Christian Roberts Leads the Final Five; Three Seek Second WSOP Bracelet
Day 3 of Event #3: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em at the 2025 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas concluded after ten hours of play, with the field narrowing from 25 to just five players. Each has secured at least $137,948 from the $3,720,960 prize pool and will now compete for the top prize of $582,008 and a WSOP bracelet.
Christian Roberts ended the day as the clear chip leader, bagging over 10,000,000 chips. Roberts has emerged as a formidable presence at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), accumulating more than $1,994,441 in live earnings across 60+ cashes and securing his first bracelet in 2023 by winning the $500 No-Limit Hold'em Summer Saver online event for $154,359. Roberts will be looking to earn his second WSOP bracelet, another huge score, and maximum points for Team Girl Dads.
The second largest stack at the end of the night belongs to Antonio Galiana, bagging 8,400,000. Galiana made a memorable mark at the 2024 World Series of Poker by capturing his first gold bracelet in the $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em. The Spanish native navigated a large field of 1,267 entries to claim the top prize of $439,395. Galiana accumulated his stack through solid play, aggression, and hero calls only the best in the world could make, and now he is looking for the biggest all-time live score and his second WSOP bracelet.
Third in chips is Renji Mao from Beijing, who has rapidly ascended the ranks of the WSOP circuit, amassing over $586,000 in WSOP earnings. His breakout moment came in 2023 when he clinched his first bracelet in the $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack event, securing a $402,588 payday. Since then, Mao has demonstrated remarkable consistency, recording 25 cashes in WSOP events across live and online. Mao's final table was far from smooth, coming in short-stacked, but he managed to win a few big flips to spin up his stack to nearly 8,000,000. Mao will also be seeking his second bracelet on Sunday.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frederic Normand | Canada | 4,675,000 | 39 |
| 2 | Renji Mao | China | 6,340,000 | 53 |
| 3 | Antonio Galiana | Spain | 8,430,000 | 70 |
| 4 | Christian Roberts | Venezuela | 10,075,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Gaetan Balleur | France | 5,160,000 | 43 |
The final table buzzed with hero calls, massive bluffs, and lively discussions on topics like who they considered the best players in the world, the earnings of ambassadors, and their shared passion for the game. The table showcased a global flair with 8 players representing eight different countries: France, Spain, China, Canada, Israel, Venezuela, USA, and Greece. Georgios Sotiropoulos (8th - $57,051), Justin Liberto (7th - $75,263), and Uri Reichenstein (6th - $101,028) not only secured impressive payouts but also earned valuable points for their 25K Fantasy Draft teams.
A few notable players that hit the rail early include Sam Soverel (22nd-$22,552), Ethan Yau (17th-$22,552), Justin Saliba (15th-$27,666), and Michael Moncek (9th-$44,018). Moncek was unfortunately the final table bubble boy, but collected $44,018 for his efforts.
Final Table Payouts/Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $582,008 | ||
| 2 | $387,979 | ||
| 3 | $270,407 | ||
| 4 | $191,550 | ||
| 5 | $137,948 | ||
| 6 | Uri Reichenstein | Israel | $101,028 |
| 7 | Justin Liberto | United States | $75,263 |
| 8 | Georgios Sotiropoulos | Greece | $57,051 |
The tournament will resume at 3 p.m. local time, with two minutes left in Level 28. Blinds will be 60,000/120,000, with a 120,000 big blind ante. Levels will be 60 minutes in length, with 15-minute breaks every two levels. PokerGO will stream the action on a two-hour delay, beginning at 5 p.m. PDT.
Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the remainder of this event, as well as future coverage throughout the summer.