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

05-28-2025 16:17 UTC-8

Darner Puts a Dent in Frei's Mountain

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Joseph Frei has a mountain of chips in front of him, but just lost some of his fortune in a hand against Mark Darner.

Frei had raised from the hijack and Darner made it 6,400 from the small blind. When it got back to Frei, he called.

The flop came down 4♦A♥9♥ and after Darner checked, Frei bet 6,000. Darner called to see the A♦ turn, where again he check-called after Frei bet 10,000.

A 2♣ filled out the board and both players tapped the table, then Darner showed K♥K♦ for a pair of kings to claim the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Frei	400,000 80,000	80,000
Mark Darner	65,000 65,000	65,000

Tags: Joseph Frei Mark Darner

05-28-2025 16:20 UTC-8

Big Slick for a Big Double

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Robert Jones

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

After Radoslav Stoyanov opened from middle position to 1,500, Justin Zaki elected to re-raise to 2,900 chips. Not enough for Brian Yoon in the big blind, who put in another raise making it 7,300 to go. Stoyanov released, and Zaki pushed the rest of his chips in the middle totaling a bet of slightly under 18,000. Yoon called without hesitation.

Brian Yoon: A♥Q♦
Justin Zaki: A♦K♣

The board ran out 10♠5♦3♦2♥7♦.

This runout was no help for the dominated ace of Yoon, and Zaki found a crucial double up shortly after coming back from break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Radoslav Stoyanov	87,000 13,000	13,000
Justin Zaki	38,000 2,000	2,000
Brian Yoon	30,000

Tags: Brian Yoon Justin Zaki

05-28-2025 16:24 UTC-8

Elias Building Nicely

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Stewart Morrison

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Seeing Michael Troutt raise to 1,700 in front of him, Darren Elias three-bet to 5,500 in the cut off. Troutt, wearing a 'Poker Is War' cap, accepted the challenge and called.

The dealer put out a Q♦A♠J♥ board, and following a Troutt check, Elias continuation-bet for 7,000. Troutt undeterred, called.

The turn A♦ saw both players check, the 6♦ river followed, bringing in the backdoor flush draw.

Troutt took over the betting lead, placing 12,000 out. Elias wanted to play a bigger pot and made it 46,000.

Troutt took some time to make a decision, even removing his sunglasses to get a better look at Elias, before returning his cards to the dealer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darren Elias	150,000 95,000	95,000

Michael Troutt	105,000 18,000	18,000

Tags: Darren Elias Michael Troutt

Level: 6

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

05-28-2025 16:33 UTC-8

Salsberg Collects the Last of Riordan's Stack

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Kai Cocklin

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

John Riordan shoved the hijack for 6,600 and Matthew Salsberg isolated with a three-bet to 12,200 from the cutoff.

John Riordan: A♦3♣ All in
Matthew Salsberg: Q♣Q♦

Riordan needed some help from the dealer, but never managed to find it as the 7♥K♠K♣5♣K♦ runout meant Salsberg rivered a full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthew Salsberg	110,000
John Riordan	Busted

Tags: Matthew Salsberg John Riordan

05-28-2025 16:42 UTC-8

Neaman Puts Cazayous to the Test

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Kai Cocklin

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

With around 7,000 in the middle on an A♥5♥7♣6♣ board, Asher Neaman checked from the big blind and Thomas Cazayous fired 4,500 on the button. Neaman then check-raised to 20,000, and after some thinking, Cazayous called.

A 5♣ dropped on the river and without much hesitation, Neaman slid in a large stack of orange chips, worth 5,000 each, to put Cazayous to the test for all of his chips. With around 45,000 remaining in his stack. Cazayous was in the tank for some time while he decided how to proceed, but did eventually fold, allowing Neaman's stack to grow more.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anatoly Nikitin	170,000 40,000	40,000
Asher Neaman	160,000 160,000	160,000
Thomas Cazayous	45,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Asher Neaman Thomas Cazayous

05-28-2025 16:42 UTC-8

Copley Doubles

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Barry Russell

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

There were 6,000 chips in the middle on a flop of 6♣7♣9♥, Nadine Copley was all in from the button for 24,000, Robert Gentile decided to isolate Copley and announced "all in" for 90,000 in the big blind. Paul Hizer, with a bet of 12,000 in front of him, went into the tank but eventually folded.

Nadine Copley: 9♦9♣ All in
Robert Gentile: J♥8♥

Copley celebrated as the 6♦ turned Gentile dead and the 7♥ completed the run out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Hizer	130,000 130,000	130,000

Robert Gentile	65,000 65,000	65,000
Nadine Copley	60,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Nadine Copley Paul Hizer Robert Gentile

05-28-2025 16:49 UTC-8

A Few Big Stacks Around the Room

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Stewart Morrison

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Frei	360,000 40,000	40,000
Huabao Chen	200,000 25,000	25,000
Benjamin Palmer	200,000 65,000	65,000
Ren Lin	190,000

Darren Elias	170,000 20,000	20,000

Anatoly Nikitin	170,000
Joshua Zimmerman	170,000 40,000	40,000
Simeon Spasov	150,000 5,000	5,000

Jun Obara	120,000 20,000	20,000
Ryan Mandara	120,000 58,000	58,000

05-28-2025 16:52 UTC-8

Begleiter's Sevens Stack Keating

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Kai Cocklin

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Alex Keating's stack was getting low and he had remaining chips in the pot against Steven Begleiter.

Steven Begleiter: 7♣7♥ All in
Alex Keating: 5♣5♠

Keating needed a five to stay alive but couldn't find any help as the J♠3♥10♥A♠J♣ runout meant he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Steven Begleiter	75,000 75,000	75,000
Alex Keating	Busted

Tags: Alex Keating Steven Begleiter

05-28-2025 17:01 UTC-8

Spanne Wins a Flip the Hard Way

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Kai Cocklin

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Kevin Andriamahefa opened from under the gun and when the action got around to Joseph Spanne in the big blind, he put in a sizable three-bet. Andriamahefa then shoved for around 40,000, and Spanne took a few seconds before he called.

Kevin Andriamahefa: A♠K♠ All in
Joseph Spanne: J♥J♠

Andriamahefa needed to improve and certainly would have been pleased to see the 7♠K♥4♠ flop, which gave him top pair and a flush draw. Despite the flop going go swimmingly for Andriamahefa, the J♣ turn dragged him into deep waters as Spanne improved to a set.

Nothing changed on the 8♥ river, and Andriamahefa stood up from his chair and marched towards the exit.