Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship Day 3 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-16-2025 17:46 UTC-8

Noah Kelley Eliminated in 7th Place ($97,806)

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David Salituro

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Marco Johnson raised to 210,000 under the gun, Noah Kelley moved all in for 465,000 in the cutoff, and Johnson called.

Noah Kelley: A♦10♥9♠7♦2♠ All in
Marco Johnson: A♥Q♦Q♥7♥4♠

Kelley was looking to improve against Johnson's queens as the flop came K♣5♥2♣. The J♥ turn gave him a straight draw, but Johnson improved to the nut flush and a wheel on the 3♥ river to scoop the pot and send Kelley to the rail in seventh place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	8,600,000 750,000	750,000

Noah Kelley	Busted

Tags: Marco Johnson Noah Kelley

06-16-2025 17:56 UTC-8

Updated Chip Counts

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Josh Noy

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	8,200,000 400,000	400,000

Phil Hui	5,350,000 750,000	750,000

Viktor Blom	4,950,000 250,000	250,000
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	2,160,000 60,000	60,000

Shawn Rice	2,150,000 590,000	590,000
Christopher Demaci	1,250,000 130,000	130,000

06-16-2025 18:02 UTC-8

Blom, Johnson Almost Play the "Pot of the Tournament"

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Marco Johnson raised to 280,000 on the button and Viktor Blom called in the small blind.

The flop came 5♠3♦2♦ and Johnson continued for 360,000. Blom then raised to 1,055,000 and Johnson quickly folded.

"That was almost the pot of the tournament," Shawn Rice said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	7,600,000 600,000	600,000

Viktor Blom	6,000,000 1,050,000	1,050,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Viktor Blom

06-16-2025 18:17 UTC-8

Rice Hits the Turn to Double Off Blom

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

In a limped pot, Shawn Rice bet 300,000 from the cutoff on a flop of K♠J♥5♣ and Viktor Blom raised to 1,000,000 in the small blind. Rice then moved all in for 1,860,000 total and Blom called.

Shawn Rice: A♥A♦Q♦10♥9♥ All in
Viktor Blom: J♠J♣7♠6♠3♠

Blom had flopped a set against Rice's litany of straight draws, and Rice hit one of them on the 9♦ turn to take the lead. The river was the 7♦ and Rice doubled up.

The next hand, Blom raised to 160,000 on the button and Veerachai Vongxaiburana called in the big blind.

Blom then bet another 160,000 on the 9♣7♦A♥ flop and Vongxaiburana announced pot. Blom snap-folded as he gave up another pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Viktor Blom	4,500,000 2,900,000	2,900,000
Shawn Rice	3,900,000 1,750,000	1,750,000
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	1,600,000 350,000	350,000

Tags: Veerachai Vongxaiburana Viktor Blom Shawn Rice

06-16-2025 18:35 UTC-8

Demaci Shoves on Johnson

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

In a limped pot, Viktor Blom bet 160,000 from the button on the 9♣8♠6♦ flop and Phil Hui called in the small blind.

The turn was the K♥ and Blom bet another 640,000. Hui folded this time.

Marco Johnson then raised to 280,000 under the gun and Christopher Demaci called in the small blind.

Both players checked the 6♠5♣3♣ flop. Demaci then bet his last 1,000,000 on the J♥ turn and Johnson folded.

The next hand, Blom opened to 160,000 under the gun and Hui called in the hijack, as did Johnson in the big blind.

Blom bet another 160,000 on the 4♣3♣2♥ flop and Hui raised to 450,000. Johnson quickly got out of the way, while Blom also tossed away his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	6,800,000 650,000	650,000

Phil Hui	5,200,000 150,000	150,000

Viktor Blom	4,300,000 200,000	200,000
Christopher Demaci	1,600,000 680,000	680,000

Tags: Christopher Demaci Marco Johnson Viktor Blom Phil Hui

06-16-2025 18:52 UTC-8

Last Hands Before Break

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Veerachai Vongxaiburana raised to 160,000 in the cutoff and Christopher Demaci called on the button. Vongxaiburana continued for 120,000 on the A♥8♣8♦ flop and Demaci folded.

Vongxaiburana opened to 160,000 again the next hand and Viktor Blom called in the big blind. Action checked to the river on a board of K♦Q♦2♦7♣5♦, where Vongxaiburana bet 220,000. Blom folded.

Shawn Rice and Johnson then limped in and Vongxaiburana checked his option.

Rice bet 225,000 from the hijack on a flop of 9♣8♣4♥ and both opponents called. The Q♣ turn was checked through and the 7♦ fell on the river.

Rice then bet 600,000 and Johnson and Vongxaiburana both folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	6,730,000 70,000	70,000

Viktor Blom	4,700,000 250,000	250,000
Phil Hui	4,600,000 250,000	250,000

Shawn Rice	4,400,000 680,000	680,000
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	2,380,000 400,000	400,000

Christopher Demaci	1,300,000 300,000	300,000

Tags: Christopher Demaci Shawn Rice Veerachai Vongxaiburana Viktor Blom

06-16-2025 18:52 UTC-8

Dinner Break

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

The remaining six players are going on a 60-minute dinner break. Action should resume around 8:50 p.m. local time.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	6,730,000

Viktor Blom	4,700,000
Phil Hui	4,600,000

Shawn Rice	4,400,000
Veerachai Vongxaiburana	2,380,000

Christopher Demaci	1,300,000

06-16-2025 19:57 UTC-8

Vongxaiburana Hits the River, Johnson Doesn't Bite

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David Salituro

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

On the first hand back from break, four players went to a 4♦4♣J♠ flop in a limped pot.

Action was checked through to the 7♣ turn where Marco Johnson bet 300,000 from the hijack. Only Veerachai Vongxaiburana called in the small blind.

Vongxaiburana checked again on the 10♠ river, and Johnson took his time before checking back. Vongxaiburana showed A♥10♦10♣6♠2♠ for a rivered full house and Johnson mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	6,300,000 430,000	430,000

Veerachai Vongxaiburana	2,800,000 420,000	420,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Veerachai Vongxaiburana

06-16-2025 20:02 UTC-8

Johnson Folds to Blom

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Josh Noy

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Marco Johnson limped in the small blind before Viktor Blom raised to 300,000 in the big blind. Johnson slid in the call and the K♦6♠A♠ flop was revealed.

Johnson checked and called a bet of 200,000 from Blom, with the dealer flipping over the A♥ turn.

Another check from Johnson was followed by a bet of 600,000 from Blom. That produced a fold from Johnson, and Blom raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	5,600,000 700,000	700,000

Viktor Blom	5,100,000 400,000	400,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Viktor Blom

06-16-2025 20:09 UTC-8

Big Bet from Johnson

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Josh Noy

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Shawn Rice opened to 250,000 in the cutoff, and Marco Johnson made the call on the button. Phil Hui slid in a call from the big blind, and the dealer fanned out the K♣2♣Q♠ flop.

Hui and Rice checked, with Johnson firing 450,000. Hui made the call, while Rice got out of the way.

Both players checked the 3♥ turn before Hui tapped the table again on the 2♦ river. Johnson announced a bet of 1,000,000, taking down the pot as Hui sent his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Johnson	6,400,000 800,000	800,000

Phil Hui	4,400,000 200,000	200,000

Shawn Rice	3,850,000 550,000	550,000

Tags: Marco Johnson Phil Hui Shawn Rice