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

05-28-2025 11:44 UTC-8

Lawhead Flops a Flush, Loses Out to Feng

Kai Cocklin

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Hanming Feng made it 600 to go from middle position, and Monty Mardon called in the cutoff. David Lawhead also called from the small blind.

The flop came a monotone A♠K♠8♠ where all checked to the 6♠ turn. Lawhead led out for 800, Feng called, and Mardon folded.

A J♣ completed the board, and Lawhead fired again, this time for 1,200. Feng quickly called.

Lawhead showed a flush with 7♠5♠, but Feng held a bigger one with K♦10♠ to take the pot.

"A four of spades would have been nice," mentioned Lawhead after the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Lawhead	55,000 3,000	3,000
Hanming Feng	52,000 52,000	52,000
Monty Mardon	49,000 49,000	49,000

Tags: David Lawhead Hanming Feng Monty Mardon

05-28-2025 11:49 UTC-8

Williams Forcing River Decisions

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Robert Jones

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

After a raise from Jeremiah Williams sitting on the button and a re-raise to 2,500 from Daniel Strelitz seated in the small blind, Williams called, and they were heads up to a flop.

With a little over 5,000 in the middle, these players saw a flop of A♥10♣10♠. Strelitz elected to bet 1,200 and was raised by Williams to 4,200. Strelitz completed, and they were off to a turn.

The pressure would not cease from Williams on a 4♠ turn, as he fired 11,000 after a check from Strelitz. Strelitz elected to call once again.

After the 2♣ river peeled off, and a check from Strelitz, Williams was to act. He took virtually no time before he decided to put Strelitz all in. Strelitz found a quick fold, deciding this relentless aggression was too much to handle during the early stages of level one.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremiah Williams	72,500 16,500	16,500
Daniel Strelitz	27,500 27,500	27,500

Tags: Daniel Strelitz Jeremiah Williams

05-28-2025 11:53 UTC-8

Disappointment for Petro

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Barry Russell

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Action was picked up with roughly 18,000 chips in the middle on a board of 10♦3♣2♦7♦. John Petro, in the big blind, checked to Bradford Albrinck, who was in early position. Albrinck checked as well, and Michael Damphousse, on the button, also checked.

Play came to a standstill when the K♦ fell on the river, and all players tabled their hands. Petro confidently showed 10♠3♠ but looked disappointed when Albrinck revealed K♥10♥ and scooped the pot after Damphousse mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brad Albrinck	65,000 15,000	15,000
John Petro	43,000 43,000	43,000
Michael Damphousse	36,000 22,300	22,300

Tags: Bradford Albrinck John Petro Michael Damphousse

05-28-2025 11:57 UTC-8

Blind vs. Blind Battle

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Robert Jones

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Picking up action as Uri Reichenstein from the small blind, and Seunghyun Nam from the big blind headed to a flop of 8♣4♠2♠ with 15,000 chips in the middle.

Reichenstein check-called a bet of 3,800 from Nam.

A potential straight and flush became worries for both players as the 7♠ peeled off on the turn. Action checked around.

The 2♣ river was followed by a very small 3,000-chip bet from Reichenstein. After some deliberating, Nam decided not to make any moves and released.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	60,000 10,000	10,000
Seunghyun Nam	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Seunghyun Nam Uri Reichenstein

05-28-2025 11:59 UTC-8

Ostapchenko Flops the Nuts Against Stoloff

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Kai Cocklin

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Andrew Ostapchenko opened from under the gun to 1,300, and Anton Smirnov called in the hijack. Allison Stoloff also came along from the cutoff.

They went to a flop of 5♠4♦3♣ where it checked to Stoloff, who fired out 2,300. Ostapchenko then check-raised to 10,000, Smirnov folded, and Stoloff snap-called.

A 10♠ hit the turn and Ostapchenko, with around 55,000 in his stack, bet 20,000. Stoloff wasn't so quick to act this time and after around thirty seconds, she called.

When the 8♦ fell on the river, Ostapchenko gathered a large stack of chips and threw 33,000 into the pot, leaving himself around 2,000 behind. Stoloff then went into the tank for around two minutes, contemplating the decision with her stack of around 50,000. Eventually, she called.

Ostapchenko then showed the nuts with 7♥6♥ for a straight, and Stoloff mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Ostapchenko	135,000 135,000	135,000

Allison Stoloff	17,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Allison Stoloff Andrew Ostapchenko Anton Smirnov

Level: 2

Blinds: 200/300

Ante: 300

05-28-2025 12:02 UTC-8

Disrespected Mike Matusow and Allen Kessler Out to Prove Poker World Wrong

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Jon Sofen

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Mike Matusow went for a small bid in the 25k Fantasy Draft, and Allen Kessler didn't even get drafted. Both longtime poker pros appear to be on a mission to prove the poker community wrong this summer at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

The $25,000 buy-in WSOP fantasy draft took place at Aria Tuesday afternoon. A record 24 teams each selected eight players they hope will rack up points during the Series. Team owners could only spend up to $200 bidding on players during the auction, which means they had to either avoid the high-priced stars like Jeremy Ausmus, who went for $141, or pile up the value picks.

Read the Full Story Here

Tags: Mike Matusow Allen Kessler

05-28-2025 12:09 UTC-8

Elias Folds the River Against Albrinck

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

There were around 3,000 chips in the middle on a 10♥10♣2♣ flop when Darren Elias checked from the small blind and then called a bet of 800 from Brad Albrinck, who was in the big blind.

Both tapped the table when the 10♠ hit the turn, and Elias checked again on the Q♦ river. Albrinck announced a bet of 1,000, and that was enough to earn him the pot as Elias folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darren Elias	55,000 11,700	11,700

Brad Albrinck	40,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Brad Albrinck Darren Elias

05-28-2025 12:16 UTC-8

Landon Tice has Arrived!

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Kasey Taormino

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1927820889732649247

Tags: Landon Tice

05-28-2025 12:16 UTC-8

Affleck in the Tank

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Barry Russell

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

There were roughly 7,000 chips in the middle on 9♦9♠8♦. Curt Kohlberg checked in early position to Matthew Affleck who bet 2,000 on the button, and Kohlberg called.

Action slowed when the 8♣ fell on the turn, and both players checked their option. Kohlberg decided to lead for 5,000 when the 7♥ hit the river. Affleck went into the tank for around a minute before he made the call. Kohlberg tabled A♣K♣ but could not beat Affleck's A♠A♦.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthew Affleck	60,000 60,000	60,000
Curt Kohlberg	19,500 19,500	19,500

Tags: Curt Kohlberg Matthew Affleck