Event #3: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

05-29-2025 20:30 UTC-8

Chopped Pot for Zhou & Tang

Roxanne Johnson

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Quan Zhou was on the button and raised to 32,000, and Danny Tang made a quick call mid-conversation from the small blind. The action flop of K♥K♦A♣ arrived, and Zhou bet out 25,000 and received another quick call from Tang.

The action then shut down, and both players checked the turn A♥ and the river 8♦.

Both players simultaneously flipped their cards, with Zhou holding K♠6♠ and Tang with K♣4♣ for a chopped pot, each holding a full house.

Player	Chips	Progress
Quan Zhou	420,000 70,000	70,000
Danny Tang	390,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Danny Tang Quan Zhou

05-29-2025 20:18 UTC-8

Big Double for Normand

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Barry Russell

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Frederic Normand raised on the button to 25,000 and Jesse Lonis three-bet from the small blind to 80,000. Normand then four-bet to 330,000, leaving himself around 20,000 behind. Lonis responded by moving all in, leaving Normand in the tank, perhaps waiting for the pay jump, for about a minute before he called.

Frederic Normand: K♣Q♦ All in
Jesse Lonis: 6♠6♦

"Ahh, no respect" said Normand as Lonis tabled his hand. The flop came J♠K♥9♠ which gave Normand top pair and he held as the board ran out 9♥K♠.

Normand faced some criticism for tanking, as the pay jump was only marginal, but he brushed it off with a laugh, saying he’s Canadian and "that's like a month's rent".

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederic Normand	690,000 180,000	180,000
Jesse Lonis	510,000 290,000	290,000

Tags: Frederic Normand Jesse Lonis

05-29-2025 20:13 UTC-8

Texas Mike Makes a Great Call

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John Avelino

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Michael "Texas Mike" Moncek raised preflop to 20,000 from under the gun. Dong Chen three-bet to 70,000 to go from middle position, Moncek made the call.

The flop was dealt 3♣8♠8♦, Moncek check-called Chen's bet of 60,000.

When the K♣ came on the turn, Moncek check-called again, with Chen putting 90,000 in the middle.

The river revealed a 7♣ and Moncek checked, after about two minutes Chen bet 400,000 and Moncek quickly made the call.

Chen showed A♣J♠ and Moncek flipped over K♦Q♦ for two pair kings and eights to take down a monster pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Moncek	1,320,000 750,000	750,000

Dong Chen	305,000 571,000	571,000

Tags: Dong Chen Michael Moncek

05-29-2025 19:56 UTC-8

Reichenstein Stuns Laskowitz

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David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Uri Reichenstein was in the hijack with a raise of 60,000 in front of him before Sam Laskowitz moved all in for 212,000 on the button. "Show me ace-king," Reichenstein said as he called.

Sam Laskowitz: K♣K♥ All in
Uri Reichenstein: 9♠9♣

Laskowitz instead showed Reichenstein a higher pocket pair and was a big favorite to double up until the flop brought 9♥7♠7♥, giving Reichenstein a full house. The rest of the board ran out 10♣Q♥ and Laskowitz was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	1,400,000 580,000	580,000
Sam Laskowitz	Busted

Tags: Sam Laskowitz Uri Reichenstein

05-29-2025 19:47 UTC-8

Chen Scoops a Nice Pot

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John Avelino

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Dong Chen raised to 20,000 from late position, Paul Hizer made the call from big blind.

The flop was dealt, J♠3♣9♠ Hizer checked. Chen bet 20,000 and Hizer called.

The turn brought the 10♥ and both players checked.

The river was the 8♦, Hizer bet 80,000 and Chen made the call.
Hizer tabled Ax3x and Chen showed Q♦J♣ for a rivered straight and raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dong Chen	876,000 326,000	326,000

Paul Hizer	112,000 208,000	208,000

Tags: Dong Chen Paul Hizer

05-29-2025 19:41 UTC-8

Sepiol Runs Into Balleur's Bigger Ace

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David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Gaetan Balleur raised to 20,000 in middle position and Daniel Sepiol moved all in for 250,000 on the button. Balleur tanked for a minute but eventually called to put Sepiol at risk.

