Stud Games: 700 Ante, 1,000 Bring In, 3,000 Completion, 3,000-6,000 Limits
Day 1 of Event #47: $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better had 575 entries on the clock when the late registration closed at the Horseshoe annd Paris Las Vegas. With the previous record standing at last year's 507, it meant another record turnout in a mixed-game field at the 2025 World Series of Poker, in this case resulting in a prize pool of $1,279,375.
At the end of the night, 229 players were able to bag their chips for Day 2, still being in contention for the $244,674 first-place prize. Jay Kerbel scooped the biggest of all, increasing the starting stack of 35,000 almost tenfold to 332,000. Kerbel, a mixed game specialist without a single recorded hold'em cash since the start of his career in 2008, will start Day 2 with over 40 big bets as he is chasing his fourth cash of the summer.
Gary Bolden is in hot pursuit of Kerbel with 270,000 in chips as he is looking for his second bracelet in as many years. Other players in the top 10 at the end of the night include 25K Fantasy pick Jim Collopy, and his fellow bracelet winners Qiang Xu, Jason Daly, and Elie Nakache.
Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jay Kerbel | United States | 332,000 | 42 |
| 2 | Gary Bolden | United States | 270,000 | 34 |
| 3 | Kraige Jean | United States | 260,500 | 33 |
| 4 | Karina Jett | United States | 245,500 | 31 |
| 5 | Jim Collopy | United States | 234,000 | 29 |
| 6 | Qiang Xu | China | 233,000 | 29 |
| 7 | Jason Daly | United States | 231,500 | 29 |
| 8 | Alexander Orlov | Russian Federation | 226,000 | 28 |
| 9 | Elie Nakache | France | 225,500 | 28 |
| 10 | Samuel Rosen | United States | 209,500 | 26 |
Shaun Deeb had just finished runner-up in the $1,500 Razz when he decided to immediately register for the $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo / Stud Hi-Lo instead of taking a break. His decision paid off, as Deeb found himself just outside of the top 10 at the end of Day 1 with 206,000, still determined to capture his seventh bracelet this summer.
Benny Glaser has already captured two bracelets at the 2025 WSOP, and is looking to make it three in this event, bagging a big stack of 189,500. Hall of Famers Brian Rast (129,000), Huck Seed (129,000), and Phil Hellmuth (74,000) are also still in the running to add a new bracelet to their collections.
Eli Elezra, Barry Greenstein, and Todd Brunson joined their Hall of Fame contemporaries in the field today, but did not manage to find a bag. Other players who did not make it to the end of the day include defending champion Dario Sammartino, and Scott Seiver, Josh Arieh, Yuri Dzivielevski, and Robert Mizrachi, all of whom will need to expand their WSOP jewelry collection in another event.
The players will return tomorrow, June 16, at 1 p.m. local time. With only 87 places paid, there is still a lot of poker to be played until the $5,008 min-cash will be reached. Meanwhile, the big bucks will be distributed on Day 3, which takes place June 17 at a yet to be determined time.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $244,674 | 10-11 | $14,010 |
| 2 | $163,085 | 12-15 | $11,269 |
| 3 | $112,360 | 16-23 | $9,257 |
| 4 | $78,825 | 24-31 | $7,771 |
| 5 | $56,327 | 32-39 | $6,669 |
| 6 | $41,013 | 40-47 | $5,854 |
| 7 | $30,439 | 48-55 | $5,259 |
| 8 | $23,036 | 56-87 | $5,008 |
| 9 | $17,784 |
The tournament will resume in Level 13. The blinds in Omaha will be 2,000/4,000, and the ante in stud will be 1,000 per player. The bring-in is set at the same amount, and both games will have limits of 4,000/8,000. The plan for Day 2 is to play 10 one-hour levels, after which the remainder of the tournament will be played out on Day 3.
PokerNews will be back on the floor for Day 2 and beyond, so keep your eyes on this page to not miss any of the split-pot action at the 2025 WSOP.
