Event #45: $500 SALUTE to Warriors Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-15-2025 10:53 UTC-8

Bad-luck Hand Costs Youngblood

Jerome Solomon

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Sylvia Youngblood makes the trek from El Paso to Las Vegas every year to play in one poker tournament — the Salute to Warriors.

"I'm from a family that served, and in all branches, Army, Navy, Airforce," Youngblood said. "That's how I met my husband (Randy). He was stationed in the Army at Fort Bliss. The military means so much to us."

Every year she has entered this event, she has cashed. She will have to reenter to keep her streak alive after a tough beat.

Youngblood four-bet a pot, and was raised all-in by David Westfall.

Sylvia Youngblood: K♥K♠ All in
David Westfall: A♥A♣

Unfortunately for Youngblood, the runout 3♥2♠9♦9♥9♣ didn't help her kings pull the upset over aces.

Now, she has to ask her husband, who was playing at another table, if she can reenter.

"I should, because I'm good enough to win it back. What can you do about aces over kings?"

Player	Chips	Progress
David Westfall	109,000
Randy Youngblood	32,000
Sylvia Youngblood	Busted

Tags: Sylvia Youngblood David Westfall Randy Youngblood

06-15-2025 13:09 UTC-8

Hargett's Boat's Not Big Enough

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Jerome Solomon

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Lucille Hargett felt pretty good about her hand on a board that read 10♠A♦8♣10♣6♥, but Ryan Jones had just as good of a feeling about his.

Lucille Hargett: 10♦6♦ All in
Ryan Jones: A♣10♥

Jones' tens over aces topped Hargett's tens over sixes, and knocked her out of the tournament. She planned to reenter the field.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Jones (NV)	197,000
Lucille Hargett	Busted

Tags: Lucille Hargett Ryan Jones (NV)

06-15-2025 14:58 UTC-8

Charity Begins in the Cutoff

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Jerome Solomon

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

David Daneshgar, who built a successful business after winning a WSOP bracelet in 2008, seemed determined to give his chips away and he did do quickly. He looked at his cards briefly and declared all-in.

Daneshgar, a bracelet winner in no-limit hold'em, got into a three-way all in win Travis Hickey and Donald Kellum, and donated generously to their chip fund, as they split the winning pot with the same hand.

In the next hand, Daneshgar went all-in in the dark with his final 15,000 chips. Yamaguchi Yota made the call.
David Daneshgar: K♠3♦ All in
Yamaguchi Yota: A♦J♥

Neither player connected with the runout Q♣10♣4♣8♣10♠ and Yota's ace was enough to win the hand.

When told that he could buy back in for one more entry, Daneshgar took out his phone. Six minutes later he had donated that new 50,000-chip starting stack to another table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Travis Hickey	58,000 58,000	58,000
Yamaguchi Yota	48,800 48,800	48,800
Donald Kellum	30,300 30,300	30,300
David Daneshgar	Busted

Tags: David Daneshgar Donald Kellum Travis Hickey Yamaguchi Yota

06-15-2025 15:41 UTC-8

Bennett Wins Pocket Pair Battle

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Jerome Solomon

Level 9 : Blinds 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

By the time the raises were all in, three players remained, with two in jeopardy. Jennifer Breckenridge, the original raiser bowed out because when action returned to her, the pot had been raised three other times, including an all-in.

As you might imagine, there were some nice pocket pairs involved.

Massimo Costantini: K♣K♠ All in
Benjamin Bennett: Q♣Q♥ All in
Erron Enoex: J♦J♠

The window card hit Bennett, and he floated away on a boat with the board of 4♠6♦Q♠6♠5♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Erron Enoex	210,000 33,200	33,200
Benjamin Bennett	165,000
Jennifer Breckenridge	123,000
Massimo Costantini	Busted

Tags: Massimo Costantini Jennifer Breckenridge Benjamin Bennett Erron Enoex

06-15-2025 17:02 UTC-8

Searl Eliminates Caviness Right After Re-entry Level Closed

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Roxanne Johnson

Level 10 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Ryan Caviness moved all in from the cutoff for 17,500, and David Searl called from the small blind.

Ryan Caviness: Q♦J♦ All in
David Searl: K♦J♣

The board came out with K♣4♦7♥2♥J♠, and Searl had the best of it with two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Searl	68,000
Ryan Caviness	Busted

Tags: David Searl Ryan Caviness

06-15-2025 18:26 UTC-8

Down, Up, Out

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Jerome Solomon

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Matthew Walter shoved all in when he thought his hand was good. James Simmons made the call for the same reason.

Matthew Walter: A♦8♦ All in
James Simmons: A♠10♠

As the board rolled out, 8♥A♣10♦8♠A♥, Walter fell behind on the flop, went ahead on the turn and was knocked out of the tournament on the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Simmons	185,000
Matthew Walter	Busted

Tags: James Simmons Matthew Walter

06-15-2025 20:55 UTC-8

Three-Way Action and Aces Hold

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Roxanne Johnson

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

Xavier Silva Pena raised to 10,000 from late position, Scott Bunn moved all in for 74,000 from the cutoff, and Mark Baxter called all in with the shortest stack for 40,000. Pena called both shoves.

Mark Baxter: 9♥9♣ All in
Scott Bunn: A♥A♣ All in
Xavier Silva Pena: A♦Q♦

The board ran well for the aces with J♦4♣4♥7♦3♠, and two pair was golden for Bunn, Baxter was eliminated, and Pena went into short stack mode.

Player	Chips	Progress
Scott Bunn	145,000 145,000	145,000
Xavier Silva Pena	64,000 64,000	64,000
Mark Baxter	Busted

Tags: Mark Baxter Scott Bunn Xavier Silva Pena

06-15-2025 22:25 UTC-8

Turn Action Not Good for Vijayaratnam

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Roxanne Johnson

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Action was picked up on the turn with the board reading 5♦3♣J♥Q♣ with a pot of about 75,000. Ian Crampton was in the big blind and put in a stack of chips enough to put Senthuran Vijayaratnam all-in for 81,000. Vijayaratnam decided to make the call.

Senthuran Vijayaratnam: A♥8♥ All in
Ian Crampton: 9♠9♣

The river 9♦ only sealed the deal for Crampton, who made a set for the win.