Event #41: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship
Day 1 Started
2025 World Series of Poker
Event #41: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship
Day: 1
Event Info
2025 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$1,097,400
Entries
118
Level
23
Limits
0 / 0
Ante
0
Entries
91
Players Left
43
Players Left 1 / 118
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 sees the start of Event #41: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship (8-Handed) here at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
This three-day event gets underway at 2 p.m. local time with late registration open for 11 levels (approx. 2:15 p.m. on Day 2). There will be 15-minute breaks every two hours of play, with no dinner break scheduled on Day 1.
The starting stack is 60,000 chips with the plan for Day 1 to play ten levels. Levels 1-6 are 40 minutes, and Levels 7-15 are 60 minutes. From Level 16 onwards, levels increase to 90 minutes in length. Day 2 resumes at 1 p.m. on Friday before a winner is determined on Day 3.
Last year's event saw 133 players generate a prize pool of $1,236,900. The winner was John Racener, who defeated Chad Eveslage heads-up. Racener took home $308,930 and his second WSOP bracelet.
"I am so blessed and grateful to be here," Racener said shortly after the win. "I am just so happy to be out here, being able to play and grind."
Another woman he made sure to mention was his late mother. "I know she is watching above me right now...she is happy as shit right now."
When Racener won his first bracelet in 2017, he wore a shirt that read 'For Mom' as a tribute. At the time, he said he "really wanted to win one for her," and last summer he was able to double down.
Racener’s family was also on his mind two days ago when he took down Event #34: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty for $247,595. “I’m coming home with a third bracelet for our boy,” said Racener, who recently became a father for the third time.
| Year | Entries | Winner | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 133 | John Racener | United States | $308,930 |
| 2023 | 134 | Josh Arieh | United States | $316,226 |
| 2022 | 92 | Jonathan Cohen | United States | $245,678 |
| 2021 | 92 | John Monnette | United States | $245,680 |
| 2019 | 118 | Juha Helppi | Finland | $306,622 |
| 2018 | 114 | Scott Seiver | United States | $296,222 |
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on this and all bracelet events at the 2025 WSOP!
All summer long, PokerNews will be offering updates from both the 25K Fantasy and ODB Fantasy leagues, which you can read in our dedicated hub here.
But did you know that you're also able to follow all the players from both leagues in our live updates? Every player drafted in the 25K Fantasy, as well as all the ODB Bonus players, have been tagged with special badges that allow you to visit out chip count page and filter by said badges. So, if all you want to see are players from those leagues and how they're doing, it's as simple as clicking the badges and then filtering.
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Level: 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Level 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Limits: 500-1,000
Cards are in the air on Day 1 of Event #41: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship.
Level 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Limits: 500-1,000
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
||
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
|
||
|
60,000 | |
|
|
60,000 | |
|
60,000 | |
Level 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Limits: 500-1,000
Moments after Joe McKeehen arrived at the table, Jeffrey Lipton raised from the cutoff, Riley Rosengren three-bet from the button and Lipton made the call.
The dealer fanned a flop of J♥Q♥2♥ where Rosengren bet. Lipton check-called, then both players checked the A♣ turn.
Lipton bet the 8♠ river and made Rosengren fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
63,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
||
|
|
54,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
Level 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Limits: 500-1,000
As would be expected, the action is pretty slow at the moment with a lot of players staying involved until the river and then getting out of the way to a bet.
Matthew Alexander limped from the button, and Peter De Best raised from the small blind. Kevin Song called in the big blind, as did Alexander.
The flop came 9♦2♦9♠ and De Best bet out, Song called, and Alexander raised and got two calls. The turn brought the A♥ and all players checked.
The river saw the 5♣, De Best checked, and Song bet and got two folds and was pushed the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
63,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
57,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
54,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
Level 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Limits: 500-1,000
In a three-bet preflop pot, the flop was J♣Q♥5♠, and Jonathan Twomley bet out and was called by Ian Johns. The turn brought the 10♠ and now Twomley check-called Johns' bet.
The river brought the 7♦ and again Twomley check-called Johns' bet and instantly mucked as Johns flipped over K♥9♦ for a turned straight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
66,000
66,000
|
66,000 |
|
||
|
|
57,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
Level 1
Blinds: 300-500
Limits: 500-1,000
Limits: 500-1,000
The action was picked up on a flop of 9♥9♣A♥ with three players involved who already raised several times preflop. Eduards Rakuss under the gun checked, Dragana Mackelprang in the hijack bet and was called by Brian Tate in the cutoff and by Rakuss.
Mackelprang bet the 6♥ turn. Tate raised, Rakuss check-called and Mackelprang made the call.
The 8♥ completed the board. Rakuss and Mackelprang started to raise each other, prompting Tate to fold.
Mackelprang was the one who made the final call and thought she had the win with K♥K♦ for a flush. However Rakuss flipped over 7♥5♥ for a straight flush and scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
69,000
69,000
|
69,000 |
|
|
57,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
53,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
