Brandon Steven raised it up from middle position and Cary Katz called from the small blind. The flop came Q♠10♠6♣ and Katz check-called a bet from Steven.
The turn brought the 7♣ with around 50,000 in the middle now. The two players got all of their chips in the middle with Katz being at risk for around 250,000.
Katz: K♠8♠
Brandon Steven: Q♥Q♣
Steven flopped a set of queens but Katz still had outs with a straight and flush draws. However, the 8♦ on the river was only a consolation prize for Katz who was forced to reenter.
Alex Kulev was all in from early position for just 6,000 against the bigger-stacked Michael Gathy in the big blind.
Alex Kulev: K♣K♦
Michael Gathy: A♥5♥
Gathy took the lead on the flop of 2♦A♠Q♠ and Kulev couldn't pull ahead as the board finished out 10♥7♣ to make him the second elimination of the tournament.
Just before the break, Danny Tang and Kai Cohen were conversing about who their poker idol was and Cohen brought up Phil Hellmuth.
"Positivity," Brek Schutten said from across the table.
"Don't even put me in the same conversation as him," Tang replied. "I respect his achievements and whatnot, but his antics at the table are a bad look."
Tang proceeded to raise to 7,000 from under the gun, claiming that he was now on tilt. Schutten called from a couple of seats over and Cohen three-bet to 33,000 from the big blind. Both Tang and Schutten called.
The flop came 10♦6♠5♦ and the rumbling over Hellmuth came to a halt as the action checked to Schutten who bet 35,000. Cohen called and Tang got out of the way.
The turn was the J♣ and both players checked to the A♦ on the river. Cohen led out with a bet of 42,500 and Schutten raised to 140,000. Cohen instantly folded and Schutten dragged in the pot just before the break.
PokerNews spent an orbit with resident ape Jesse Lonis as he battled at a table that includes Nick Petrangelo, Viktor Blom and Paul Jager.
Hand #1 (Big Blind): Nick Petrangelo raised to 7,000 in middle position and Jesse Lonis defended his big blind. Lonis checked on the flop of K♠10♣2♥ and Petrangelo continued for 8,000. Lonis laid it down.
Hand #2 (Small Blind): Viktor Blom raised to 7,000 from the hijack and Jesse Lonis called in the small blind, while the big blind also came along. Both blinds checked on the K♣2♥5♣ flop and Blom bet 7,000. Only Lonis called. Lonis then led out for 14,000 on the J♣ turn and Blom folded.
Hand #3: (Button): As two players got moved from the table, action folded to Jesse Lonis on the button and he also folded as Paul Jager got a walk in the big blind.
Hand #4 (Button): Jesse Lonis played a second hand on the button and called as Viktor blom raised to 7,000 from under the gun. Paul Jager also called from the big blind. Jager checked on the flop of 7♠8♦3♦ and Blom continued for 10,000. Both opponents folded.
Hand #5 (Cutoff): Action folded to Jesse Lonis in the cutoff and he also folded. Paul Jager then raised to 6,000 in the small blind and Viktor Blom folded his big blind.
"Guy won't even give you a nickel!" remarked Lonis. "I wouldn't have even looked, I would've given it to you."
Hand #6 (Hijack): Jesse Lonis folded and stood up to stretch. Even apex predators need a break from time to time.
Adrian Mateos and Alexandros Theologis became involved in a preflop raising war, where all the chips went into the middle preflop. Mateos found himself at risk with a starting stack of around 300,000.
Adrian Mateos: A♠A♦
Alexandros Theologis: K♠K♣
It was a clash of the two best starting hands, but Mateos looked poised for an early double-up. However, the flop of K♥6♦5♠ gave Theologis a set of kings and a big lead. The 2♥ on the turn and the 9♠ on the river were no help for Mateos, who was sent to the rail in the early going.
David Peters opened from under the gun and Thomas Boivin three-bet from middle position. Peters, sitting still behind a slick pair of black glasses, four-bet to 40,000 before Boivin five-bet to 80,000. Peters called.
Peters checked on the flop of 4♣4♦8♥ and Boivin continued for 45,000. Peters called. Both players then checked on the Q♦ turn.
The 2♣ river completed the board and Peters led out for just 25,000. Boivin called, only to muck as his stone-faced opponent showed A♠A♥.
Welcome back to PokerNews, the official media partner of the 2025 World Series of Poker and home of live updates from all bracelet events.
Today, we have one of the series's priciest events kicking off. Event #32: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) is starting soon here at Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas. Shuffle up and deal for this three-day event is at 12 p.m. Vegas time.
Starting stacks are 300,000, and players get up to one reentry until late registration ends after Level 10 (approx 2:15 p.m. on Day 2). Day 1 will consist of eight blind levels, each lasting 60 minutes. Players will receive a 15-minute break every two levels, with no scheduled dinner break on Day 1. Day 2 will then see the remaining players return at 12 p.m. on June 10 before a winner is determined the following day.
With such a prestigious event, the hope is that this year's edition can beat the record field of 177 entries and a prize pool of $8,451,750 from last year. The winner of that event was the Spanish poker pro Sergio Aido who beat Chance Kornuth heads up to claim his first bracelet and the $2,026,506 top prize.
Year
Entries
Winner
Country
Payout
2024
177
Sergio Aido
Spain
$2,026,506
2023
124
Leon Sturm
Germany
$1,546,024
2022
101
Jake Schindler
United States
$1,032,068
2021
81
Michael Addamo
Australia
$1,132,968
2019
110
Ben Heath
United Kingdom
$1,484,085
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