Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

05-29-2025 23:51 UTC-8

Grapenthien Leaves Yballa on Fumes

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Brett Slezak

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Edrick Yballa raised first to act and Matt Grapenthien called on his direct left.

On the K♣4♠3♣ flop, Yballa bet, Grapenthien raised, and Yballa called.

On the 5♦ turn, Yballa checked to Grapenthien who bet. Yballa, with just 175,000 behind, went deep into the tank for almost two minutes before he elected to let it go. Grapenthien was kind enough to show the A♣2♠ for a wheel to show Yballa that he made the right fold to survive.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Grapenthien	850,000 355,000	355,000
Edrick Yballa	175,000 525,000	525,000

Tags: Edrick Yballa Matt Grapenthien

05-29-2025 23:55 UTC-8

Edrick Yballa Eliminated in 19th Place ($7,897)

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David Salituro

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Melvin McCraney bet from early position on a flop of 2♣K♣5♠, Edrick Yballa raised all in from the small blind, and McCraney called.

Edrick Yballa: J♠6♣4♠3♣ All in
Melvin McCraney: A♣Q♣5♦4♥

The board ran out Q♠7♦ and McCraney made queens and fives with a low to scoop the pot and send Yballa to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Melvin McCraney	2,600,000 400,000	400,000

Edrick Yballa	Busted

Tags: Edrick Yballa Melvin McCraney

05-30-2025 00:03 UTC-8

Can David Williams Hold in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha?

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Milko van Winden

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Tags: David Williams

05-30-2025 00:04 UTC-8

Raul Paez Eliminated in 18th Place ($7,897)

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Brett Slezak

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Action was picked up three ways to the turn with the board reading A♠J♥4♥J♦. Raul Paez led from the big blind and was called by Matt Grapenthien on the button and Melvin McCraney in the small blind.

On the 3♥ river, McCraney led from the small blind and Paez called all-in for 65,000. Grapenthien called as well to create a small side pot.

Raul Paez: A♦K♦7♠5♣ All in
Melvin McCraney: 10♥10♦5♦2♠

McCraney rivered a wheel to eliminate Paez who could not get away on the river as he exited in 18th.

Player	Chips	Progress
Melvin McCraney	2,900,000 300,000	300,000

Raul Paez	Busted

Tags: Matt Grapenthien Melvin McCraney Raul Paez

05-30-2025 00:12 UTC-8

Krupin Continues to Climb

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David Salituro

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Kevin Pier raised in the hijack and was called by Christopher Vitch in the cutoff and Joseph Bertrand on the button.

The flop came 10♦7♠3♦ and Pier checked to Vitch who bet. Both opponents called and the 9♠ fell on the turn.

Action checked to Bertrand and he bet and both Pier and Vitch called. All three players then checked the 5♦ river.

Bertrand had K♦J♠10♣9♦ for two pair to win the high, while Pier had A♥8♣3♥2♥ and Vitch A♥5♠4♣2♠ to chop the low.

A few hands later at this table, Martin Matranca bet all three streets from the big blind on a board of Q♠2♠9♣9♥K♠ and Ilia Krupin called to the river on the button. Krupin then raised Matranca on the river, and Matranca gave up his hand.

Krupin and Bertrand then went heads-up on a flop of J♦9♦K♦ where Bertrand bet from the hijack. Krupin called int he cutoff, then called another bet on the K♠ turn.

The river was the 4♦ and Bertrand checked to Krupin who bet. Bertrand called and Krupin showed A♦K♥8♠4♠ for a running full house as Bertrand tossed two jacks into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ilia Krupin	3,200,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Joseph Bertrand	1,200,000 750,000	750,000
Christopher Vitch	800,000

Martin Matranca	700,000 85,000	85,000
Kevin Pier	700,000 80,000	80,000

Tags: Christopher Vitch Ilia Krupin Joseph Bertrand Kevin Pier Martin Matranca

05-30-2025 00:12 UTC-8

Davin Anderson Eliminated in 17th Place ($7,897)

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Liam Gannon

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Joe Ford raised from under the gun and five players called including Davin Anderson in the cutoff who was all in for his last 45,000.

The flop rolled out A♥9♥8♦ and action checked to David Shmuel in the hijack who bet and only Ford called.

Both players checked the turn 4♦ to the river 2♥ where Ford checked over to Shmuel who bet and Ford called.

