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

06-18-2025 14:15 UTC-8

Helppi Busts the High Roller; Immediately Enters Event #54

Tim Baker

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Finnish poker legend Juha Helppi just busted Event #51: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha and hopped right into this event. Helppi has earned over $9 million in live poker tournaments and sits second on Finland’s all-time money list behind only Patrik Antonius.

Helppi’s World Series of Poker breakthrough came in 2019 when he claimed his first bracelet by winning the $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship for $306,622. Just one year later, he added a second piece of WSOP gold by taking down the 2020 WSOP Online GGPoker $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, topping a field of 328 for $290,286. A veteran of the WSOP since 2003, Helppi’s two bracelets cement his status as one of the most accomplished players ever to come out of Finland.

Though he is yet to register his first cash at the 2025 WSOP, he certainly is putting in the volume to perhaps make a deep run, and even go as far as getting his third bracelet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Juha Helppi	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Juha Helppi

06-18-2025 14:28 UTC-8

Dubrovsky Rivers Two Pair

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Tim Baker

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Igor Dubrovsky limped from middle position before Grant Hart raised to 1,500 from the button. Andrew Egan called from the big blind, and Dubrovsky also called.

Three checks followed the 6♥4♦K♦ flop to see the 3♣ appear on the turn. Egan checked again, but Dubrovsky bet 3,000. Hart folded, and Egan called.

Both players checked the 10♥ river and Dubrovsky flipped over A♦10♣5♦4♣ for a rivered two pair to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Grant Hart	65,000
Robert Nehorayan	42,000 42,000	42,000

Aurelien Martin	40,000 15,000	15,000
Igor Dubrovsky	29,000
Punnat Punsri	25,000

Michelle Chin	24,000
Andrew Egan	20,000
Brad Anderson	5,000

Tags: Andrew Egan Grant Hart Igor Dubrovsky

06-18-2025 14:29 UTC-8

Soulier Blocked Off

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Jacob Wilson

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Three players still had cards on a flop of J♠Q♦3♦ and they all got their stacks in on this street, with William Mcmahan covering.

Fabrice Soulier: K♠K♦3♣2♦ All in
Gary Jablonski: A♦J♦10♥8♣ All in
William Mcmahan: Q♠Q♣9♠9♥

Mcmahan had flopped the nuts with top set, but still had to hold against plenty of outs. Jablonski was drawing to the nut flush and broadway. Soulier, although he would've been drawing extremely live against either of these opponents heads up, realised he was heading home unless he got an extremely specific runout. His diamonds were covered, and even if he managed to hit a set, it would give Soulier Broadway. He had already mucked his cards by the time the 7♥ turn was dealt, and the 5♣ river locked it up for Mcmahan.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jorge Paredes Andia	103,000 103,000	103,000
William Mcmahan	78,200 53,200	53,200
Jason James	29,600 29,600	29,600

John Ode	29,200 29,200	29,200
Wayne Greenberg	17,400 17,400	17,400
Chaoxing Li	8,000 17,000	17,000
Gary Jablonski	Busted
Fabrice Soulier	Busted

Tags: Fabrice Soulier Gary Jablonski William Mcmahan

Level: 6

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

06-18-2025 14:46 UTC-8

Big Names Late Regging

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Jacob Wilson

Level 6 : 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Bambrick	43,000 43,000	43,000

Uri Reichenstein	42,500 42,500	42,500
Chance Kornuth	31,800 31,800	31,800

Joe Cada	24,000 24,000	24,000

Samuel Stranak	22,000 22,000	22,000

Brett Slezak	7,800 7,800	7,800

06-18-2025 14:48 UTC-8

Punsri Hunting Thailand's First Bracelet

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Tim Baker

Level 6 : 300/600, 600 ante

With just shy of $25 million in live tournament earnings, Punnat Punsri holds the top spot on Thailand’s all-time money list and ranks inside the top 50 globally. Despite not yet capturing a WSOP bracelet, he came close earlier this series with a third-place finish in the shootout event. Punsri has already cashed in four events this summer, including two high rollers, and is currently seated at Table #234.

Event #37: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em - Monster Stack - 133rd for $10,095
Event #32: $50,000 No Limit Hold'em - High Roller - 8-Handed - 24th for $102,395
Event #26: $25,000 No Limit Hold'em - High Roller - 8-Handed - 11th for $111,294
Event #20: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em - Shootout - 3rd for $130,560

With experience spanning a wide range of buy-ins, Punsri certainly won’t be fazed as this event moves closer to the final table. The question now is whether this could be the tournament that delivers Thailand its first-ever WSOP bracelet, and if Punsri is the one destined to make it happen.

Player	Chips	Progress
Punnat Punsri	35,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Punnat Punsri

06-18-2025 14:58 UTC-8

Peter de Jong

40,000 7,300

Table 262Seat 2

06-18-2025 15:06 UTC-8

Mehamed Fills Up

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Jacob Wilson

Level 6 : 300/600, 600 ante

Action was picked up on a flop of 4♥4♣7♣. Andrew Kappes shoved, and Alan Mehamed called.

Andrew Kappes: Q♣10♣10♦9♦ All in
Alan Mehamed: A♥A♠4♠3♠

The 3♣ turn seemed to be a good one for Kappes, as he hit his flush, however he soon realized he was drawing dead as Mehamed had boated up, making the J♦ river inconsequential.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Lyons	84,300 59,300	59,300
Alan Mehamed	72,000 72,000	72,000
Michael Nelson	60,500 35,500	35,500
Charles Schlinger	59,500 34,500	34,500
Samuel Bifarella	45,000 20,000	20,000
Kevin Darouvar	22,000 22,000	22,000
John Scherr	18,600 18,600	18,600
Andrew Kappes	Busted

Tags: Alan Mehamed Andrew Kappes

06-18-2025 15:10 UTC-8

Luu Rivers a One-Outer to Survive

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Tim Baker

Level 6 : 300/600, 600 ante

Lou Garza raised to 1,800 under the gun with Jarryd Godena calling from the next seat, Hieu Luu calling from the hijack, and Sandeep Pulusani defending his big blind.

The dealer spread out a flop of 6♣6♦2♦, and Pulusani checked. Garza continued for 9,900, Godena called, and Luu moved all in for 10,400. Both Garza and Godena called to create a side pot.

With Luu all-in, the 6♠ fell on the turn. Garza checked, and Godena shoved to put Garza all in. After a brief pause, Garza folded, and the cards were tabled.

Hieu Luu: A♥5♥4♦3♦ All in
Jarryd Godena: K♥K♦9♦9♠

Godena had a full house, sixes full of kings, and was in great shape. Only a one-outer could save Luu with a straight flush.

Luu was already out of his chair when the dealer delivered the 5♦ on the river, completing a miraculous straight flush. The table erupted in disbelief, while Godena sat stunned after suffering a brutal beat.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samuel Del Castillo	120,000 20,500	20,500
Keith Crowder	45,000 20,000	20,000
Jarryd Godena	45,000 20,000	20,000
Hieu Luu	43,000 43,000	43,000
Sandeep Pulusani	25,000 25,000	25,000

Yijie Hu	24,000 24,000	24,000
Lou Garza	7,000 23,000	23,000