Event #45: $500 SALUTE to Warriors Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-16-2025 19:45 UTC-8

Shifflet Wins Huge Pot with Kings

Nick Becker

Level 29 : Blinds 80,000/160,000, 160,000 ante

Timothy Shifflet raised to 500,000 in the cutoff, Richard Buckingham three-bet to 1,500,000 in the small blind, and Victor Lee called in the big blind for about 500,000 to put himself at risk. Shifflet then four-bet jammed for 3,435,000 and Buckingham called with the covering stack.

Victor Lee: Q♦7♦ All in
Timothy Shifflet: K♥K♠ All in
Richard Buckingham: A♦K♠

Shifflet's pair of kings remained best as the board ran out 5♣9♣8♣Q♣5♥ to scoop the main and side pot. Lee was eliminated in the process.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timothy Shifflet	7,375,000 5,375,000	5,375,000
Richard Buckingham	2,925,000 2,591,000	2,591,000
Victor Lee	Busted

Tags: Richard Buckingham Timothy Shifflet Victor Lee

06-16-2025 20:12 UTC-8

Choae Sends Schumach Home

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Laura Fryer

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Michael Schmauch was already all in and at risk from the big blind for 460,000 and against Samuel Choae who covered him in an early position.

Michael Schmauch: 7♥5♠ All in
Samuel Choae: A♣Q♠

Once the cards were flippeed Choae said "Oh, I have two live cards." and his hand held on the 10♦3♦3♠K♥Q♦ runout, sending Schumach home.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samuel Choae	2,950,000 1,250,000	1,250,000
Michael Schmauch	Busted

Tags: Michael Schmauch Samuel Choae

06-16-2025 20:12 UTC-8

Three's a Crowd

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Stewart Morrison

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Maurice Jeevanji moved all in from under the gun, only to see Hesham Ayoub do the same, next to act. One seat over, Richard Buckingham joined the party, moving all in too.

Buckingham had both opponents covered and showed them they were in trouble when all the cards were revealed.

Maurice Jeevanji: A♣J♦ All in
Hesham Ayoub: A♦K♦ All in
Richard Buckingham: K♥K♠

The flop 6♣J♣7♠ gave Jeevanji some renewed hope, but didn't threaten Buckingham too much.

The turn 4♦ and river Q♣ wrapped up the victory for Buckingham as he sent two players to the payout desk together.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Buckingham	5,800,000 2,875,000	2,875,000
Maurice Jeevanji	Busted
Hesham Ayoub	Busted

Tags: Hesham Ayoub Maurice Jeevanji Richard Buckingham

06-16-2025 20:13 UTC-8

Hernon Eliminates Chudapal

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Nick Becker

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Siarhei Chudapal open-shoved on the button for about 1,500,000 and Joseph Hernon called in the small blind with the covering stack.

Siarhei Chudapal: 8♣7♣ All in
Joseph Hernon: 10♣10♠

Hernon's pair of tens remained in the lead all the way as the board ran out K♠A♠8♠A♦A♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Hernon	7,140,000 3,940,000	3,940,000
Siarhei Chudapal	Busted

Tags: Joseph Hernon Siarhei Chudapal

06-16-2025 20:17 UTC-8

Recent Eliminations

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Laura Fryer

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jesus Bonequi	Busted
Kurt Fitzgerald	Busted
Victor Lee	Busted
Kyle Hamilton	Busted
Peter Schreurs	Busted

06-16-2025 20:30 UTC-8

Parent Cracks Zanardo's Kings

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Erick Torres

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Jacob Parent chose to jam from middle position for 1,500,000 even. Zachary Hall called in the next seat over to put Parent at risk. The table folded around to the big blind, where Paul Zanardo woke up with a hand and chose to go all in for approximately 800,000.

Paul Zanardo: K♣K♥ All in
Jacob Parent: J♣9♠ All in
Zachary Hall: A♠7♠

Zanardo was in command heading into the runout, but the flop was ominous as it came 7♦5♥10♦ to give Parent a gutshot straight draw and Hall a pair to improve his outs.

The 9♥ turn gave Parent a pair to go with his straight draw.

The J♦ river was the dagger that eliminated Zanardo from the tournament, as Parent scooped the entire pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Zachary Hall	4,900,000 4,000,000	4,000,000
Jacob Parent	3,800,000 2,775,000	2,775,000
Paul Zanardo	Busted

Tags: Jacob Parent Paul Zanardo Zachary Hall

06-16-2025 20:31 UTC-8

Eights Are No Good for Nelis

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Laura Fryer

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

James Nelis was all in and at risk from the hijack and Mike Gao had called from the cutoff.

James Nelis: 8♦8♥ All in
Mike Gao: K♣K♠

Gao was setting pretty with pocket kings, and they held on the 6♠2♦4♥4♣A♠ board, sending Nelis home with around 50 players remaining.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Gao	4,520,000 2,470,000	2,470,000
James Nelis	Busted

Tags: James Nelis Mike Gao

06-16-2025 20:45 UTC-8

Merckling Eliminated

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Stewart Morrison

Level 31 : Blinds 120,000/240,000, 240,000 ante

Julien Merckling moved all in from early position for 1,350,000, and when action folded to Peter Cross in the small blind, he called, before the big blind got out of the way.

Julien Merckling: K♣9♠ All in
Peter Cross: K♦J♣

A perilous situation for Merckling, and despite making two pair on the 6♠K♥8♣J♥9♣ board, his opponent had a better two pair.

Crossed raked in the pot as Merckling headed to the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Cross	3,450,000
Julien Merckling	Busted

Tags: Julien Merckling Peter Cross

06-16-2025 20:47 UTC-8

Recent Eliminations

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Stewart Morrison

Level 31 : Blinds 120,000/240,000, 240,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Jennifer Breckenridge	Busted
Ross Santos	Busted
Rudy Cervantes	Busted

Paul Zanardo	Busted
James Nelis	Busted
Anshul Kulshrestha	Busted

06-16-2025 20:50 UTC-8

Sparks Fades

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Laura Fryer

Level 31 : Blinds 120,000/240,000, 240,000 ante

Players already had their cards on their backs. Jonathon Sparks was all in and at risk from under the gun and up against Evgeny Urubkov in the big blind.

Jonathon Sparks: A♥Q♥ All in
Evgeny Urubkov: 9♣9♦

Urubkov flopped a set on the 2♦9♥K♦ board.

There was no coming back for Sparks on the 7♦ turn and J♠ river, and he was eliminated from the tournment.