Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-18-2025 11:51 UTC-8

Boatman is One to Watch

Tim Baker

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

In 2024, Barny Boatman made history by winning a major European poker tournament in Paris at the age of 68, becoming the oldest champion in the tour’s history and banking nearly $1.4 million.

A founding member of The Hendon Mob, Boatman has been around the poker scene for over two decades, with two WSOP bracelets to his name. He earned his first in 2013, taking down a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event for $546,080, and added a second in 2015 at the WSOP Europe in Germany, winning a €550 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament for $62,467.

Boatman is currently seated at Table #279 with close to a starting stack and will be one to keep an eye on as the day unfolds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Barny Boatman	28,000 3,000	3,000

Tags: Barny Boatman

06-18-2025 12:07 UTC-8

Chips Flying at Table #291

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Jacob Wilson

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Action was picked up on a board reading 8♠10♥K♥Q♣ and Eron Kareev had bet out for 7,000 into a pot of just over 12,000. Paul Haus shoved for 16,200, and after some thought, Kareev called.

Paul Haus: Q♣Q♥J♥4♣ All in
Eron Kareev: 9♥9♠7♥3♥

The river J♣ kept Haus in the lead with a straight, and he doubled.

The very next hand, Kareev shoved his short stack after a raise from Connor Reynolds, and Reynolds called.

Eron Kareev: A♠A♣3♠2♦ All in
Connor Reynolds: K♠J♥10♠9♣

Kareev's two pair on the river of 8♣3♦Q♥K♦2♣ was good enough for him to stay alive, despite Reynolds' "million outs" on the turn.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Isrow	52,000 52,000	52,000
Paul Haus	44,800 19,800	19,800
Dennis Moore	26,200 1,200	1,200
Robert Nehorayan	22,700

Connor Reynolds	19,000
Eron Kareev	7,800

Tags: Connor Reynolds Eron Kareev Paul Haus

06-18-2025 12:08 UTC-8

Current POY Leaderboard

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Kasey Taormino

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1935426813507047809

06-18-2025 12:12 UTC-8

Wilkerson Looking for His First Bracelet

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Tim Baker

Level 2 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Sitting on #Table 301 is the United States' Dylan Wilkerson, who during his career has amassed over $4,000,000 in live tournament earnings. So far during the 2025 WSOP, he has cashed five times.

Event#16: $600 Pot Limit Omaha - Deepstack - 8-Handed - 84th for $2,017
Event#19: $500 No Limit Hold'em - Colossus - 156th for $4,520
Event#31: $800 No Limit Hold'em - Deepstack - 8-Handed - 71st for $5,041
Event#36: $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better 8-Handed - 25th for $24,515
Event#44: $10,000 Pot Limit Big O Championship - 11th for $44,825

Wilkerson is still looking for his first bracelet and has the skills to win one, but with a huge field expected in this event, will he be able to win it here?

Player	Chips	Progress
Dylan Wilkerson	35,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Dylan Wilkerson

Level: 3

Blinds: 200/300

Ante: 300

06-18-2025 12:25 UTC-8

Early Bustouts

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Jacob Wilson

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

With the third level of the day just beginning, almost 40 players have already had their chips divided amongst the rest of their tables. Most of these have already rebought, and two players, Fatolla Shahen and Minho Cho, are already on their third bullet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yanting Jiang	Busted
Dong Suh	Busted
Elan Weiner	Busted
Yuanjun Lu	Busted
William Cascioli	Busted
Alex Tchong	Busted
Francisco Perez Moreno	Busted
Ryan Anderson	Busted
Marc Wenicker	Busted
Edward Keller	Busted
Nikolai Fal	Busted

Todd Nichols	Busted
Robert Nehorayan	Busted

Michael Trivett	Busted

Edward Smith	Busted
Raz Alon	Busted
Mei Seow	Busted
Zachary Peay	Busted
Timothy Totten	Busted
Minho Cho	Busted
Scott Milkey	Busted
Jeffrey Samson	Busted
Michael Perrone	Busted

Yong Lu	Busted
Christopher Gregg	Busted

Read full

Tags: Minho Cho Fatolla Shahen

06-18-2025 12:35 UTC-8

Chen on Bullet Number Two

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

James Chen of the United States has been spotted at Table #235 and is currently on his second bullet of the tournament. Chen is a master in the two, four, and five-card streets, having won $209,350 and his first WSOP bracelet in the $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8-Handed during the 2024 series.

Chen plays buy-ins ranging from $500 all the way up to the $25,000 and is feared by many at his table. With a fresh starting stack to play with, Chen will be someone no one wants at their table.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Chen (US)	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: James Chen

06-18-2025 12:51 UTC-8

Vega Doubles to Stay in the Tournament

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Arriving at the table to see Alfredo Vega was all-in before the flop against Felipe Campins.

Alfredo Vega: A♥Q♦10♦6♦ All in
Felipe Campins: K♥Q♠J♦9♠

Vega was slightly ahead, but on the Q♥10♠2♠ flop, Campins picked up straight and flush draws. The 4♦ turn didn't change anything, and neither did the 2♣ river. Vega took down the pot with two pair, and Campins was back to the starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Campins	26,000 26,000	26,000
Alfredo Vega	25,000

Tags: Alfredo Vega Felipe Campins

06-18-2025 12:53 UTC-8

Zektser Going For Second of the Series

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Jacob Wilson

Level 3 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Igor Zektser, as of recent, has become an Omaha aficionado, having cashed in a whopping 21 Omaha events, since making the switch from Hold'em to PLO back in 2021. Of these 21, five have been at this year's series already, despite only having just passed the halfway mark.

Zektser plays any variation: this year alone, he made the money in:

Event #15: $1,500 Mixed: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (95th, $3,381)
Event #21: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (63rd, $4,391)
Event #24: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot (46th, $6,784)
Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship (36th $21,052)

To cap off an already extremely impressive series, Zektser went one step further and won his first-ever WSOP bracelet in Event #27: $1,500 Big O, taking home a whopping $297,285, along with a win he'd been chasing since his first WSOP cash back in 2013.

Back in the original PLO streets, he'll be searching to double his bracelet tally for the year, and his career, along with a sixth cash of the summer.