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

05-28-2025 21:59 UTC-8

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Drew O'Connell	230,000

Timothy Reilly	Busted

Tags: Drew O'Connell Timothy Reilly

05-28-2025 21:54 UTC-8

No Gamble, No Future

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ren Lin	200,000 22,000	22,000

Zachary Grech	110,000 110,000	110,000

Tags: Ren Lin Zachary Grech

05-28-2025 21:51 UTC-8

Last Level of the Night

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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

05-28-2025 21:46 UTC-8

Fetsch Catches Sinclair Bluffing

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ron Fetsch	150,000 150,000	150,000
Jack Sinclair	130,000 65,000	65,000

Tags: Jack Sinclair Ron Fetsch

05-28-2025 21:43 UTC-8

Lewis Doubles in Penultimate Level

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaohu Liu	110,000 72,000	72,000
Toby Lewis	53,000 53,000	53,000

Tags: Toby Lewis Xiaohu Liu

05-28-2025 21:34 UTC-8

Grujic's Stack Going in the Wrong Direction

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Shiva Dudani	155,000 155,000	155,000
Patrick Leonard	150,000 5,000	5,000

Dan Shak	60,000 8,000	8,000
Marko Grujic	45,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Marko Grujic Shiva Dudani

05-28-2025 21:26 UTC-8

Koller Sends Ruben to the Rail

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ran Koller	210,000 210,000	210,000

Ivan Ruban	Busted

Tags: Ivan Ruben Ran Koller

05-28-2025 21:23 UTC-8

Kolev Hits 200,000

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yuliyan Kolev	200,000 200,000	200,000

Adam Friedman	80,000 80,000	80,000

Christopher Ewing	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Adam Friedman Christopher Ewing Yuliyan Kolev

05-28-2025 21:18 UTC-8

Laskowitz Gets Richer as Ngo Departs

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samuel Laskowitz	325,000 50,000	50,000
Hieu Ngo	Busted

Tags: Hieu Ngo Samuel Laskowitz