Marco Johnson opened to 350,000 in the hijack before Phil Hui three-bet to 600,000 on the button. Action folded back around to Johnson, who tossed in a call.
The J♥7♠10♣ flop saw Johnson take some time and slide out a bet of 725,000. That produced a quick fold from Hui, and Johnson raked in the pot.
No player has commanded more attention at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) than Martin Kabrhel, partly for his strong performance, but mostly for his antics.
The clock has been called on the Czech high roller more often this summer than the Paris Hotel parking garage attendant, and he's been yapping away so much at the poker tables that even Daniel Negreanu had enough during a recent final table appearance.
Christopher Demaci announced all in as he potted to 350,000 on the button. Shawn Rice called in the small blind, while Marco Johnson then repotted to 1,400,000 in the big blind.
Demaci took a few minutes until it was pointed out that action was on him. "I thought I was all in already," Demaci said as he stuck in his last 120,000, while Rice also called.
The flop came 5♦2♦2♠ and Rice moved all in for 1,600,000. Johnson flashed A♥A♦ as he mucked.
Christopher Demaci: K♥K♠J♥5♥3♥
Shawn Rice: A♠7♠6♥5♣2♣
"I'm going to need some help," Demaci said even before the cards were revealed as Rice showed down a flopped full house. The J♣ turn gave Demaci outs to a higher full house, but he missed the 4♦ river and was sent to the rail in sixth place.
Tournament officials gave players the option of continuing or stopping play for the day, and Rice was the lone vote for bagging up for the day.
The remaining five players will return tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time. Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
It was a sign that Marco Johnson was in for a magical night on Day 3 of Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship when he made the rarest hand in poker.
Johnson’s day included rivering a Royal Flush for a bustout as the two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner rose to the top of the chip counts over the remaining five players. It’s been nearly a decade since Johnson won the last of his WSOP bracelets, but he’s the player to catch tomorrow as he brings 5,950,000 into the event’s final day at 1 p.m. local time.
Right behind him is a poker legend who’s already enjoyed a fruitful series. Viktor Blom finished second in the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship just two days ago. While he was denied his first bracelet then, Blom quickly jumped right into this tournament and is back at it for another shot, ending up in second place with 5,095,000.
Start-of-day chip leader Veerachai Vongxaiburana is in third place with 4,910,000, followed by Shawn Rice (4,865,000) and Phil Hui (3,400,000).
Final Table Seat Draw
Seat
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Veerachai Vongxaiburana
United States
4,910,000
49
2
Shawn Rice
United States
4,865,000
49
3
Marco Johnson
United States
5,950,000
60
4
Viktor Blom
Sweden
5,095,000
51
5
Phil Hui
United States
3,400,000
34
While Johnson and 2019 PPC champion Hui have tasted WSOP success, the other three will all be in search of their first crowning moment. Rice has made 20 WSOP Circuit final tables, including finishing runner-up in the Tournament of Champions last month, but his last WSOP final table came more than two decades ago when he was second in a $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event in 2004. Blom, the online phenom known as "Isildur1", is already at his fourth final table of the year, while Vongxaiburana is making his deepest run yet in a WSOP event.
Day 3 Action
Day 3 began with 26 players remaining out of 402 entries. Vongxaiburana was the chip leader with 2,330,000, followed by Hui (1,970,000) and Blom (1,570,000).
David Williams turned a queen-high straight on one of the first hands of the day, but Hui had made a king-high straight to send Williams quickly to the payout desk. Christopher Costa was eliminated in 25th place to set the final three tables.
James Chen (24th), Sean Troha (22nd), Quan Zhou (21st), and Arthur Morris (20th) soon followed, while Nick Schulman ran into Blom’s flopped full house to fall in 23rd. Jeff Madsen (19th) and Ben Yu (18th) also made their way to the payout desk in short succession.
Viktor Blom
Hui had received the bulk of a massive four-way all in to climb above 4,000,000 and into the chip lead. Johnson, meanwhile, was riding a short stack but began his ascent when he scooped an all-in pot against Dylan Weisman to double up. He then eliminated Matthew Beinner in 17th to move up past 2,000,000.
Johnson scored another knockout when he rivered a full house to send Calvin Anderson to the rail in 16th. Hall of Famer Erik Seidel fell in 15th, while Weisman (14th) and Tomasz Gluszko (13th) were the next to fall. Johnson then tangled with Matthew Woodward in a pot as Johnson made a Royal Flush on the river to bust Woodward in 12th. Dylan Wilkerson lost the bulk of his chips when he paid off Hui’s 1,200,000 bet on the river, then fell in 11th soon after.
Phillip Hui
Blom cracked Justin Liberto’s aces with two pair and a low to scoop a double up and leave Liberto a short stack. Liberto lasted only a few more hands until Blom finished him off in 10th. Johnson then made a wheel to scoop a big pot off Brian Battistone and eclipse 6,000,000, while Blom eliminated Edward Jackson Spivack on the final table bubble as the remaining eight players took their seats.
Johnson led 6,750,000 at the start of the final table, followed by Hui (4,850,000) and Blom (3,900,000). Battistone began in the middle of the pack but soon had his last 1,900,000 in the middle against Johnson. Johnson showed two aces against Battistone’s kings, and Battistone found no help on the board as he busted in eighth.
Johnson also eliminated Noah Kelley when he made the nut flush and a wheel to scoop the pot as Kelley had to settle for a seventh-place finish. Rice turned a straight against Blom’s set of jacks to double up, then brought the night to a close as Johnson potted to 1,400,000 and Christopher Demaci called off his last chips on the button, while Rice also called in the small blind. Rice reshoved on the flop and Johnson laid down two aces. Rice had flopped a full house and Demaci got no help on the turn and river on his way to a sixth-place finish.
Shawn Rice
The schedule called for play to end at the final five, but tournament officials gave the players the option to continue if the vote was unanimous. Rice was the lone dissenting vote and they bagged up their chips for the night.
Final Table Results/Remaining Payouts
Place
Player
Country
Earnings
1
$784,353
2
$522,878
3
$360,711
4
$253,276
5
$181,069
6
Christopher Demaci
United States
$131,841
7
Noah Kelley
United States
$97,806
8
Brian Battistone
United States
$73,950
Day 4 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas will pick up at 1 p.m. local time with 10 minutes remaining in Level 27 with blinds of 50,000/100,000 and a 100,000 big blind ante. The final five have each locked up $181,069 for making it this far, while the champion tomorrow will take home $784,353.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow following all the action and providing live updates until a new Big O champion is crowned.
