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

06-15-2025 17:49 UTC-7

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

Chad Holloway

Level 15 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

In the 898th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Kyna Englandn 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!

06-15-2025 17:44 UTC-7

Soverel Puts Ruben in the Blender

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Tim Baker

Level 15 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Sam Soverel made it 20,000 from the button with only Brad Ruben calling from the small blind.

Two checks followed the K♣8♦A♣ flop to see the 9♦ hit the turn. Ruben bet 42,000, which Soverel called.

Ruben opted to check the 5♠ river, prompting Soverel to bet 136,000. Ruben thought for around two minutes, counted out the calling chips, but then, decided to fold. Soverel slid his cards face down to the dealer and added some more chips to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sam Soverel	220,000 138,000	138,000

Brad Ruben	215,000 215,000	215,000

Tags: Brad Ruben Sam Soverel

Level: 15

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Ante: 6,000

06-15-2025 17:27 UTC-7

Updated Chip Counts

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Tyler Phillips	1,031,000 31,000	31,000
George Alexander	890,000 140,000	140,000

Christopher Demaci	625,000 375,000	375,000
James Chen (US)	612,000 222,000	222,000

Viktor Blom	550,000 115,000	115,000
Justin Liberto	548,000 212,000	212,000

Matt Livingston	505,000 118,000	118,000
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	466,000 16,000	16,000

David Williams	450,000 330,000	330,000

Igor Zektser	448,000 158,000	158,000

Jeff Madsen	447,000 87,000	87,000

Evgeni Tourevski	445,000 85,000	85,000
Griffin Goodman	432,000 68,000	68,000
Nick Schulman	424,000 78,000	78,000

Edward Jackson Spivack	422,000 269,000	269,000
Phil Hui	420,000 247,000	247,000

Erik Seidel	385,000 35,000	35,000

Tomasz Gluszko	363,000 58,000	58,000
Ben Yu	360,000 247,000	247,000

Patrick Leonard	345,000 145,000	145,000

Alex Tchong	325,000 35,000	35,000
Lawrence Brandt	321,000 61,000	61,000

Maksim Pisarenko	317,000 17,000	17,000

Corel Theuma	287,000 22,000	22,000
Alex Livingston	286,000 76,000	76,000

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06-15-2025 17:18 UTC-7

Break Time

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

The remaining 87 players are going on a 15-minute break.

06-15-2025 17:17 UTC-7

Seidel is Cooking After Sending Out Bowers

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Jonathan Bowers bet 50,000 from the small blind on a flop of 2♠8♥K♠, Erik Seidel moved all in, and Bowers called for 40,000 more.

Jonathan Bowers: A♥A♣K♣6♦2♣ All in
Erik Seidel: A♦K♥8♣5♣3♣

Seidel had flopped two pair against Bowers' aces, and the rest of the board ran out 10♠3♥ to send Bowers to the rail.

"Now you're cooking, E," tablemate Arthur Morris said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Erik Seidel	350,000 223,000	223,000

Jonathan Bowers	Busted

Tags: Erik Seidel Jonathan Bowers

06-15-2025 17:13 UTC-7

Theuma Gets Quartered by Richards

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Tim Baker

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Four players saw the flop come down A♦6♥8♣. Evgeni Tourevski checked the small blind, and John Richards led out for 15,000 from the big blind. Corel Theuma called from the hijack, and Tourevski also flicked in the call.

Tourevski checked the 8♦ turn, prompting Richards to bet 30,000. Theuma called, but Tourevski folded.

Heads-up now to the 10♣ river. Richards jammed for roughly 55,000, which Theuma instantly called.

Theuma turned over A♣8♠7♦7♣5♠ for a full house, with an eight-seven low. Much to Theuma's surprise, Richards showed A♠8♥3♣2♦2♠ for the same full house, but a better low, meaning Richards got three-quarters of the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Evgeni Tourevski	360,000 80,000	80,000
Corel Theuma	265,000 39,000	39,000
John Richards	220,000 220,000	220,000

Tags: Corel Theuma John Richards

06-15-2025 17:08 UTC-7

Phillips Busts Another

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Barny Boatman moved all in for his last 40,000 from the small blind on a board of 4♣8♠Q♥J♦ and Tyler Phillips called in the cutoff.

Boatman had A♦K♣10♣7♥6♦, while Phillips was ahead with J♣5♦4♦3♦2♣ for two pair. The river was the 2♦ and Phillips scooped the pot to send Boatman to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tyler Phillips	1,000,000 100,000	100,000
Barny Boatman	Busted

Tags: Barny Boatman Tyler Phillips

06-15-2025 17:02 UTC-7

"That Was Absurd"; Everyone Shares a Three-Way All In

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David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Huck Seed bet 25,000 from the hijack on a flop of 5♠2♥A♠ before George Alexander raised to 100,000 on the button. Matthew Wantman then put in his last 150,000 from the small blind and Nicolas Milgrom reshoved for 250,000.

"Okay, I'm out," Seed said as he folded, but Alexander put both opponents at risk.

Matthew Wantman: 7♦5♣5♦4♣3♠ All in
Nicolas Milgrom: A♥8♠6♦4♦3♥ All in
George Alexander: Q♠6♠5♥4♦3♦

All three players had flopped a wheel, while Alexander had a redraw to a flush that would give him most of the pot. The turn was the 10♥, while the 8♦ fell on the river and all three players chopped the pot.

"That was absurd. I'm so lucky to still be in this tournament," Wantman said as they took their chips back.

Player	Chips	Progress
George Alexander	750,000 460,000	460,000

Huck Seed	300,000 101,000	101,000

Nicolas Milgrom	280,000 27,000	27,000

Matthew Wantman	190,000 27,000	27,000

Tags: George Alexander Matthew Wantman Huck Seed Nicolas Milgrom

06-15-2025 16:59 UTC-7

Green Triples Up; Monnette & Timoshenko Exchange Words

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Tim Baker

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Tyler Brown made it 11,000 under the gun with Richard Green calling from the next seat, and Yevgeniy Timoshenko calling from the hijack. Richard Green squeezed to roughly 60,000 from the small blind, which got Brown to fold, but Monnette back-jammed for 84,000. Timoshenko called with a stack that covered both players, after which Green committed his remaining 17,000.

Richard Green: K♣K♥Q♥8♠4♥ All in
John Monnette: A♦J♥10♦3♣2♠ All in
Yevgeniy Timoshenko: A♣A♥9♥8♦7♣

Timoshenko had the chance to send two players to the rail. However, the board came Q♠9♦Q♣3♥7♥ to give Green the winner with trip queens. Green tripled up, and Timoshenko won the small side pot, eliminating Monnette.

As Monnette was leaving the table, he accused Timoshenko of slow rolling with his aces. After a little back and forth between the two, Timoshenko got the final words of "Go f#$k yourself" in as Monnette exited the tournament area.