Event #26: $25,000 High Roller Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

Player	Chips	Progress
Anatoly Nikitin	5,550,000 550,000	550,000

Chin Wei Lim	4,830,000 30,000	30,000

Andrew Ostapchenko	4,605,000 2,405,000	2,405,000

Orpen Kisacikoglu	4,550,000 50,000	50,000

Byron Kaverman	4,525,000 625,000	625,000

Punnat Punsri	4,370,000 1,170,000	1,170,000

Mathew Frankland	3,815,000 315,000	315,000
Rafael Mota	3,460,000 40,000	40,000
Joao Simao	3,440,000 1,010,000	1,010,000

Masato Yokosawa	3,220,000 870,000	870,000
Chang Lee	3,175,000 565,000	565,000

Joe McKeehen	3,030,000 1,770,000	1,770,000

Mamad Arani	2,100,000 300,000	300,000
Elijah Berg	2,015,000 515,000	515,000
Wai Kiat Lee	1,955,000 55,000	55,000
Aliaksandr Shylko	1,680,000 5,000	5,000
Jim Collopy	1,355,000 145,000	145,000

Brandon Wittmeyer	1,065,000 1,135,000	1,135,000

Player

Chips

Progress

Anatoly Nikitin

5,550,000

550,000

Chin Wei Lim

4,830,000

30,000

Andrew Ostapchenko

4,605,000

2,405,000

Orpen Kisacikoglu

4,550,000

50,000

Byron Kaverman

4,525,000

625,000

Punnat Punsri

4,370,000

1,170,000

Mathew Frankland

3,815,000

315,000

Rafael Mota

3,460,000

40,000

Joao Simao

3,440,000

1,010,000

Masato Yokosawa

3,220,000

870,000

Chang Lee

3,175,000

565,000

Joe McKeehen

3,030,000

1,770,000

Mamad Arani

2,100,000

300,000

Elijah Berg

2,015,000

515,000

Wai Kiat Lee

1,955,000

55,000

Aliaksandr Shylko

1,680,000

5,000

Jim Collopy

1,355,000

145,000

Brandon Wittmeyer

1,065,000

1,135,000

Casino	Table	Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
Event Center	Feature 001	2	Mathew Frankland	United Kingdom	3,815,000	38
Event Center	Feature 001	3	Elijah Berg	United States	2,015,000	20
Event Center	Feature 001	5	Chang Lee	South Korea	3,175,000	32
Event Center	Feature 001	6	Orpen Kisacikoglu	Turkey	4,550,000	46
Event Center	Feature 001	7	Anatoly Nikitin	United States	5,550,000	56
Event Center	Feature 001	8	Rafael Mota	Brazil	3,460,000	35

Event Center	Feature 002	1	Punnat Punsri	Thailand	4,370,000	44
Event Center	Feature 002	2	Andrew Ostapchenko	United States	4,605,000	46
Event Center	Feature 002	4	Joseph Mckeehen	United States	3,030,000	30
Event Center	Feature 002	6	James Collopy	United States	1,355,000	14
Event Center	Feature 002	7	Waikiat Lee	Malaysia	1,955,000	20
Event Center	Feature 002	8	Mamad Arani	United States	2,100,000	21

Event Center	Feature 003	1	Joao Simao	Brazil	3,440,000	34
Event Center	Feature 003	2	Masato Yokosawa	Japan	2,725,000	27
Event Center	Feature 003	3	Brandon Wittmeyer	United States	1,065,000	11
Event Center	Feature 003	4	Aliaksandr Shylko	Czech Republic	1,680,000	17
Event Center	Feature 003	6	Chinwei Lim	Malaysia	4,830,000	48
Event Center	Feature 003	8	Byron Kaverman	United States	4,525,000	45

