Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-15-2025 22:07 UTC-8

Vongxaiburana Gets Value From Chen in Lengthy Pot

David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Three-handed on a flop of 9♥8♣5♠, Nathaniel Wiesner bet 120,000 from the hijack and Veerachai Vongxaiburana called under the gun, as did James Chen in middle position.

The turn was the 10♦ and Vongxaiburana led out for 300,000. Chen called, sending the action back on Wiesner. He tanked for nearly five minutes into the break as he flung his arms in the air in frustration, eventually deciding to fold and leave Vongxaiburana and Chen heads-up.

Vongxaiburana bet another 150,000 on the J♣ river and Chen then went into the tank. He also burned through several minutes of the break before calling as Vongxaiburana turned over A♣7♣6♥4♠2♦ for a straight. Chen mucked, saying he had a set of tens, as Vongxaiburana took down the pot that took up more than half of the break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	2,700,000 1,300,000	1,300,000

James Chen (US)	520,000 480,000	480,000

Nathaniel Wiesner	115,000 135,000	135,000

Tags: James Chen (US)Nathaniel Wiesner Veerachai Vongxaiburana

06-15-2025 22:23 UTC-8

Updated Chip Counts

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

These chip counts were taken directly from the WSOP+ app.

Player	Chips	Progress
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	3,136,000 436,000	436,000

Matthew Woodward	1,610,000 90,000	90,000

Calvin Anderson	1,305,000 105,000	105,000

Christopher Demaci	1,204,000 104,000	104,000
Sam Soverel	1,165,000 165,000	165,000

Justin Liberto	1,080,000 180,000	180,000

Phil Hui	1,038,000 458,000	458,000

Quan Zhou	953,000 323,000	323,000
Sean Troha	841,000 341,000	341,000

Erik Seidel	747,000 173,000	173,000

Maksim Pisarenko	706,000 256,000	256,000

Marco Johnson	650,000 50,000	50,000

Arthur Morris	630,000 390,000	390,000
Shawn Rice	625,000 105,000	105,000
Evgeni Tourevski	624,000 76,000	76,000
Dylan Weisman	614,000 54,000	54,000

Viktor Blom	611,000 106,000	106,000
Lawrence Brandt	585,000 15,000	15,000

Dylan Wilkerson	512,000 112,000	112,000
Jeff Madsen	472,000 76,000	76,000

James Chen (US)	420,000 100,000	100,000

Ilya Nikiforov	385,000 95,000	95,000
George Alexander	323,000 97,000	97,000

Christopher Costa	296,000 24,000	24,000
David Williams	272,000 128,000	128,000

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06-15-2025 22:28 UTC-8

Johnson Flops the Joint to Bust Rotholz

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Shawn Rice and Noah Kelley both limped in before Hal Rotholz moved all in for 81,000 on the button. Marco Johnson then announced pot in the small blind, and Rice and Kelley got out of the way.

Hal Rotholz: A♣Q♥8♣3♣2♦ All in
Marco Johnson: A♥K♥K♦J♥6♣

Johnson flopped the nut straight on K♣Q♦10♦, and the rest of the board ran out 4♥5♥ to send Rotholz to the rail.

Igor Zektser, who won the $1,500 Big O event earlier this series, was also eliminated shortly after coming back from break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	840,000 190,000	190,000

Shawn Rice	540,000 85,000	85,000
Noah Kelley	260,000 21,000	21,000
Hal Rotholz	Busted

Igor Zektser	Busted

Tags: Hal Rotholz Igor Zektser Marco Johnson Noah Kelley Shawn Rice

06-15-2025 22:34 UTC-8

Liberto Takes it Down on the River

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Justin Liberto made it 33,000 from early position with Sam Soverel calling on the button, and Sean Troha defending his big blind.

When it checked to Liberto on the 4♥Q♣5♥ flop, he bet 42,000, which only Soverel called.

Both players opted to check the K♥ turn to see the 9♣ appear on the river. Liberto bet 65,000, and Soverel tossed his cards away.

