Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-17-2025 13:14 UTC-8

Hui Takes the Last Two Before Break

David Salituro

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

In a four-way limped pot, Marco Johnson bet 300,000 from the small blind on a flop of 4♣7♣2♥ before Phil Hui raised to 800,000 under the gun. The table folded back to Johnson who folded.

Viktor Blom then limped in from the small blind, Hui raised to 375,000 in the big blind, and Blom called.

Both players checked the 8♦5♠5♦ flop, and Hui took the pot with a bet of 300,000 on the 7♥ turn.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	6,600,000 200,000	200,000

Phil Hui	4,500,000 600,000	600,000

Viktor Blom	4,400,000 450,000	450,000
Marco Johnson	4,310,000 540,000	540,000

Shawn Rice	3,900,000 200,000	200,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Phil Hui Viktor Blom

06-17-2025 13:12 UTC-8

Rice Makes Broadway

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Josh Noy

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Shawn Rice limped in the small blind, and Marco Johnson checked his big blind option.

Rice checked the Q♥4♣10♦ flop, making the call after Johnson fired 240,000. Both players checked the J♥ turn, and the K♠ river hit the table.

Another pair of checks led to showdown, where Rice tabled A♥K♥8♦6♠5♦ for a straight. Johnson shook his head as he sent his cards into the muck, with Rice raking in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	4,850,000 300,000	300,000

Shawn Rice	4,100,000 450,000	450,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Shawn Rice

06-17-2025 13:08 UTC-8

Three Straight for Johnson

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Josh Noy

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Marco Johnson raised to 420,000 on the button and took it down as Viktor Blom and Phil Hui folded in the blinds.

Johnson then raised the next hand, collecting another pot after making it 240,000 in the cutoff.

Johnson raised the third straight hand with a bet of 240,000 from under the gun, adding more chips to his stack as the rest of the table folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	6,800,000 250,000	250,000

Marco Johnson	5,150,000 650,000	650,000

Viktor Blom	4,850,000 370,000	370,000
Phil Hui	3,900,000 650,000	650,000

Shawn Rice	3,650,000 250,000	250,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Phil Hui Viktor Blom

06-17-2025 13:04 UTC-8

Johnson Pots the River

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David Salituro

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Veerachai Vongxaiburana raised to 250,000 in the cutoff and Marco Johnson called in the small blind.

The flop came 4♠4♥3♥ and Vongxaiburana bet 200,000. Johnson called and they checked through the 5♦ turn.

Johnson then announced pot on the 7♣ river and Vongxaiburana snap-folded even before Johnson put in the chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	7,050,000 400,000	400,000

Marco Johnson	4,500,000 550,000	550,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Veerachai Vongxaiburana

06-17-2025 13:01 UTC-8

Hui Takes the Turn

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Josh Noy

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Viktor Blom raised to 240,000 in the cutoff, with Phil Hui calling on the button and Veerachai Vongxaiburana coming along in the small blind.

All three players checked the 9♠6♠7♥ flop, and the dealer flipped over the 6♣ turn.

Vongxaiburana and Blom checked to Hui, who took some time before sliding out a bet of 1,100,000. That produced folds from both opponents, as Hui collected the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	7,450,000 500,000	500,000

Phil Hui	4,550,000 800,000	800,000

Viktor Blom	4,480,000 520,000	520,000

Tags: Phil Hui Veerachai Vongxaiburana Viktor Blom

06-17-2025 12:54 UTC-8

Blom Gets Paid by Rice

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David Salituro

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Shawn Rice raised to 250,000 on the button and Viktor Blom called in the big blind.

Both players checked the 10♣9♥3♣ flop. Blom then led out for 360,000 on the 8♣ turn and Rice called.

Blom bet another 680,000 on the Q♥ river and Rice again called. "

Flush," Blom said.

"How high?" Rice asked.

"Low, very low," Blom replied, showing 10♠6♣5♣5♦4♥.

