morez in the process.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leandra Tanner	65,500 65,500	65,500
Yomali Santiago-Ramirez	Busted
Danel Morez	Busted

Tags: Danel Morez Leandra Tanner Yomali Santiago-Ramirez