Player	Chips	Progress
Justin Liberto	1,200,000 120,000	120,000

Sam Soverel	980,000 185,000	185,000

Sean Troha	742,000 99,000	99,000

Tags: Justin Liberto Sam Soverel Sean Troha

06-15-2025 22:37 UTC-8

Timoshenko Takes Most of Three-Way All In

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Ben Yu raised to 55,000 under the gun and Jeff Madsen three-bet to 135,000 in middle position. Yevgeniy Timoshenko then moved all in for 220,000 in the hijack, Yu also shoved for 180,000, and Madsen called to put both players at risk.

Ben Yu: A♦K♥Q♣7♥3♠ All in
Yevgeniy Timoshenko: A♠A♥6♠4♠3♣ All in
Jeff Madsen: A♣K♠5♦4♦2♣

Timoshenko was ahead with his aces as the board ran out J♦2♦6♣K♣5♥. He secured the high in both pots, while he and Yu chopped up the low and left Madsen looking on helplessly as the chips were divided up between his two opponents.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yevgeniy Timoshenko	600,000 339,000	339,000
Ben Yu	160,000 10,000	10,000

Jeff Madsen	150,000 322,000	322,000

Tags: Ben Yu Jeff Madsen Yevgeniy Timoshenko

06-15-2025 22:49 UTC-8

Madsen Lays it Down to Woodward

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Three players saw the flop come down 4♥5♥9♦. Jeff Madsen checked out of the big blind, Yevgeniy Timoshenko checked from early position and Matthew Woodward bet 35,000 from middle position. Madsen called, but Timoshenko folded.

Madsend checked for a second time when the 4♦ landed on the turn. Woodward bet 50,000, causing Madsen to go into the tank. Madsen had roughly 190,000 left in his stack, and after doing some inventory, he reluctantly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthew Woodward	1,700,000 90,000	90,000

Yevgeniy Timoshenko	345,000 255,000	255,000
Jeff Madsen	190,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Jeff Madsen Matthew Woodward Yevgeniy Timoshenko

06-15-2025 22:50 UTC-8

Soverel Gets Paid on the River to Leave Nikiforov on Fumes

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Ilya Nikiforov raised to 40,000 in the cutoff and Sam Soverel called in the small blind.

The flop came J♦5♠2♦ and Nikiforov bet 50,000. Soverel called and they both checked the 2♣ turn.

The river was the 10♠ and Soverel bet 200,000. Nikiforov took several minutes before calling as Soverel turned over 10♦10♣4♦3♦3♠ for a rivered full house to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sam Soverel	1,200,000 220,000	220,000

Ilya Nikiforov	70,000 315,000	315,000

Tags: Ilya Nikiforov Sam Soverel

06-15-2025 22:52 UTC-8

Some Recent Exits

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
George Alexander	Busted

Luis Velador	Busted

Lawrence Brandt	Busted

Yevgeniy Timoshenko	Busted

06-15-2025 23:06 UTC-8

Blom Gets a Massive Double Off Soverel

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Viktor Blom in the cutoff and Sam Soverel in the small blind saw a flop of A♠2♥9♠ as they got the rest of Blom's chips in the middle.

Viktor Blom: A♦7♣6♠3♦2♠ All in
Sam Soverel: A♥A♣10♣10♠4♦

Soverel had flopped top set, while Blom had two pair. The 4♣ turn gave Blom a straight draw, and he hit his straight on the 5♦ river to secure the double up. His stack was counted down as 812,000 and Soverel paid off the massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Viktor Blom	1,700,000 1,089,000	1,089,000
Sam Soverel	610,000 590,000	590,000

Tags: Sam Soverel Viktor Blom

06-15-2025 23:13 UTC-8

Johnson Takes from Tourevski

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Evgeni Tourevski opened the button to 40,000 and Marco Johnson called from the small blind.

Johnson led out for 40,000 on the A♣A♦10♥ flop, and Tourevski called.

The turn came the 4♠ and Johnson bet again, this time for 160,000. Tourevski tanked for quite a while before making the call.

Johnson bet 200,000 when the 9♣ appeared on the river. Tourevski only had roughly 235,000 left in his stack. After around a minute, Tourevski folded and revealed Ax3x2x for trip aces as he folded his cards, forfeiting the pot to Johnson.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	1,150,000 310,000	310,000

Evgeni Tourevski	235,000 389,000	389,000

Tags: Evgeni Tourevski Johnson Takes Marco Johnson