Level 1
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
2025 World Series of Poker
Event #46: $250,000 Super High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info
2025 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
Buy-in
$250,000
Prize Pool
$15,513,750
Entries
63
Level
23
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
63
Players Left
15
Players Left 1 / 63
Filter
(1)
Level 1
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Leon Sturm and Alex Kulev were heads-up in a pot that seemed innocent enough in the early going, but quickly turned violent. On a flop of J♠5♦3♣ Kulev checked from the big blind and Sturm tossed in a bet of 12,000 on the button. Kulev called and the 2♦ landed on the turn.
After a check-raise from Kulev on the turn, both players committed 250,000 each to the pot, creating a pot of nearly 600,000. The river was the 10♣ and Kulev announced all in for 1,228,000. Sturm asked for a count and burned through two time banks before laying down his hand.
"We're playing poker now," Brandon Steven joked at the table.
"If you get dealt pocket fours, what are you supposed to do?" Jason Koon rhetorically asked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,770,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
||
|
1,160,000
1,160,000
|
1,160,000 |
|
|
||
Level 1
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Leon Sturm opened to 12,000 in early position and Alex Kulev called in the hijack as Jason Koon defended his big blind.
Koon checked on the flop of A♥4♠8♦ and Sturm continued for 14,000. Kulev called and Koon folded. Sturm then checked on the A♦ turn and Kulev checked back.
Sturm checked again on the 6♦ turn and Kulev checked back, only to muck as Sturm showed 5♣4♣ to win the pot with a pair of fives.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,700,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,600,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
|
1,200,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
||
Level 1
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,500,000 | |
|
||
|
1,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
1,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
1,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
||
|
1,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
||
Level: 2
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Level 2
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Jesse Lonis raised to 14,000 in middle position and Matthew Belcher defended from the big blind. The flop came J♥9♥9♦ and Lonis continued with a bet of 12,000. Belcher check-raised to 42,000 and Lonis called.
The turn brought the 10♠ and Belcher checked again. Lonis tossed in a bet of 95,000 and Belcher stuck around for the 4♣ on the river. Belcher checked one more time and Lonis put together a bet of 255,000. Belcher quickly disposed of his cards and Lonis was awarded the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,590,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
1,525,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
|
||
Level 2
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Aleksejs Ponakovs opened to 14,000 in the hijack and Alfred Decarolis three-bet to 41,000 in the big blind. Ponakovs called.
Decarolis bet 60,000 on the K♣10♣Q♠ flop and Ponakovs called. Decarolis then bet 100,000 on the J♥ turn and Ponakovs laid it down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,000,000
560,000
|
560,000 |
|
1,300,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
||
Level 2
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Brandon Wilson raised it up from the cutoff and Jason Koon called from the small blind. They went heads-up to a flop of A♦J♦4♠ and both players checked to the 6♥ on the turn.
Koon led out with a bet of 17,000 and Wilson called to see the 4♣ on the river. Koon announced a bet of 85,000 and Wilson looked him up. Koon turned over 5♥4♥ for trip fours and Wilson conceded the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,750,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,430,000 | |
Level 2
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Jesse Lonis opened to 14,000 in middle position and Dan Smith three-bet to 50,000 on his left. The action folded back to Lonis who just called to see a flop of 9♥5♠5♦. Lonis checked to Smith who continued with a bet of 55,000 and Lonis called.
The turn was the 3♦ and Lonis check-called another bet of 85,000 from Smith. The J♠ completed the board and both players tapped the table. Lonis showed A♠K♦ for ace-high but Smith tabled 8♠8♥ for two pair to claim the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,450,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,305,000
220,000
|
220,000 |
|
|
||
Level 2
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Leon Sturm and Brandon Steven played a pot at Table 71 as Aram Oganyan keynoted an interesting conversation about taxation, world history and simulation.
Sturm opened to 17,000 on the button and Steven and Kulev called as Oganyan, who recently finished second in the $100,000 High Roller for $1,766,099, complained about taxes, arguing that human societies thrived for hundreds of years before the invention of taxes. Nick Petrangelo corrected him on his history: "You think they invented taxes in 1971?"
"So the Egyptians paid taxes?" Oganyan asked.
"Yes," said Jonathan Jaffee.
"I have no idea," shrugged Oganyan. "I just thought it was a simulation. I don't think any of that stuff even happened."
"I don't like this conversation," said Alex Kulev. "I'll sit this one out."
As the conspiracy-ridden discussion played out, Steven and Sturm checked down the board of 9♠7♠9♦2♣ before Steven bet 77,000 on the 8♣ river to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,800,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
1,100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
