Herbert Gelman announced all in for 600,000 from under the gun, Chuanshu Chen called in the big blind.
Herbert Gelman: 10♣9♣ 
Chuanshu Chen: A♦J♥
Terrible start for Gelman as the flop came 10♠J♠J♣, and the board ran out Q♦K♣ to eliminate Gelman in 19th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,400,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
Busted |
David Stamm opened to 130,000 from under the gun and Jun Liu defended his big blind.
They saw a flop of Q♣2♦6♣, where Liu checked and Stamm fired out 270,000. Liu then put in a check-raise to 575,000, and after thinking it over, Stamm shoved for 1,405,000. Liu called with slightly more.
David Stamm: A♥A♦
Jun Liu: Q♦8♥
Stamm had found the rockets and got a great flop as Liu hit top pair. There were still two cards to come, but Stamm managed to survive as the 3♠6♠ runout kept his aces in the lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,200,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
130,000
1,555,000
|
1,555,000 |
Joe Cook shoved from under the gun for his remaining 800,000 stack and action folded around to Chuanshu Chen in the big blind who made the call.
Joe Cook: Q♣10♠
Chuanshu Chen: K♦Q♦
Cook was looking to improve, but didn't get there on the 9♠5♥2♥7♣J♣ runout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,775,000
375,000
|
375,000 |
|
Busted |
Ramana Epparla raised to 125,000 from under the gun. David Stamm raised up to 300,000 on the button and Epparla called.
Epparla then check-called a bet of 100,000 from Stamm on a 8♠4♦8♦ board, then checked again on the 3♦ river. Here, Stamm bet again, this time for 500,000. After a short time, Epparla shoved, putting Stamm all in. Stamm was really "in a pickle," saying that he "should've checked back," and that it would be a "very tough call." Eventually, he made the laydown, as Epparla extended his chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,200,000
1,675,000
|
1,675,000 |
|
||
|
|
1,850,000
1,350,000
|
1,350,000 |
Mike Matusow raised in the cutoff to 135,000. Joseph Mole called in the small blind and the big blind folded.
Matusow fired out a bet of 130,000 on a flop of 3♥9♣K♥. Mole called. Action went check-check when the 5♦ hit the turn and Matusow bet 275,000 on the A♣ river. Mole called.
Matusow tabled Q♦10♠ and said "I couldn't resist the Ace." Mole tabled 10♦9♦.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,900,000
1,690,000
|
1,690,000 |
|
900,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
||
Ramana Epparla opened to 125,000 on the button and Carmino Argiero three-bet to 450,000 from the small blind. Jun Liu called off his stack of around 130,000, and Epparla folded.
Jun Liu: 10♣9♣
Carmino Argiero: K♦Q♣
Liu had live cards but didn't find any on the J♠2♥4♣ flop. A 10♦ on the turn did propel him into the lead, but he couldn't hold on as the K♣ river gave Argiero a bigger pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,800,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
3,250,000
365,000
|
365,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ron West | United States | 3,600,000 | 60 |
| 1 | 2 | Scott Eskenazi | United States | 900,000 | 15 |
| 1 | 3 | Chuanshu Chen | China | 3,050,000 | 51 |
| 1 | 4 | Curt Kohlberg | United States | 1,100,000 | 18 |
| 1 | 5 | Stephen Bierman | United States | 3,100,000 | 52 |
| 1 | 6 | John Esposito | United States | 1,600,000 | 27 |
| 1 | 7 | Peter Kiem | United States | 800,000 | 13 |
| 1 | 8 | David Stamm | United States | 1,750,000 | 29 |
| 2 | 1 | Mike Matusow | United States | 840,000 | 14 |
| 2 | 2 | Joseph Mole | United States | 3,175,000 | 53 |
| 2 | 3 | Ramana Epparla | United States | 5,800,000 | 97 |
| 2 | 4 | Charles Mitchell | United States | 1,800,000 | 30 |
| 2 | 5 | Carmino Argiero | United States | 3,250,000 | 54 |
| 2 | 6 | Ernest Ward | United States | 2,000,000 | 33 |
| 2 | 7 | Josef Gulas | Czechia | 4,250,000 | 71 |
| 2 | 8 | David "ODB" Baker | United States | 1,600,000 | 27 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,800,000 | |
|
|
||
|
4,250,000
315,000
|
315,000 |
|
3,600,000
420,000
|
420,000 |
|
|
3,250,000 | |
|
|
3,175,000
1,275,000
|
1,275,000 |
|
3,100,000
415,000
|
415,000 |
|
|
3,050,000
275,000
|
275,000 |
|
2,000,000
1,200,000
|
1,200,000 |
|
1,800,000
385,000
|
385,000 |
|
|
1,750,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
1,600,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
||
|
1,600,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,100,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
900,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
840,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
||
|
800,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
In the 897th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Kyna England are joined by PokerNews Ontario Ambassador Kyle Anderson, who fills in for Mike Holtz. The trio discusses the deadly shooting that took place across the street from the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in front of the Bellagio Fountains, and then dives into the color-up controversy involving Tyler Brown, who shared his story with PokerNews.
Kyna then sounds off on the cancelled WSOP Online bracelet event, Michael Lavin won a gold bracelet and an extra $1,000,000 thanks to ClubWPT Gold, and Benny Glaser claimed two bracelets early in the summer. Other tournament winners include Josh Reichard, Brad Ruben, Blaz Zerjav, and Nick Guagenti, who denied Chino Rheem his first bracelet.
After recapping Dusti Smith's win in the Wynn Ladies High Roller and a look ahead to some upcoming poker charity events, Chad shares details on his recent Live Reality Game (LRG) adventure in which he left the WSOP for 10 days to compete in a Survivor-based game, Surviving Reelfoot Season 13, in the woods of Tennessee.
Learn about all those stories and more in the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast!
As players were still relocating themselves following the two-table redraw, play was yet to resume. That being said, a hand had been dealt on one of the tables, and two players had already mucked by the time the floor came over. The ruling was that the hand was to be played out in its entirety.
Two more players mucked before David Stamm raised from the cutoff. He was then met with a three-bet from big blind Chuanshu Chen, to the tune of 450,000, which he smooth called.
The flop came down 8♣6♥7♣ and Chen kept up the aggression, with a continuation bet of 350,000. Stamm took some time, composed himself, and pushed his 1,450,000 stack into the middle. Chen called before Stamm's hands left his chips.
David Stamm: A♠A♥
Chuanshu Chen: 4♦5♠
Stamm's aces had been cracked most brutally, as Chen flopped a straight to leave him in rough shape. Exasperated, he announced, "and this hand would've been voided!" unable to believe the manner in which he was busting the tournament. Another player at the table let him know that he "would've been sick" if the hand was voided, as he picked up pocket aces, to which he replied, "I know, but I'm even more sick now!" To make matters worse, he just missed out on an almost $6,000 pay jump.
The K♠ locked up the pot for Chen before the 5♥ river peeled off and Chen started licking his lips as he raked in the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,200,000
2,150,000
|
2,150,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Mike Matusow shoved 800,000 chips from under the gun, Carmino Argiero called in the small blind, and the big blind folded.
Mike Matusow: A♦Q♠
Carmino Argiero: J♦J♠
The board ran out 5♣5♦5♠K♥9♥, and Matusow was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,100,000
850,000
|
850,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