Davin Anderson: A♣J♠10♥7♥ All in
David Shmuel: J♥6♥3♦2♦
Joe Ford: A♠6♠3♣2♠

Ford and Shmuel shared the same low, but Shmuel had rivered a jack-high flush to best Anderson's ten-high flush. The start of day chip leader raked in the pot while Anderson took his leave from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Shmuel	3,250,000 1,670,000	1,670,000

Joe Ford	1,015,000 585,000	585,000
Davin Anderson	Busted

Tags: David Shmuel Davin Anderson Joe Ford

05-30-2025 00:13 UTC-8

Final Two Tables

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David Salituro

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Table	Seat	Player	Chip Counts	Big Bets
502	1	Martin Matranca	705,000	7
502	2	Gregory Wood	1,100,000	11
502	3	Christopher Vitch	910,000	9
502	4	Melvin McCraney	3,300,000	33
502	5	Eric Polirer	1,300,000	13
502	6	Dennis Morrison	90,000	1
502	7	Matt Grapenthien	500,000	5
502	8	Ilia Krupin	3,200,000	32

503	1	Jon Kyte	1,085,000	11
503	2	Darren Taylor	1,800,000	18
503	3	Austin Marks	470,000	5
503	4	David Shmuel	3,150,000	32
503	5	Joseph Bertrand	1,275,000	13
503	6	Patrick Stacey	1,900,000	19
503	7	Joe Ford	1,325,000	13
503	8	Kevin Pier	675,000	7

Player	Chips	Progress
Melvin McCraney	3,300,000 400,000	400,000

Ilia Krupin	3,200,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
David Shmuel	3,150,000 100,000	100,000

Patrick Stacey	1,900,000 300,000	300,000
Darren Taylor	1,800,000 300,000	300,000
Joe Ford	1,325,000 310,000	310,000
Eric Polirer	1,300,000 100,000	100,000
Joseph Bertrand	1,275,000 675,000	675,000
Gregory Wood	1,100,000 375,000	375,000
Jon Kyte	1,085,000 60,000	60,000
Christopher Vitch	910,000 110,000	110,000

Martin Matranca	705,000 90,000	90,000
Kevin Pier	675,000 55,000	55,000
Matt Grapenthien	500,000 350,000	350,000
Austin Marks	470,000 5,000	5,000
Dennis Morrison	90,000 30,000	30,000

05-30-2025 00:14 UTC-8

Ford Ends the Night With a Scoop

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David Salituro

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

On the last hand of the night, Joseph Bertrand raised under the gun, Joe Ford reraised in middle position, and Bertrand called.

The flop came 8♠7♥5♥ and Ford continued with a bet. Bertrand called and then led out on the K♦ turn. Ford called and they checked down the 3♣ river.

Ford showed A♠J♠7♣2♣ for a pair of sevens and a low, and Bertrand mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joe Ford	1,500,000 175,000	175,000
Joseph Bertrand	1,000,000 275,000	275,000

Tags: Joe Ford Joseph Bertrand

05-30-2025 00:16 UTC-8

Play Has Ended

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Liam Gannon

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

The final 16 players have put their chips into a bag, and they will return tomorrow at 1:00 in Horseshoe Bronze.

Stay tuned to PokerNews for full chip counts and an end of day recap soon to follow.

05-30-2025 00:24 UTC-8

End of Day 2 Chip Counts

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David Salituro

Level 25 : Limits 50,000/100,000, 0 ante

Blinds: 25,000-50,000
Limits: 50,000-100,000

Player	Chips	Progress
Melvin McCraney	3,425,000 125,000	125,000

David Shmuel	3,060,000 90,000	90,000

Ilia Krupin	2,985,000 215,000	215,000
Patrick Stacey	2,310,000 410,000	410,000
Darren Taylor	1,840,000 40,000	40,000
Joe Ford	1,540,000 40,000	40,000
Eric Polirer	1,225,000 75,000	75,000
Gregory Wood	1,200,000 100,000	100,000
Jon Kyte	1,010,000 75,000	75,000
Joseph Bertrand	965,000 35,000	35,000
Christopher Vitch	835,000 75,000	75,000

Kevin Pier	685,000 10,000	10,000
Martin Matranca	680,000 25,000	25,000
Matt Grapenthien	535,000 35,000	35,000
Austin Marks	485,000 15,000	15,000
Dennis Morrison	95,000 5,000	5,000