Event #26: $25,000 High Roller
Day 1 Started
Event #26: $25,000 High Roller
Day 1 Started
Welcome back to PokerNews, the official media partner of the 2025 World Series of Poker and home of live updates from all bracelet events.
If you are following the 25K Fantasy action, Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) is likely to have a field that is jam-packed with those fantasy entrants. This three-day event commences at 12 p.m. local time at the Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas, and the action will be intense from the pitching of the first cards.
Each entrant, and there will probably be about 300 of them, starts their quest for WSOP glory with a 150,000 starting stack. Should they somehow dust off those chips, they can reenter once before the end of late registration. Late registration closes at the end of the ninth level, which should be around 1:15 p.m. local time on Day 2 (Sunday, June 8).
Eight levels are scheduled on Day 1, with 15-minute breaks every two levels. Blinds increase every 60 minutes from start to finish.
Surviving players return to their seats from 12 p.m. local time on Sunday with 10 levels planned. A 60-minute dinner break is pencilled in after Level 14 (~6:30 p.m.), in addition to 15-minute breaks every two levels.
Day 3 is set for June 9, starting at a yet-to-be determined time.
This marks the fifth year this event has run, and it has grown annually. Only 139 players bought into the inaugural event in 2021, but 318 superstars turned out in force for the 2024 edition. Nick Schulman was the player who came out on top in 2024; he walked away with $1,667,842 and his fifth piece of WSOP hardware.
Schulman won a crucial coin flip early in the final table's proceedings before eliminating five of his seven opponents.
"It felt incredible," Schulman told PokerNews about the pivotal hand. "Everybody who's played poker tournaments has a lot of residual trauma ... and holding there was amazing. And then that set up where there was one big chip leader ... It's pretty rare, and a very special setup to find yourself in.
"I was fortunate enough to have the kind of golden lane, where they can't really do anything. Even if they know you're messing around, they still kind of can't do anything. And that's the best place to be in at a final table."
| Year | Entries | Winner | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 318 | Nick Schulman | United States | $1,667,842 |
| 2023 | 301 | Isaac Haxton | United States | $1,698,215 |
| 2022 | 251 | Chad Eveslage | United States | $1,415,610 |
| 2021 | 139 | Tyler Cornell | United States | $833,289 |
Planning on playing this event? PokerNews activates MyStack for every WSOP event, regardless of that tournament's buy-in, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting.
MyStack is a free poker tool that allows you to control your chip counts on our live reporting pages. Once you have created a free PokerNews account, you can use MyStack to update your chip counts in real time; hopefully, your stack will continue increasing throughout the event!
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on this and all bracelet events at the 2025 WSOP!
Due to a bracelet ceremony, the floor staff have announced that play will start at approximately 12:25 p.m.
Level: 1
Blinds: 1,000/1,000
Ante: 1,000
Cards are in the air and play has started with 55 players currently seated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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|
||
|
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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||
|
|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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||
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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||
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|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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|
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
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150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
In the 895th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is joined by Mike Holtz and four-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen to dive into the world of the ultra-rich at the World Series of Poker. Which billionaires have participated in the WSOP over the years? How much money has the WSOP actually awarded? And who are the wealthiest players at the tables today?
After introducing the topics, Chad, Mike, and Jeff take a deep dive into WSOP statistics to determine just how many billions the World Series of Poker has awarded to players over the last five decades.
They also take a closer look at some of the most ultra-wealthy poker players and face off in a special WSOP Billionaire trivia challenge to see who knows the most about poker’s richest.
In the second half of the episode, Chad sits down with two prominent voices in the high-stakes scene to further peel back the curtain on poker’s elite.
A new PokerNews Podcast will drop twice a week during the 2025 WSOP every Thursday and Sunday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!
With five players at the table, Bin Weng checked from the small blind and Shawn Daniels raised to 3,000 out of the big blind. Weng called.
The flop came down 7♠10♣4♥ and Weng check-called a bet of 2,000 from Daniels.
The J♦ turn and 10♦ river checked through and Weng turned over A♦9♠ for ace-high. Daniels showed Q♠7♦ for a pair of sevens, and the pot was sent to Daniels.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
156,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
145,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Gregory Jensen raised to 3,000 from early position and was re-raised by Zachary Grech on his immediate left. Jensen made the call.
On a flop of 9♣8♥5♦, Jensen check-called a 7,500 chip bet from Grech.
The turn came the 3♥, and once again, Jensen checked-called a bet from Grech, this time for 27,500.
When the river peeled off as the 8♣, Jensen checked, Grech sent in 103,000 putting Jensen at risk, and Jensen quickly called.
Zachary Grech: K♦J♦
Gregory Jensen: 10♦8♦
Jensen with trip 8s was able to bring in a massive pot during level one.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
265,000
115,000
|
115,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
20,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
||
Paul Jager raised from under the gun to 2,500 and was re-raised by Dinesh Alt sitting on the button to 8,500. Jager made the call.
The flop came K♠K♣3♥ and Jager check-called a 6,000 chip bet from Alt.
On a turn 6♣, Jager led out 15,000 and Alt called.
When the river came the 5♣ Jager checked, Alt bet 37,500, and was called by Jager.
Dinesh Alt: A♥K♥
Paul Jager: K♦10♠
Kicker problems for Jager, and a great start for Alt during level one.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
235,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
|
72,000
78,000
|
78,000 |