Chino Rheem Seeking First Bracelet Amongst Stacked Final Table for Day 3 of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship
Seven Card Stud is one of the most historic, yet difficult, variants of poker. Year after year, the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship is the least attended championship event at the World Series of Poker. The explanation is clear: the game is tremendously difficult.
A total of 127 entries were tallied for Event #25: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, up from the 104 runners in 2024, but just nine remain in contention for the WSOP gold bracelet and the first-place prize of $295,008. Today, one of those nine will stand alone as the champion.
After a long Day 2 that included 37 hands of hand-for-hand and wrapping up at 1:30 a.m., Chino Rheem leads the final nine into the unofficial final table with a stack of 1,351,000. Rheem has a storied career with memorable deep runs in the Main Event and two second-place finishes in WSOP events. The only thing missing from his resume is a bracelet, but he will have the opportunity today to secure his first.
Following the late-night exit of Daniel Negreanu in 11th, George Alexander was eliminated on the final hand of Day 2 as the remaining players will combine at a single table at 1 p.m. local time for battle.
Coming into the final day in second is China’s Qiang Xu with 1,275,000. Xu has one bracelet to his name coming last year in an $800 No-Limit Hold’em Event. Despite his relative inexperience in mixed games, Xu proved that he belongs in such a strong field.
Rounding out the podium in third place is Adam Friedman with 1,038,000, who was the chip-leader after Day 1. A former winner of this event in 2022, Friedman showcased his aggressive playing style on Day 2 as his stack yo-yo’ed up and down but finished strong as he chases his sixth bracelet.
Start of Day 3 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chino Rheem | United States | 1,351,000 | 27 |
| 2 | Qiang Xu | China | 1,275,000 | 26 |
| 3 | Adam Friedman | United States | 1,038,000 | 21 |
| 4 | Mike Matusow | United States | 999,000 | 20 |
| 5 | Dan Heimiller | United States | 996,000 | 20 |
| 6 | Paul Volpe | United States | 684,000 | 14 |
| 7 | Dave Rogers | United States | 512,000 | 10 |
| 8 | Nick Guagenti | United States | 435,000 | 9 |
| 9 | Mori Eskandani | United States | 338,000 | 7 |
Others still in contention include poker boom legend Mike Matusow (999,000), who explained to PokerNews at the end of Day 2 how a potential win would affect his legacy, newly-minted three-time bracelet winner Dan Heimiller (996,000), and Poker Hall of Famer Mori Eskandani (338,000).
Also involved for Day 3 are three-time bracelet winner Paul Volpe (684,000), Dave Rogers (512,000), who competed at the $100,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games a couple months ago, and high-stakes mixed-game regular Nick Guagenti (435,000), seeking his third bracelet.
Unofficial Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Heimiller | United States | 996,000 | 20 |
| 2 | Paul Volpe | United States | 684,000 | 14 |
| 3 | Chino Rheem | United States | 1,351,000 | 27 |
| 4 | Mori Eskandani | United States | 338,000 | 7 |
| 5 | Adam Friedman | United States | 1,038,000 | 21 |
| 6 | Mike Matusow | United States | 999,000 | 20 |
| 7 | Nick Guagenti | United States | 435,000 | 9 |
| 8 | Dave Rogers | United States | 512,000 | 10 |
| 9 | Qiang Xu | China | 1,275,000 | 26 |
The stakes for today’s final table extend beyond the money, as the prestige and respect associated with this title transcend the dollars to be won. The final nine have the opportunity to cement their legacy by winning one of the most difficult bracelets of the summer, and the pressure could not be higher.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $295,008 |
| 2 | $196,662 |
| 3 | $135,828 |
| 4 | $96,502 |
| 5 | $70,587 |
| 6 | $53,201 |
| 7 | $41,357 |
| 8 | $33,190 |
| 9 | $27,528 |
Play resumes at 1 p.m. local time in the Horseshoe Event Center. Action will begin in Level 19 with an ante of 5,000 and limits at 25,000/50,000 with an average stack of 850,000, or 17 big bets. This is relatively deep for a limit tournament, so a grueling and intense Day 3 is expected. Levels will be 90 minutes in length through to the conclusion of the event.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates throughout the final table for Event #25: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, and all other events at the 2025 World Series of Poker.