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

06-15-2025 20:55 UTC-8

Player	Chips	Progress
Julien Merckling	390,000 390,000	390,000
Jason Gilbert	263,000 263,000	263,000
Rosarie Roberts	225,000 225,000	225,000
Rick Whitesell	185,000 85,000	85,000
Jeffrey Rogers	160,000 160,000	160,000
Richard Larson	108,000 108,000	108,000
Kok Li	101,000 101,000	101,000
David Hagmann	97,000 97,000	97,000
Lyndon Goodly	44,000 44,000	44,000
Carlo Argentino	Busted

Nahid Needed This Tournament

Jerome Solomon

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

After disappointing himself with his play in the Monster Stack event, Kareef Nahid said he needed a tournament to cleanse his poker playing soul.

So he entered the Salute to Warriors and after a rocky start — he busted out in short order with his first buy-in — he believes he has found a groove.

"I'm playing much better," Nahid said. "Just blew it in the Monster Stack. After getting off to a good start, I bluffed off a third of my chips in the last couple hands of the flight, then returned the next day and was out in two hands.

"I needed to get back on point."

A couple of come-from-behind wins — fours cracking aces and a gutshot straight — has Nahid near the top of the leaderboard, but there are still some 400 players to be eliminated before play is done for the evening.

Nahid has busted seven players from the field, and had been so dominant at his table that when a tablemate bluffed him out of a hand, the joke was that now the guy has a story to tell.

"I'm so happy I decided to play, just gotta keep paying well," Nahid said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kareef Nahid	622,000 622,000	622,000

Tags: Kareef Nahid

06-15-2025 20:47 UTC-8

Three Saves Wood

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Erick Torres

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

Nicholas Wood opened the action preflop with a raise to 12,000 from early position before Sherwin Basti elected to shove for 52,000 two seats over. Players folded to Thomas Grey, who called the all-in bet. Wood gave it some thought before he folded to send Basti and Grey to a showdown.

Nicholas Wood: A♠3♠ All in
Thomas Grey: A♥K♣

Wood was in trouble against the better ace of Grey. The flop, however, gave Wood plenty of equity as it came J♠5♥9♠. The 3♦ turn suddenly put Wood in the lead, and with the flush draw trimmed Grey's hand to only two outs heading to the river. The 4♦ river completed the board and gave Wood the double up against Grey.

Player	Chips	Progress
Steven Buckner	195,000 140,000	140,000
Clement Lafon	185,000 185,000	185,000
Thomas Grey	180,000 180,000	180,000
David Brown	145,000 145,000	145,000
Nicholas Wood	141,000 141,000	141,000
Sherwin Basti	118,000 118,000	118,000
Laurence Humler	108,000 108,000	108,000
Fernando Fontoura Brito	60,000 60,000	60,000
Ari Mezrich	53,000 53,000	53,000

Tags: Nicholas Wood Sherwin Basti Thomas Grey

06-15-2025 20:42 UTC-8

Berridge Scoops a Massive Pot From Baxter

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Roxanne Johnson

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

Action was picked up on the river with a board of K♣4♦7♥2♥J♠, and Scott Berridge had bet out 65,000 from under the gun, and Mark Baxter made the call, which did not put him all-in, but very short-stacked if he lost. Berridge turned over 4♣4♠ for a set, and Baxter mucked.

Berridge was relieved to win the pot and stack his new chips, especially being in his very first World Series Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Scott Berridge	290,000 116,000	116,000
Mark Baxter	40,000

Tags: Mark Baxter Scott Berridge

06-15-2025 20:25 UTC-8

Rest, Relaxation, Rush

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jerome Solomon

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

Ricky Landais has had a rough time of it thus far at the WSOP. He has cashed a couple times, but his bad beat stories outnumber his successes.

"I got knocked out of two bracelet events when I had an ace and an ace came on the flop, and I was taken out by a one-outer," Landais said.

So, he took several days off from poker to refresh his mind and get back to the positive approach that has served him well over the years.

Through the first 13 levels of this event, his fortunes have changed. He had not even planned to play this event, but it was a good way to get back in the game and it benefits a good cause.

He appears to have made a good decision.

"There is a lot of poker left, but I'm felling good and refreshed," Landais said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ricky Landais	653,000 59,000	59,000

Tags: Ricky Landais

Level: 14

Blinds: 3,000/5,000

Ante: 5,000

06-15-2025 20:11 UTC-8

Carlson's Queens Hold Against Allen's Sevens

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Erick Torres

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Lowell Carlson began the hand with a raise from early position to 16,000. Bryce Allen went all in from middle position for 80,000. The table folded back to Carlson, who called for less to put himself at risk for 68,000.

Lowell Carlson: Q♣Q♥ All in
Bryce Allen: 7♠7♦

Carlson's queens held against Allen when the board fanned out K♦J♣4♠9♠A♣ to award Carlson a double and leave Allen short-stacked with 12,000.

Allen would bust shortly after to exit the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Reyes	470,000 470,000	470,000
David Lee (NY)	310,000 310,000	310,000
Basel Chaura	305,000 305,000	305,000
Michael Roe	235,000 235,000	235,000
Solon Chiang	175,000 175,000	175,000
Lowell Carlson	138,000 138,000	138,000
Wiliam Rivera	58,000 58,000	58,000
Gail Naim	10,000 10,000	10,000
Bryce Allen	Busted

Tags: Bryce Allen Lowell Carlson

06-15-2025 20:00 UTC-8

Kings Good for Harnett

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Erick Torres

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Approximately 50,000 was in the middle on the board of Q♥2♠2♥ when Jianci Zhan bet 12,000. Dane Harnett chose to risk his stack and jammed for 43,000 total. Zhan called to put the cards on their back.

Jianci Zhan: K♦K♠ All in
Dane Harnett: A♣10♣

The kings held on the 5♦ turn and the 10♦ river to score the double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sven Meschede	330,000
Jianci Zhan	205,000
Maksim Chirva	170,000
Luciano Melo	170,000 170,000	170,000
Dane Harnett	125,000 125,000	125,000
Eugene Senda	110,000
Cheng-Jyun Yang	95,000
Johan Yha	92,000

Tags: Dane Harnett Jianci Zhan

06-15-2025 19:47 UTC-8

More Bust Outs

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Roxanne Johnson

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jack Sumner	Busted
Renmei Liu	Busted
Seiji Sasaki	Busted
Lucille Hargett	Busted
Olga Iermolcheva	Busted
Massimo Costantini	Busted
Jared Ward	Busted
James Todd	Busted

Robert Zoucha	Busted
Ryan Caviness	Busted
Alexander Kartveli	Busted
Javier Olivares	Busted
Thomas Lindell	Busted
Narayan Patel	Busted
Kyota Henzan	Busted
Lon Mceachern	Busted
Yoon Kim	Busted
Herman Tallman	Busted
Angelo Martelli	Busted
Jose Orozcogomez	Busted
Daniel Folsom	Busted
Sherif Elmessiri	Busted

John Gwinn	Busted
Haiyang Yang	Busted
Andrew Rubin	Busted