Event #40: $5,000 Seniors High Roller
Day 1 Started
2025 World Series of Poker
Event #40: $5,000 Seniors High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info
2025 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
Buy-in
$5,000
Prize Pool
$3,684,600
Entries
801
Level
35
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Entries
750
Players Left
274
Players Left 1 / 801
Filter
(1)
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 will see the kick-off of Event #40: $5,000 Seniors High Roller No-Limit Hold'em here at Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas, which gets underway at 12 p.m. local time with starting stacks of 50,000 and blinds of 100/200/200. Levels are 60-minutes long for the entire tournament.
Day 1 will consist of 10 levels, with 20-minute breaks every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 6, scheduled for approximately 6:40 p.m. Day 2 will begin at noon on Friday and play another 10 levels. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 13 on Day 2, about 2:15 p.m. Day 3 will play down to a winner.
This was a new event for the 2024 WSOP and returns once more. Last summer, Mark Checkwicz bested the 680-entry field for his maiden bracelet, after he defeated Arie Kliper in heads-up play. Alongside the piece of WSOP hardware, Checkwicz picked up the $573,876 first-place prize from the $3,128,000 prize pool.
“Listen, I'm gonna tell you exactly what it means. I promised my wife, she's a school teacher, she's been a school teacher for twenty-four and a half years, she's got nine more years to work. I promised her if I won this tournament, I would buy her a year more of retirement. She now has eight years more to work. It's awesome!”
But with his previous biggest cash coming ten years ago for $25,986, how did Checkwicz keep so cool under the bright lights?
“I'm telling you, I have a beautiful family. I truly do, to the core. These people love me, and I love them back, and I can't find a reason to be unhappy when I'm playing the game. It’s just so perfect. Poker is just so beautiful, and really, there has to be a winner and a loser, and I appreciate both sides of the equation. That's what makes it work.”
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on this and all bracelet events at the 2025 WSOP!
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has released its updated tournament rules for 2025, and whether you're a seasoned pro or a first-time entrant, it's essential to understand the key changes.
While most of the rules remain consistent with past editions, several noteworthy updates have been made to improve game integrity, pace, and player behavior. There are six important rule changes and clarifications you need to know before taking your seat.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 200
Level 1
: Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Cards are in the Air for Event #40: $5,000 Seniors High Roller.
Level 1
: Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
John Morgan limped in from the button before Douglas Timmer raised to 800 from the small blind. Joshua Prager callled from the big blind as did Morgan.
The dealer fanned a 5♦2♣A♣ flop, Timmer bet 1,000, Prager folded and Morgan called.
Action checked through in the 8♦ turn card.
The river was the 4♥, Timmer bet 1,400 and Morgan slid his cards towards the dealer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
53,000 | |
|
49,000 | |
|
|
48,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Elton Beebe raised to 600 from cutoff and got called by John Morano in the big blind to see a flop.
Flop came J♣6♥4♦. Both players checked. On the turn 4♣, Morano led with 1,500 and got called.
Morano fired another 2,400 on the river 2♠ and once again got called by Beebe.
Morano said he only had king-high. Beebe waited for quite a bit for Morano to show but when it didn't happen, he turned over his hand to show 9♣6♣ for a flopped pair. Morano mucked as the dealer pushed the chips towards Beebe.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
54,000
54,000
|
54,000 |
|
|
46,500
46,500
|
46,500 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
On a board reading 2♥6♦9♥6♥ Joseph Casale bet 2,000 into a pot of 4,000. Only one other player had arrived to the turn, James Nelson, and he put in the call.
When the J♥ peeled off on the river, Nelson announced "I'm gonna have to check", leading Casale to put out a bet of 3,000. Whilst Nelson was thinking, Casale let him know: "I don't have a heart in my hand", to which Nelson laughed and said "that's even worse! what you got, quad sixes?" He eventually made the fold, and Casale did indeed flip over 6♠6♣ for quad sixes.
As the dealer pushed the pot over to Casale, Nelson said "I won't even tell you what I just folded, you wouldn't believe it!"
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
57,500 | |
|
45,200 |
Level 1
: Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
On a pot of 4,000 and a board of 2♦A♠8♣A♦, Larry Wright bet 1,700 in cutoff after action was passed to him in heads-up play. Kathy Liebert, in the small blind, called to see the last street.
The river 10♥ fell and both players checked. Liebert showed A♥J♥ for turned trips prompting Wright to throw his hand to the muck pile.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
52,500
2,500
|
2,500 |
|
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
