Event #3: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

05-28-2025 19:08 UTC-8

Blom Barrells to No Avail

Stewart Morrison

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Anthony Marquez raised under the gun to 2,500. Viktor Blom, next to act, called and the big blind came along too.

A flop of Q♠3♣J♦, saw the big blind and Marquez both check and Blom take over the betting lead for 2,800. The big blind folded but Marquez stuck around.

The turn 2♥ did little to change the board and when Marquez again chose to check, Blom continued for 8,600. Marquez again called.

Marquez checked for a third time on the K♠ river and Blom wasted little time in barrelling again, this time for 17,200. No sooner had he let go of his chips before Marquez had thrown a chip in to signal a call.

Blom revealed 5♠5♣, which wasn't enough to beat the rivered straight of Marquez, who had 10♦9♦.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anthony Marquez	115,000 65,000	65,000

Viktor Blom	60,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Anthony Marquez Viktor Blom

05-28-2025 19:13 UTC-8

Gafford Needs the River to Double Through Westmorland

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Jordan Westmorland opened from the cutoff and Bradley Gafford shoved from the small blind for around 20,000. Once it got back to Westmorland, he called.

Bradley Gafford: 10♠9♠ All in
Jordan Westmorland K♠Q♣

Westmorland paired his queen on the 4♣A♣Q♠ flop to take a big lead and was one card away from scoring a knockout when the 8♣ landed on the turn. However, Gafford connected with his gutshot when the J♦ hit the river, earning him a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Justin Saliba	85,000

Bradley Gafford	45,000 16,000	16,000

Jordan Westmorland	9,000

Tags: Bradley Gafford Jordan Westmorland

05-28-2025 19:27 UTC-8

Zaki Battling Roy

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Robert Jones

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Justin Zaki started the action from the hijack with a raise to 2,000. Paul Roy called on the button, and Radoslav Stoyanov completed from the big blind.

Three ways to a 9♥7♥4♥ flop and Zaki saw no reason to concede aggression betting 3,200. Roy called and Stoyanov got out of the way.

A fourth heart came on the 8♥ turn, and Zaki continued to bet, this time to the tune of 6,500. Roy fought back on this street, making it 15,000 to go. Zaki made the call, and they were off to see a river.

A 3♦ on the river didn't seem to change much, but Zaki thought his circumstance was beneficial enough to move his remaining chips into the middle for a bet of roughly 17,000. Roy decided he had seen enough and made the fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Roy	92,000 12,000	12,000
Radoslav Stoyanov	75,000 12,000	12,000
Justin Zaki	60,000 22,000	22,000

Tags: Justin Zaki Paul Roy Radoslav Stoyanov

05-28-2025 19:31 UTC-8

Damphousse Sends Two Packing

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Thomas Brabham opened from early position and Michael Damphousse called from the small blind before Joseph Spanne made it 8,300 to go from the big blind. Brabham called, leaving himself around 5,000 behind, and Damphousse also called.

The flop came 3♣2♣J♠ and after Damphousse checked, Spanne bet 5,400. Brabham called for his last 5,100, and Damphousse also called.

A 4♦ on the turn saw Damphousse check again, and then Spanne threw in six orange chips, worth 5,000 each. Damphousse then shoved, and Spanne took some time before he called off the extra 40,000 he had behind, leaving him at risk.

Thomas Brabham: AxAx All in
Joseph Spanne: Q♠Q♣ All in
Michael Damphousse: 4♠4♣

Damphousse had turned a set and was one card away from setting sail toward a 200,000-chip stack. Only an ace or a queen could prevent it, but the K♥ completed the board, sending both Spanne and Brabham to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Damphousse	220,000 135,000	135,000
Joseph Spanne	Busted
Thomas Brabham	Busted

Tags: Joseph Spanne Michael Damphousse Thomas Brabham

Level: 8

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

05-28-2025 19:40 UTC-8

Two Doubles Are Better Than One

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Stewart Morrison

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Joao Vieira found himself all in at risk twice in the space of a few hands.

First Vieira moved all in for 3,900 and only Ricardo Eyzaguirre in the big blind called.

Joao Vieira: Q♥8♥ All in
Ricardo Eyzaguirre: Q♣5♥

The board ran out 3♠A♣7♦6♠8♦ to give Vieira his first double.

Just a few hands later Vieira moved all in from early position for 9,300 before Michael Troutt isolated on the button to 15,000.

Joao Vieira: A♠2♠ All in
Michael Troutt: A♦7♦

Vieira would need some help this time, seeing his holding dominated by his opponent.

The 10♠10♥6♠9♥ board gave Vieira plenty of opportunities to win or at least split the pot, and the 2♣ river was exactly what Vieira was hoping for.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Troutt	60,000 15,000	15,000
Ricardo Eyzaguirre	32,500 32,500	32,500
Joao Vieira	21,000 21,000	21,000

05-28-2025 19:47 UTC-8

Leonard Making Moves

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Nicholas Teeuwen opened from under the gun and Patrick Leonard three-bet to 7,500 from middle position. Marko Grujic was in the hijack and cold four-bet to 15,000, which got Teeuwen to fold. Leonard called.

The flop came 5♥Q♠A♠ and Leonard check-called a bet of 4,000 from Grujic to the 8♥ turn, where both checked.

A J♥ fell on the river and Leonard stacked his chips into a single pile and slid them forward for a shove of around 40,000. Grujic released a huge puff of air as he was facing the bet and after around 30 seconds, he let his cards go.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marko Grujic	85,000 129,000	129,000
Patrick Leonard	80,000 80,000	80,000

Tags: Marko Grujic Nicholas Teeuwen Patrick Leonard

05-28-2025 19:49 UTC-8

Surprise at Showdown

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Barry Russell

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With roughly 27,000 chips in the pot on a flop of 10♥7♠5♦, Sandeep Pulusani checked from early position. Duy Duong, in middle position, also checked. Chao Duan, on the button, bet 5,400, and only Pulusani called.

The turn brought the 8♠ and the river the 4♣, with both players checking down to showdown. Duan looked surprised when Pulusani tabled Q♠Q♣, but his own K♦K♣ was good enough to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chao Duan	67,000
Sandeep Pulusani	40,000

Duy Duong	17,000

Tags: Sandeep Pulusani Chao Duan Duy Duong

05-28-2025 19:51 UTC-8

Yang Busts in Brutal Fashion

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Robert Jones

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Chongxian Yang open-shoved for 9,600, and action folded to Sohale Khalili who decided to give some action.

Sohale Khalili: K♦5♠
Chongxian Yang: A♣10♦

The flop ran out A♥J♥6♣ and Yang felt safe with top pair.

A 10♠ gave Yang two pair, but also gave Khalili an opportunity to send him home.

The sentence to the rail was secured with the Q♠ river. Khalili backdoored into the nuts.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sohale Khalili	58,000 20,000	20,000
Chongxian Yang	Busted

Tags: Chongxian Yang Sohale Khalili

05-28-2025 19:59 UTC-8

Eyzaguirre's Kings Crushed on the River

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Ricardo Eyzaguirre's stack had dwindled to around ten big blinds but he had a great opportunity to double up when he was put at risk by Armando Figueroa.

Ricardo Eyzaguirre: K♦K♣ All in
Armando Figueroa: A♦J♥

Eyzaguirre held pocket kings and was good through the 3♣7♦6♣ flop and the 3♦ turn. However, Figueroa screamed for an ace and got his reward as the A♣ hit the river, meaning Eyzaguirre was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Armando Figueroa	40,000
Ricardo Eyzaguirre	Busted

Tags: Armando Figueroa Ricardo Eyzaguirre