Event #38: $100,000 High Roller Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-11-2025 13:06 UTC-8

Heath First Out

Robert Jones

Level 2 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante

The action was picked up on the flop with 78,000 in the middle on a board of Q♣8♠5♥. Ben Heath, in the small blind, check-called the 26,000-chip bet from Emilien Pitavy, sitting under the gun.

The turn came the J♦ and Heath once again check-called Pitavy's bet, this time for 90,000.

Heath checked a third time on the 5♠ river, and Pitavy announced all in, putting Heath's remaining 250,000 chips and tournament life in play. Heath made the call, tabling A♦A♥, which was no good versus the 10♠9♠ for a queen-high straight of Pitavy.

Player	Chips	Progress
Emilien Pitavy	840,000 210,000	210,000
Ben Heath	Busted

Tags: Ben Heath Emilien Pitavy

06-11-2025 14:26 UTC-8

Belcher Makes Trips to Bust Theologis

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Calum Grant

Level 4 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Alexandros Theologis was just seen exiting the tournament area, with Matthew Belcher collecting his stack.

Belcher recalled the action to PokerNews.

Mathias Eibinger opened to 9,000 with Theologis calling on the button. Belcher squeezed to 50,000 from the small blind which pushed out Eibinger. Theologis then jammed for 315,000 and Belcher called.

Theologis had AxKx while Belcher had AxQx (suited).

Belcher paired up on the Qx10x4x flop to move in front. His lead was relinquished after a Kx turn, but the Qx river gave Belcher the checkmark for the pot and elimination.

While Theologis exited, Andy Wilson and Sean Winter registered for the event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthew Belcher	1,000,000 330,000	330,000
Andy Wilson	600,000 600,000	600,000
Sean Winter	600,000
Alexandros Theologis	Busted

Tags: Alexandros Theologis Mathias Eibinger Matthew Belcher

06-11-2025 15:49 UTC-8

Cooler Has Ponakovs On the Ropes; Mateos Delivers the Knockout

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Stewart Morrison

Level 5 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Vinny Lingham and Aleksejs Ponakovs were locked in battle, with a full board showing Q♣9♦J♦3x4x and over 300,000 in the middle.

Ponakovs had moved the rest of his stack into the middle, save for one 1,000 chip and action was on Lingham. He didn't take long to call, turning over 10♥8♠ for the flopped straight.

Ponakovs turned over Q♠Q♥ to show that he had flopped top set in what was a nasty cooler.

The very next hand Ponakovs was all in for his remaining 1,000 versus Adrian Mateos.

Aleksejs Ponakovs: 9♦7♣ All in
Adrian Mateos: K♥Q♠

The board ran out queen-high, sending Ponakovs to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vinny Lingham	1,000,000 310,000	310,000
Adrian Mateos	470,000 10,000	10,000

Aleksejs Ponakovs	Busted

Tags: Adrian Mateos Aleksejs Ponakovs Vinny Lingham

06-11-2025 16:18 UTC-8

Foxen KOs Mateos

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Robert Jones

Level 5 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

The four-way action was picked up on the flop of 9♣7♣3♠ where Barak Wisbrod and Vinny Lingham checked from the small and big blind, Alex Foxen bet 15,000 into a pot of roughly 60,000 from early position, and Adrian Mateos raised to 55,000 sitting on the button. Both of the blinds folded and Foxen made the call.

The turn came the 2♦ and Foxen check-called the 126,000 chip bet from Mateos.

On the 8♦ river, Foxen checked once again, and Mateos slid his remaining 333,000 chips into the middle. Foxen made the call after some deliberation. Mateos rolled K♠Q♠ over for king-high, while Foxen showed a pair of nines with K♦9♦.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Foxen	1,450,000 547,000	547,000

Vinny Lingham	1,150,000 150,000	150,000
Barak Wisbrod	510,000 40,000	40,000

Adrian Mateos	Busted

Andy Wilson	Busted

Tags: Adrian Mateos Alex Foxen Barak Wisbrod Vinny Lingham

06-11-2025 16:32 UTC-8

A New Entry, A Reentry and a Bust Out

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Calum Grant

Level 5 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremy Ausmus	600,000

Adrian Mateos	600,000 600,000	600,000

Chang Lee	Busted

06-11-2025 17:24 UTC-8

[Removed:549] Busts After Flipping with Heath

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Calum Grant

Level 6 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Landon Tice raised from early position before Ben Heath three-bet to 75,000 from the button. [Removed:548] jammed for around 310,000 from the small blind, forcing out Tice. Heath called as the slightly bigger stack and the cards were tabled.

[Removed:548]: A♠K♣ All in
Ben Heath: Q♠Q♦

Heath's queens remained best as the board ran out with the 9♣7♥2♠6♦10♦ to send [Removed:549] to the rail just before the dinner break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ben Heath	750,000 295,000	295,000

[Removed:548]	Busted

Tags: Ben Heath Landon Tice

06-11-2025 17:35 UTC-8

Dinner Break

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Calum Grant

Level 6 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

The 41 remaining players are now on a 60-minute dinner break. Just before the break started, Michael "Texas Mike" Moncek was eliminated.

Play will resume at 7:33 p.m. local time.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Moncek	Busted

06-11-2025 19:17 UTC-8

Sturm's Queens Runs into Kings

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Calum Grant

Level 7 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Emilien Pitavy opened to 23,000 second to act. Ramiro Salinas and Alan Keating called from the cutoff and button. The action was on Chris Hunichen in the small blind and he three-bet to 140,000. Leon Sturm then jammed for 350,000 from the big blind. Pitavy took a moment before deciding to call. The rest of the players then got out of the way.

Leon Sturm: Q♥Q♦ All in
Emilien Pitavy: K♠K♣

Pitavy had the cowboys and they managed to stay ahead to lock up the pot after the 8♦6♣2♠2♥K♥ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Emilien Pitavy	2,100,000 575,000	575,000
Leon Sturm	Busted

Tags: Alan Keating Chris Hunichen Emilien Pitavy Leon Sturm Ramiro Salinas

06-11-2025 19:20 UTC-8

Boivin Reenters as Four More Depart

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Calum Grant

Level 7 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Boivin	600,000 514,000	514,000

Christoph Vogelsang	Busted
John Kincaid	Busted
Fahredin Mustafov	Busted
Dan Smith	Busted

06-11-2025 19:35 UTC-8

Belcher Sends Ponakovs Home

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Robert Jones

Level 8 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Aleksejs Ponakovs raised to 20,000 from the button and was re-raised by Matthew Belcher in the small blind to 70,000. Ponakovs then went all-in and was beaten into the middle by Belcher.

Aleksejs Ponakovs: A♦7♦ All in
Matthew Belcher: 8♠8♣

The board ran out K♥J♠3♦Q♦7♥ and Ponakovs was eliminated while Belcher surpasses the 2,000,000 chip mark.