Event #3: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em | 2025 World Series of Poker

05-31-2025 17:56 UTC-8

Mao Left Short-Stacked by Galiana's Flopped Straight

Kai Cocklin

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Renji Mao raised to 400,000 with K♦9♥ on the button and Antonio Galiana defended with 7♥4♦ in the big blind.

The flop came 8♣6♠5♥ and Galiana led out with his straight for 350,000, only for Mao to raise to 900,000. Galiana just called.

A 3♠ dropped on the turn and after Galiana checked, Mao continued to bluff with a bet of 800,000. Galiana then check-raised to 1,600,000 and Mao, with 2,700,000 remaining in his stack, eventually folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antonio Galiana	13,155,000 1,400,000	1,400,000

Christian Roberts	10,560,000 500,000	500,000

Frederic Normand	8,410,000 400,000	400,000
Renji Mao	2,655,000 1,700,000	1,700,000

Tags: Antonio Galiana Renji Mao

05-31-2025 17:46 UTC-8

Galiana Scoops

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Barry Russell

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Renji Mao raised in the cutoff to 400,000 with A♣10♦, Antonio Galiana called in the small blind with A♦J♣ and Christian Roberts called in the big blind with 5♣4♥. Mao continued with a bet of 400,000 when the flop came 6♣K♥2♠, Galiana and Roberts called.

All players checked when the 8♣ hit the turn and checked again when the 8♦ fell on the river. Galiana scooped this pot with the best ace-high.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antonio Galiana	11,755,000 1,900,000	1,900,000

Christian Roberts	11,060,000 100,000	100,000

Renji Mao	4,355,000 1,300,000	1,300,000

Tags: Antonio Galiana Christian Roberts Renji Mao

05-31-2025 17:35 UTC-8

Roberts Turns Two Pair on Scary Board

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Kai Cocklin

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Renji Mao raised to 400,000 from under the gun with K♠9♥ and Christian Roberts called in the big blind holding A♣J♠.

The flop came A♥K♥Q♠, giving both players a pair, and Roberts checked. Mao then bet 300,000 and Roberts check-raised to 850,000. Mao called with his king.

A J♣ on the turn gave Roberts two pair and he fired out 550,000, which got a quick fold out of Mao.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Roberts	11,160,000 1,250,000	1,250,000

Antonio Galiana	9,855,000 1,400,000	1,400,000

Frederic Normand	8,010,000 1,200,000	1,200,000
Renji Mao	5,655,000 2,150,000	2,150,000

Tags: Christian Roberts Renji Mao

05-31-2025 17:27 UTC-8

Roberts' Sevens Good at Showdown

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Barry Russell

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Antonio Galiana called 100,000 in the small blind with 6♥4♥, and Christian Roberts raised to 650,000 with 7♥7♦. Galiana called.

With roughly 1,500,000 in the pot, Galiana checked to Roberts, who decided to check back on a flop of J♣8♦A♦.

Action went check-check when the 5♠ hit the turn and the 8♣ fell on the river, allowing Roberts to take it down with his sevens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Roberts	9,910,000 650,000	650,000

Antonio Galiana	8,455,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Antonio Galiana Christian Roberts

05-31-2025 17:16 UTC-8

Mao Slow-Plays Bullets, Normand Pays to See

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Kai Cocklin

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Renji Mao picked up A♦A♠ in the small blind and limped in, and Frederic Normand checked with A♣2♥ in the big blind.

On the 4♥3♥8♦ flop, both players checked to the 8♠ turn and Mao bet 350,000. Normand called.

A 2♠ on the river gave Normand a pair and he had a decision to make as Mao bet 1,000,000. Normand mulled it over for quite some time before he slammed down a stack of chips and called.

Mao showed his bullets and dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Roberts	9,260,000 100,000	100,000

Frederic Normand	9,210,000 2,150,000	2,150,000
Antonio Galiana	8,405,000 420,000	420,000

Renji Mao	7,805,000 1,355,000	1,355,000

Tags: Frederic Normand Renji Mao

Level: 30

Blinds: 100,000/200,000

Ante: 200,000

05-31-2025 17:09 UTC-8

Chop Chop

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Barry Russell

Level 29 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

Renji Mao raised in the cutoff to 320,000 with K♣9♦, Christian Roberts called in the big blind with 10♥9♠. Mao continued with a bet of 300,000 on a flop of J♦7♣10♠, Roberts called. The 7♥ on the turn slowed down the action and it went check-check.

The 8♥ opened the door for Roberts to lead for 280,000 with a straight, Mao also with a straight just called and they chopped this pot up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Roberts	9,360,000 440,000	440,000

Renji Mao	6,450,000 115,000	115,000

Tags: Christian Roberts Renji Mao

05-31-2025 17:03 UTC-8

Mao Picks Up Big Slick

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Kai Cocklin

Level 29 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

Renji Mao opened with A♦K♣ to 320,000 and Frederic Normand looked down at A♥9♣ in the small blind and took around a minute before he announced a three-bet to 1,240,000.

Mao rechecked his cards and shipped in his Big Slick for 4,775,000.

"How much total?" asked Normand. Upon receiving the count, he grabbed his cards and tossed them away.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederic Normand	11,360,000 760,000	760,000
Renji Mao	6,335,000 1,160,000	1,160,000

Tags: Frederic Normand Renji Mao

05-31-2025 16:58 UTC-8

Normand Takes the Chip Lead

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Barry Russell

Level 29 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

Frederic Normand called 80,000 in the small blind, Antonio Galiana raised to 560,000 in the big blind. Normand decided to three-bet to 1,600,000, Galiana asked "how much you playing?", Normand repsonds with "I started with like, 5.5". Galiana announced that he was all in, Normand snap-called.

Frederic Normand: A♠K♦ All in
Antonio Galiana: A♣J♥

The flop came Q♥3♣2♦, which was no help to Galiana, the 7♠ on the turn and the 8♠ on the river gave Normand the chip lead on this final table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederic Normand	12,120,000 6,120,000	6,120,000
Antonio Galiana	7,985,000 5,820,000	5,820,000

Tags: Antonio Galiana Frederic Normand

05-31-2025 16:50 UTC-8

Roberts Decides to Give it Up

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Kai Cocklin

Level 29 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

Christian Roberts made it 320,000 to go on the button with J♠10♣ and Frederic Normand defended in the big blind with A♥9♠.

The flop came down 3♥3♦7♦ and after Normand checked, Roberts fired out 440,000. Normand took some time before he dropped in the call to see the 6♥ hit the turn. Again Normand checked, and Roberts elected to check back.

A 5♣ on the river missed both players and Normand checked it over. Roberts decided to give up and check it back, allowing the ace-high of Normand to take it down.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Roberts	9,800,000 840,000	840,000

Frederic Normand	6,000,000 860,000	860,000

Tags: Christian Roberts Frederic Normand