Event #40: $5,000 Seniors High Roller Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-12-2025 15:03 UTC-8

Chan Wins With Queens

Roxanne Johnson

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Johnny Chan raised to 1,300 from middle position and received calls from Ramana Epparla on the button and Chander Jain in the small blind. The flop was 5♣8♠9♣, and both callers checked to Chan, who bet out 2,000. Both players called.

Everyone checked the turn 10♥ and the river K♠.

Epparla stated, "Can you beat a five?" and turned over 5♦2♦. Jain mucked, and Chan turned over Q♠Q♣ for the win.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ramana Epparla	145,000 69,000	69,000

Chander Jain	71,000 29,300	29,300
Johnny Chan	49,000 1,000	1,000

Tags: Chander Jain Johnny Chan Ramana Epparla

06-12-2025 15:00 UTC-8

Wolpert Takes Three-way Pot

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Joel Fincher raised to 1,600 and enticed Arthur Fleischmann on the button and Marc Wolpert in the big blind to come along.

They saw a 2♣K♥8♦ flop. With the initiative passed to him, Fleischmann bet 1,600. The other two players continued to tag along going into the turn.

The turn 3♠ and river A♠ were knuckled by all three. First to show, Wolpert tabled K♣10♦ and took the pot down as the others mucked their hands.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arthur Fleischmann	113,000 57,000	57,000
Joel Fincher	54,400
Marc Wolpert	23,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Arthur Fleischmann Joel Fincher Marc Wolpert

06-12-2025 15:00 UTC-8

Preflop Controversy Pays Off

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Jacob Wilson

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

John Morano opened the action to 1,000 from middle position, and received one caller before Keith Block threw in a three-bet to 5,600. Morano then placed in a small four-bet to 11,000, the original caller folded, and Block went for a five-bet to 28,000.

As the table waited to find out Morano's next action, he was ready to see a flop, and was extremely surprised when action was back on him, questioning how Block could have possibly raised, after his three-bet had been flatted. However, Morano had placed five 1,000 denomination chips into the middle, rather than the 100 chips that he was supposed to use.

The floor was called over, had the action recounted to them, and ruled that Morano had indeed three-bet, not called, despite Morano's pleas that he "didn't have a raising hand. Despite all this, and some more table talk, he picked up 17,000 more chips and played with them in his hand for a while, and called.

The two finally went off to a flop of 3♠J♠K♥ and Block fired a continuation-bet of 15,000. Morano took no time in shoving for around 20,000 more, and Block sigh-called. "Top two", announced Morano gleefully.

John Morano: K♦J♦ All in
Keith Block: A♣A♠

The 2♦9♥ board came out clean for Morano, as he doubled up in the most bizarre fashion, and Block was left with peanuts after having his aces cracked.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Morano	135,000 88,500	88,500
Keith Block	8,500 8,500	8,500

Tags: John Morano Keith Block

06-12-2025 14:54 UTC-8

Schultz Wins a Small One

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Joseph Berg

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Dean Schultz raised to 1,200 from under the gun and was called by Jamey McKay in the small blind and David Pham in the big blind.

Action checked through on the 2♠J♦8♦ flop.

The turn was the Qx, the blinds checked, Schultz bet 2,000, and only McKay called.

The river was the 8♥. This time, Schultz bet 4,200, eliciting a fold from McKay

Player	Chips	Progress
David Pham	107,000 57,000	57,000

Dean Schultz	45,200 1,800	1,800
Jamey McKay	7,200 7,200	7,200

Tags: David Pham Dean Schultz Jamey McKay

06-12-2025 14:53 UTC-8

Merritt Shows Strength

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Rickie Merritt opened for 1,000 and got called by John Krpan on the button. Kazuhiko Yotsushika three-bet to 3,300 in the small blind and both Merritt and Krpan called.

The 4♣7♠Q♣ flop was checked by all three. Yotsushika led with 6,000 on the 7♦ turn and got called by Merritt. Krpan folded leaving the other two to continue.

Yotsushika checked the J♠ river but folded after a 6,500 bet from Merritt.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Krpan	52,000
Kazuhiko Yotsushika	51,000
Rickie Merritt	36,500

Tags: John Krpan Kazuhiko Yotsushika Rickie Merritt

06-12-2025 14:23 UTC-8

Some Chip Updates; Johnny Chan in the House

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Roxanne Johnson

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ramana Epparla	76,000 21,600	21,600

Jasthi Kumar	73,100 73,100	73,100
Cliff Josephy	62,000 62,000	62,000

Dusti Smith	60,600 60,600	60,600
Johnny Chan	50,000 50,000	50,000

Kathy Liebert	47,500 56,300	56,300

Mark Seif	44,000 5,000	5,000

Josh Arieh	41,500 1,500	1,500

William Criego	39,000 39,000	39,000
Champie Douglas	39,000 39,000	39,000
William Baxter	37,800 37,800	37,800

Victoria Livschitz	35,600 35,600	35,600
John Juanda	32,000 32,000	32,000

Brian Green	27,100 27,100	27,100

Marsha Wolak	26,000 26,000	26,000

Fernando Brito	16,500 28,500	28,500

Level: 4

Blinds: 300/500

Ante: 500

06-12-2025 14:19 UTC-8

Evan's Beats Tedeschi for the Pot

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Marcel Luske opened to 1,200 under the gun and got callers in Don Warner in cutoff, Harold Evans on the button and Edward Tedeschi in the big blind.

The flop dropped 6♥8♥3♦ and action passed to Evans who bet 3,000. Tedeschi called but Luske folded. Warner chuckling at Luske's fold, folded right after.

The two remaining players checked the turn 7♠ and K♠ river. Tedeschi showed Q♥7♥ for a pair on the turn but Evans' A♣8♣ beat it with the higher pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Don Warner	60,000 60,000	60,000
Marcel Luske	57,000 7,000	7,000
Harold Evans	47,500 47,500	47,500
Edward Tedeschi	35,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Don Warner Edward Tedeschi Harold Evans Marcel Luske

06-12-2025 14:19 UTC-8

Seidel Pays it Off

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Gaelle Jaudon

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

There was 17,000 in the pot, as Raoul Encinas checked over to Erik Seidel on a board of 10♦A♦8♦4x. Seidel bet out for 8,000, and Encinas didn't take too long before putting in the call.

Encinas didn't check again on the J♠ river, and this time bet into Seidel, choosing a sizing of 9,000. Seidel put in the call, and Encinas flipped over 10♥8♥ for a flopped two pair. Seidel mucked his cards

Player	Chips	Progress
Raoul Encinas	78,500 78,500	78,500

Erik Seidel	26,000 26,000	26,000

Tags: Erik Seidel Raoul Encinas

06-12-2025 14:08 UTC-8

Fleischmann Flushes Out Wolpert's Trips

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Arthur Fleischmann, in the hijack, opened to 800 and was in business with three customers - Marc Wolpert on the button, Joseph Neiman in small blind and Michael Stembera in big.

All saw a flop of 4♦A♥5♦. After two taps on the table, Fleischmann continued with 1,200. Wolpert called but both blinds folded their hands.

Slowing down, Fleischmann checked the Q♦ turn prompting Wolpert to bet 2,000. Fleischmann called to see the last street. Once again, Fleischmann check-called Wolpert's bet of 6,000 on the river 4♠.

Wolpert showed 6♥4♥ for trips on the river but Fleischmann showed K♦8♦ for a flush on the turn.

The table erupted when the dealer almost mucked Fleischmann's hand to award the pot to Wolpert. But before any major damage could happen, the chips were pushed in the proper direction - towards Fleischmann's side.