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

May 28, 2025

Reilly Runs Into O'Connell's Queens

Kai Cocklin

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Drew O'Connell made it 4,000 to go from the hijack and Timothy Reilly made it 35,000 from the button, leaving himself 1,500 behind. When it got back to O'Connell, he called and exposed his cards, thinking Reilly was all in.

The flop of 8♣2♠3♠ was dealt and O'Connell bet, then Reilly called off his last few chips.

Timothy Reilly: 6♦6♠ All in
Drew O'Connell: Q♥Q♦

Reilly needed to find a miracle but it never happened as the 7♣K♦ runout meant he was eliminated in the last level of the night.

Tags: Drew O'Connell Timothy Reilly

May 28, 2025

No Gamble, No Future

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Stewart Morrison

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

The hand was joined with a full board already showing 4♥K♦Q♦7♥6♣ and about 20,000 in the pot. Zachary Grech had 23,500 out in front of him as a bet, but was facing a check-raise for his whole stack from Ren Lin, who had announced all-in from the big blind.

Grech took some time before folding. Lin then proudly exposed the 5♣. "No gamble, no future", said Lin, as he added to the chips to his stack.

Tags: Ren Lin Zachary Grech

May 28, 2025

Last Level of the Night

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Kai Cocklin

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

The clock has just ticked into Level 10, which is the last level to be played tonight.

A total of 252 players remain, and whoever can survive another hour of play will bag up and come back tomorrow for Day 2.

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000

May 28, 2025

Fetsch Catches Sinclair Bluffing

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Kai Cocklin

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

With around 8,000 in the pot on a 9♦5♦6♠10♥ board, Ron Fetsch bet 6,500 and Jack Sinclair called from the next seat.

A 4♠ hit the river and Fetsch threw two orange chips, worth 5,000 each, into the pot for a bet of 10,000. Sinclair then counted out a raise and tossed in 45,000, which Fetsch immediately called.

Sinclair then rolled over K♣Q♥ for king-high, and Fetsch's 6♣5♣ for two pair was good for the pot.

Tags: Jack Sinclair Ron Fetsch

May 28, 2025

Lewis Doubles in Penultimate Level

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Stewart Morrison

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

An early position raise to 3,500 was met with a shove from Toby Lewis in the cutoff for 23,000. Xiaohu Liu took a little time to think in the small blind before calling the all in. The initial raiser then folded.

Toby Lewis: A♠K♦ All in
Xiaohu Liu: A♣Q♠

The board ran out: 9♥6♠2♥4♠8♦ to give Lewis slightly more than a double up.

Tags: Toby Lewis Xiaohu Liu

May 28, 2025

Grujic's Stack Going in the Wrong Direction

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Kai Cocklin

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Marko Grujic once had a very healthy stack in the tournament but just saw his chip balance tumble some more after a hand with Shiva Dudani.

The action was picked up on a flop of 3♥6♠Q♣ with around 35,000 in the middle and Dudani fired out 11,000 from the big blind. Grujic called from the hijack to see the 6♦ turn, where both checked.

A K♥ on the river saw Dudani count out a bet of 45,000 and slide it into the pot, which drew a snap-fold out of Grujic.

Tags: Marko Grujic Shiva Dudani

May 28, 2025

Koller Sends Ruben to the Rail

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Stewart Morrison

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Joining the action on the 3♣4♣A♣ flop, Ivan Ruben was all in and at risk from the small blind versus Ran Koller in the cutoff.

Ran Koller: Q♣10♣
Ivan Ruben: A♥K♦ All in

Koller had flopped the flush and was a long way ahead.

The K♥ turn did provide a little hope for Ruben but the 2♠ sealed his fate.

Tags: Ivan Ruben Ran Koller

May 28, 2025

Kolev Hits 200,000

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Kai Cocklin

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

With 13,000 in the pot on a 6♥3♠5♦ flop, Christopher Ewing checked from the small blind and Adam Friedman also tapped the table from the hijack. Yuliyan Kolev was on the button and bet 3,500, then Ewing check-raised to 11,000. Friedman quickly folded, but Kolev called.

A J♠ on the turn saw Ewing slow down with a check, then Kolev bet 27,500. Ewing instantly gave it up, and Kolev's stack joined the double-century club.

Tags: Adam Friedman Christopher Ewing Yuliyan Kolev

May 28, 2025

Laskowitz Gets Richer as Ngo Departs

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Kai Cocklin

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Hieu Ngo three-bet shoved around ten big blinds after Samuel Laskowitz opened, and was quickly put at risk.

Hieu Ngo: K♦J♠ All in
Samuel Laskowitz: Q♣Q♦

Ngo was staring elimination in the face and didn't find much to work with on the 5♣5♥10♦ flop. An A♣ on the turn gave him a useless gutshot to Broadway, and the 4♣ river meant he was eliminated.

Tags: Hieu Ngo Samuel Laskowitz