The action was fierce on Day 2 of Event #3: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed at the 2025 World Series of Poker, held at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Out of the 340 players who returned to the felt, only 25 managed to survive the day and earn a seat on Day 3.
Each returning player is now guaranteed at least $18,736, but all eyes are on the coveted gold bracelet and the $582,008 first-place prize.
Antonio Galiana bagged the chip lead, ending the day with a massive stack of 3,615,000. A pivotal moment in Galiana’s run came when he hit quads to eliminate Robert Smith. Galiana, who claimed his first bracelet in last year’s $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout, is now in prime position to capture his second.
Right behind him are some big names, including four-time bracelet winner and 25K Fantasy Draft pick Georgios Sotiropoulos (3,045,000), bracelet winner Bradley Gafford (2,445,000), and fellow 25K pick Uri Reichenstein (2,095,000).
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antonio Galiana | Spain | 3,615,000 | 145 |
| 2 | Georgios Sotiropoulos | Greece | 3,045,000 | 122 |
| 3 | Bradley Gafford | United States | 2,445,000 | 98 |
| 4 | Uri Reichenstein | Israel | 2,095,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Christian Roberts | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 2,065,000 | 83 |
| 6 | Renji Mao | China | 2,045,000 | 82 |
| 7 | Michael Moncek | United States | 1,805,000 | 72 |
| 8 | Joshua Remitio | United States | 1,755,000 | 70 |
| 9 | Gaetan Balleur | France | 1,700,000 | 68 |
| 10 | Benjamin Palmer | United States | 1,595,000 | 64 |
Remaining Payouts
| Rank | Prize |
| 1 | $582,008 |
| 2 | $387,979 |
| 3 | $270,407 |
| 4 | $191,550 |
| 5 | $137,948 |
| 6 | $101,028 |
| 7 | $75,263 |
| 8 | $57,051 |
| 9 | $44,018 |
| 10-11 | $34,578 |
| 11-15 | $27,666 |
| 16-23 | $22,552 |
| 24-25 | $18,736 |
The other 25K draft picks who are still in contention and returning tomorrow are: Christian Roberts (2,065,000), Renji Mao (2,045,000), Michael Moncek (1,085,000), Sam Soverel (1,215,000), Justin Saliba (1,115,000), Blake Bohn (1,115,000), Ethan Yau (360,000), Justin Liberto (245.000), Francis Anderson (235,000).
Day 2 chip leader Jake Schwartz was eliminated before the dinner break. Phil Hellmuth made a deep run in his quest for bracelet number 18, but fell short, while Phil Ivey also went deep but missed the money.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. local time on Friday, May 30, in Level 21 with blinds at 10,000/25,000 and a 25,000 big blind ante.
Stay locked in to PokerNews as our live reporting team brings you all the action until a new bracelet winner is crowned.