Daniel Sepiol: A♣J♣ All in
Gaetan Balleur: A♠Q♦

The A♦K♥6♦ flop gave both players top pair, but Balleur remained in the lead with his queen-kicker. The K♦ turn left open the possibility of a chop, but the 7♠ river was no help to Sepiol and he was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaetan Balleur	700,000 380,000	380,000
Daniel Sepiol	Busted

Tags: Daniel Sepiol Gaetan Balleur

05-29-2025 19:35 UTC-8

Recent Bustouts

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David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Artem Metalidi	Busted
Hugues Girard	Busted
John Riordan	Busted

Nicholas Go	Busted
Mustapha Kanit	Busted

Edward Pak	Busted
Benjamin Underwood	Busted
Shawn Daniels	Busted

Christopher Doan	Busted
Ismael Bojang	Busted

Jason Daly	Busted

05-29-2025 19:31 UTC-8

Roberts Playing with Over 1,000,000 in Chips

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Barry Russell

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Action began when Christian Roberts raised in middle position to 20,000 but got met with a three-bet from Eric Chang on the button to 70,000, Roberts called.

Roberts checked to Chang when the flop came 7♦7♥Q♣, Chang fired out a bet of 25,000 which got quickly called by Roberts. Chang continued his aggression with a bet of 85,000 when the 10♣ hit the turn, Roberts called again. Action slowed down when the 4♠ fell on the river and both players checked.

Roberts quickly tabled Q♥10♥ and Chang mucked. Roberts now has over 1,000,000 chips in his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christian Roberts	1,050,000 370,000	370,000

Eric Chang	150,000 185,000	185,000

Tags: Christian Roberts Eric Chang

05-29-2025 19:24 UTC-8

Paur Hits His Ace; Mao Rues His Fold

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David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Renji Mao raised to 22,000 in the cutoff and Pavlin Karakikov called on the button. Taylor Paur then moved all in for 150,000 in the big blind and Mao folded, but Karakikov called to put Paur at risk.

Taylor Paur: A♠5♠ All in
Pavlin Karakikov: K♠J♠

The A♥2♣2♠ flop gave Paur two pair and left Karakikov drawing only to running cards as Mao let out a deep sigh. The rest of the board ran out Q♠K♦ and Paur doubled up.

"Pocket deuces," Mao said, indicating he would've flopped quads.

Player	Chips	Progress
Renji Mao	960,000 140,000	140,000

Pavlin Karakikov	570,000 110,000	110,000
Taylor Paur	320,000 150,000	150,000

Tags: Pavlin Karakikov Renji Mao Taylor Paur

05-29-2025 18:23 UTC-8

Dinner Break Chip Counts (full)

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David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Antonio Galiana	1,600,000 100,000	100,000

Jiaming Zhao	1,200,000 1,200,000	1,200,000
Renji Mao	1,100,000 370,000	370,000

Sam Soverel	1,050,000 620,000	620,000

Michael Banducci	970,000 130,000	130,000

Uri Reichenstein	820,000 30,000	30,000
Kharlin Sued	800,000 298,000	298,000
Jesse Lonis	800,000 150,000	150,000

Pavlin Karakikov	680,000 20,000	20,000
Christian Roberts	680,000 473,000	473,000

Frank Lagodich	660,000
Justin Saliba	650,000 469,000	469,000

Brandon Hamlet	620,000 95,000	95,000
Michael Moncek	615,000 175,000	175,000

Nicholas Seward	610,000 186,000	186,000

Georgios Sotiropoulos	600,000 270,000	270,000

Ethan Yau	580,000 370,000	370,000

Bradley Gafford	560,000 311,000	311,000

Dong Chen	550,000 30,000	30,000

Diego Sanchez Serrano	535,000 8,000	8,000
Ichun Chiu	500,000 50,000	50,000
Wai Kiat Lee	500,000 40,000	40,000
Chris Moorman	480,000 100,000	100,000

Ilija Savevski	460,000 312,000	312,000
Paul Snead	460,000 65,000	65,000

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