"I can't beat that," Rice added as he surrendered the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Viktor Blom	5,000,000 1,060,000	1,060,000
Shawn Rice	3,900,000 700,000	700,000

Tags: Shawn Rice Viktor Blom

06-17-2025 12:54 UTC-8

Doug Polk Kills Tony Stand-Up Comedy; Michael Kaplan’s Final Stu Ungar Story | PokerNews Podcast #898

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Chad Holloway

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

In the 898th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Kyna England and Mike Holtz are back at Level 9 Studio to offer their thoughts on Doug Polk's recent appearance on Kill Tony, the popular Austin-based stand-up comedy program. How did Doug do in front of Tony Hinchcliffe and company? Let's just say you might be surprised.

Mike, who made a recent appearance in Daniel Negreanu's vlog, then sounds off on the cancelled WSOP Online bracelet event, the crew discusses the recently-announced changes to the WSOP Circuit, Chad goes to the world's largest casino collectibles show, and Matt Savage offers his thoughts as a special guest speaker.

Other topics include bracelet wins by Nick Schulman, Jason Koon, and John Racener, highlights from recent Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) events, and an exclusive interview with famed poker author Michael Kaplan, who recently released a new book, Advantage Players. The veteran scribe shares several poker stories, including Phil Ivey and Kelly Sun's baccarat edge sorting, the legendary Billy Baxter, and what it was like working with Stu Ungar in what was one of the final, if not THE final, interviews before he passed in 1998.

Learn about all those stories and more in the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast!

A new PokerNews Podcast will drop twice a week during the 2025 WSOP every Thursday and Sunday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Click here to listen to the new PN Podcast!

06-17-2025 12:45 UTC-8

Blom Boats Up to Double

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Josh Noy

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Viktor Blom limped from under the gun and made the call when Veerachai Vongxaiburana raised to 540,000 on the button.

Blom announced all in on the 3♣Q♠5♣ flop, sliding his stack of 1,925,000 into the middle. Vongxaiburana made the call and the hands were turned up.

Viktor Blom: A♥Q♣10♦8♦5♥ All in
Veerachai Vongxaiburana: A♠7♣3♥2♠2♣

Blom flopped two pair to take the lead, dodging Vongxaiburana's nut low draw on the 9♠ turn. Blom then improved to a full house on the 5♠ river, claiming the whole pot to double through Vongxaiburana.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	7,950,000 1,450,000	1,450,000

Viktor Blom	3,940,000 2,040,000	2,040,000

Tags: Veerachai Vongxaiburana Viktor Blom

06-17-2025 12:44 UTC-8

Four Players Stand Between Online Poker Legend 'Isildur' and His First WSOP Bracelet

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Jon Sofen

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

The "Summer of Isildur" continues as Viktor Blom has reached his fourth final table at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP), and he could be just hours away from winning his first bracelet.

Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship played down to five before concluding Monday's Day 3 session. Christopher Demaci busted in sixth place ($131,841), leaving only a handful of players left to battle for the $784,353 first-place prize and the gold bracelet.

Read the Full Story Here

Tags: Viktor Blom

06-17-2025 12:40 UTC-8

Vongxaiburana Is Unstoppable

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David Salituro

Level 28 : Blinds 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

In a limped pot between the blinds, Veerachai Vongxaiburana led out for 125,000 on a flop of 8♦6♥5♠ and Shawn Rice called.

Both players checked the 4♣ turn and the A♥ fell on the river. Vongxaiburana then bet 400,000 and Rice called once more.

Vongxaiburana showed Q♠10♥3♥3♣2♥ for a six-high straight for high and nut low and Rice mucked.

Vongxaiburana won the next three pots before Viktor Blom opened to 240,000 on the button. Vongxaiburana called in the big blind and they went heads-up to a flop of 8♥2♥2♠.

Blom continued for 240,000 and Vongxaiburana called. The turn was the 7♣ and Blom bet 480,000. Vongxaiburana moved all in and Blom, with around 1,900,000 remaining, quickly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	9,400,000 2,180,000	2,180,000

Shawn Rice	4,600,000 1,120,000	1,120,000
Viktor Blom	1,900,000 1,500,000	1,500,000

Tags: Shawn Rice Veerachai Vongxaiburana Viktor Blom