Casino

Table

Seat

Player

Country

Chip Count

Big Blinds

Event Center

Feature 001

Mathew Frankland

United Kingdom

3,815,000

Event Center

Feature 001

Elijah Berg

United States

2,015,000

Event Center

Feature 001

Chang Lee

South Korea

3,175,000

Event Center

Feature 001

Orpen Kisacikoglu

Turkey

4,550,000

Event Center

Feature 001

Anatoly Nikitin

United States

5,550,000

Event Center

Feature 001

Rafael Mota

Brazil

3,460,000

Event Center

Feature 002

Punnat Punsri

Thailand

4,370,000

Event Center

Feature 002

Andrew Ostapchenko

United States

4,605,000

Event Center

Feature 002

Joseph Mckeehen

United States

3,030,000

Event Center

Feature 002

James Collopy

United States

1,355,000

Event Center

Feature 002

Waikiat Lee

Malaysia

1,955,000

Event Center

Feature 002

Mamad Arani

United States

2,100,000

Event Center

Feature 003

Joao Simao

Brazil

3,440,000

Event Center

Feature 003

Masato Yokosawa

Japan

2,725,000

Event Center

Feature 003

Brandon Wittmeyer

United States

1,065,000

Event Center

Feature 003

Aliaksandr Shylko

Czech Republic

1,680,000

Event Center

Feature 003

Chinwei Lim

Malaysia

4,830,000

Event Center

Feature 003

Byron Kaverman

United States

4,525,000

The penultimate day of Event #26: $25,000 High Roller 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em at the 2025 World Series of Poker has wrapped up, with 18 players set to return and battle tomorrow for the $1,949,044 top prize and the coveted WSOP bracelet, inside the Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas.

An additional 92 entries were added before late registration closed, bringing the field to a record-breaking 392 and generating a prize pool of $9,212,000. After ten 60-minute levels, Russia’s Anatoly Nikitin soared to the top of the counts with a stack of 5,550,000, and is the only player to cross the five-million-chip mark.

Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Anatoly Nikitin	Russian Federation	5,550,000	56
2	Chin Wei Lim	Malaysia	4,830,000	48
3	Andrew Ostapchenko	United States	4,605,000	46
4	Orpen Kisacikoglu	Turkey	4,550,000	46
5	Byron Kaverman	United States	4,525,000	45
6	Punnat Punsri	Thailand	4,370,000	44
7	Mathew Frankland	United Kingdom	3,815,000	38
8	Rafael Mota	Brazil	3,460,000	35
9	Joao Simao	Brazil	3,440,000	34
10	Masato Yokosawa	Japan	3,220,000	32

Following behind Nikitin with 4,830,000 chips is Malaysia’s Chin Wei Lim, who picked up a big chunk of his stack in two key hands. First, he squeezed extra value with pocket aces in a four-bet pot against Asher Conniff. Then, he sent Josh McCully to the rail after turning bottom two pair against McCully’s top pair.

Once registration closed after the first level, the payouts for this record-breaking event were revealed. With the top 59 making the money, a min-cash was worth $50,645. Two more levels passed before hand-for-hand play began, as the next player to bust would leave empty-handed. In the end, it was Noel Rodriguez who became the bubble boy, after his pocket kings got cracked by Brandon Wittmeyer’s set of sixes.

After the bubble burst, eliminations came quickly. Among those who cashed but won't be back for Day 3 are Alex Kulev, Brad Owen, Nick Petrangelo, ten-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel. Also hitting the rail today were Ben Tollerene, Joey Weissman, Georgios Sotiropoulos, and six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus.

Still in contention for the title and set to return tomorrow are Thailand’s Punnat Punsri (4,370,000), Joao Simao (3,440,000), 2015 Main Event champion Joe McKeehen. Malaysia's Wai Kiat Lee (1955,000), Aliaksandr Shylko (1680,000), and three-time bracelet winner Jim Collopy (1,355,000) also will be here at the start of play tomorrow.

The final day of this three-day affair kicks off at noon local time on Monday, June 9, with players returning to blinds of 50,000/100,000 and a big blind ante of 100,000. Levels will remain 60 minutes long, and everyone coming back has secured at least $73,639 for their efforts. All eyes will be on the $1,949,044 top prize and the coveted gold bracelet that awaits the winner.