Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-21-2025 13:00 UTC-8

"You're a Stud, Max!"

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Limits 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Limit Flop: 60,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000 Limits
Stud Games: 30,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000, 30,000 Ante

Razz

Maximilian Schindler: XxXx/3x3x7x5x/Xx
Brad Ruben: XxXx/5x8xKxAx/Xx

Brad Ruben completed, Maximilian Schindler raised, and Ruben called.

Ruben bet on fourth street and Schindler called. Schindler then bet on fifth and Ruben called.

Both players checked sixth and Schindler bet again on seventh. Ruben called and Schindler showed 10x9x2x for 9-7-5-3-2 to win the pot.

"Razz heater!" his rail shouted out.

Seven Card Stud

Maximilian Schindler: XxXx/A♥6♠9♦A♣/Xx
Brad Ruben: XxXx/J♥4♦5♠6♣/Xx

Ruben then completed and Schindler raised again after the game switched to Stud. Ruben called and Schindler bet again on fourth.

Ruben called on fourth and more bets on fifth and sixth. They both checked on seventh and Schindler showed K♠8♣6♥ for aces and sixes to win another pot and take the chip lead.

"You're a stud, Max!" his rail yelled.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maximilian Schindler	4,900,000 1,550,000	1,550,000

Brad Ruben	3,600,000 2,100,000	2,100,000

Tags: Brad Ruben Maximilian Schindler

06-21-2025 12:33 UTC-8

Jason Mercier Eliminated in 4th Place ($144,965)

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Josh Noy

Level 26 : Limits 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Limit Flop: 60,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000 Limits
Stud Games: 30,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000, 30,000 Ante

Seven Card Stud

Jason Mercier: A♥A♦5♦ / K♦Q♠5♥10♠
Maximilian Schindler: 5♣4♠4♥ / 4♣9♥Q♦10♣

Jason Mercier completed with his king and made the call after Maximilian Schindler raised on his right. Mercier fired on fourth and fifth streets, with Schindler calling both bets.

Sixth street saw the rest of Mercier's stack hit the middle, with Schindler sliding in the call.

Schindler finished with a set of fours, while Mercier could only manage to find two pair. That brought an end to Mercier's tournament run in fourth place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maximilian Schindler	2,850,000 550,000	550,000

Jason Mercier	Busted

Tags: Jason Mercier Maximilian Schindler

06-21-2025 12:13 UTC-8

Rough Start For Tong as Mercier Doubles

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David Salituro

Level 26 : Limits 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Limit Flop: 60,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000 Limits
Stud Games: 30,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000, 30,000 Ante

Limit Hold'em

Action folded to Jason Mercier in the small blind who raised. Kristopher Tong reraised, Mercier made it four bets, and Tong five-bet. Mercier, who started the hand with 605,000, called and left 5,000 behind.

"I bet 5,000 in the dark. Do you want to call it?" Mercier asked Tong, who put in the chip before seeing the flop.

Jason Mercier: A♥Q♦ All in
Kristopher Tong: A♠J♠

Mercier had Tong dominated as the flop came 8♠10♥8♣, while the Q♣ turn improved Mercier to two pair. The river was the 6♣ and Mercier doubled up.

The next hand, Tong limped in from the small blind, Brad Ruben raised in the big blind, and Tong called.

The flop came J♣5♥6♠ and Ruben bet. Tong raised and Ruben called.

Tong bet on the 7♥ turn and Ruben called. The river was the Q♥ and Tong checked to Ruben, who bet.

"Bad start," Tong muttered to himself as he took a minute before folding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kristopher Tong	4,800,000 1,650,000	1,650,000

Brad Ruben	3,200,000 350,000	350,000

Jason Mercier	1,200,000 700,000	700,000

Tags: Brad Ruben Jason Mercier Kristopher Tong

06-21-2025 12:09 UTC-8

Pocket Pair for Ruben

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Josh Noy

Level 26 : Limits 60,000/120,000, 120,000 ante

Limit Flop: 60,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000 Limits
Stud Games: 30,000-120,000, 120,000-240,000, 30,000 Ante

Limit Hold'em

Kristopher Tong raised on the button and made the call after Brad Ruben slid out a three-bet from the small blind.

Ruben led out on the 8♥A♠5♦ flop, with Tong making another call. The dealer flipped over the J♥ turn, and Ruben fired again.

Tong called to the 9♣ river, where both players checked it down. Ruben revealed 10♠10♥, taking down another early pot as Tong mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kristopher Tong	6,450,000 695,000	695,000

Brad Ruben	2,850,000 750,000	750,000

Tags: Brad Ruben Kristopher Tong

06-21-2025 10:01 UTC-8

Ruben and Mercier Try to Come From Behind on Day 4 of $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship

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David Salituro

The final four battled late into the night yesterday, but were unable to determine a champion in Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. They will return today at 1 p.m. local time to determine the next World Series of Poker mixed-game master at the Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas.

Kristopher Tong begins as the overwhelming chip leader with 7,145,000 as he seeks his first career bracelet. The Texas native has come close a few times before, including a runner-up finish back in 2013 and a run to the final table of the PPC in 2023.

Like Tong, Maximilian Schindler is also looking for his first WSOP golden moment and is in second place with 2,680,000. At the bottom of the leaderboard are two players who are no strangers to the big stage.

Day 4 Seat Draw

Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Bets
1	Kristopher Tong	United States	7,145,000	30
2	Brad Ruben	United States	1,305,000	5
3	Maximilian Schindler	United States	2,680,000	11
4	Jason Mercier	United States	1,295,000	5

Brad Ruben (1,305,000) already has a bracelet this summer and five in the last five years, one of just two players to do so this decade. Jason Mercier, whose six WSOP bracelets include one from this event in 2016, can join the seven-bracelet club if he manages to battle back from the short stack with 1,295,000. Ruben and Mercier will have to fight back from just five big bets at the start of the day, but as yesterday’s wild swings in momentum showed, anything is possible.

Final Table Remaining Payouts / Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1			$452,689
2			$301,786
3			$206,747
4			$144,965
5	Marco Johnson	United States	$104,089
6	Alex Livingston	Canada	$76,581
7	Scott Seiver	United States	$57,766
8	Walter Chambers	United States	$44,703
9	PJ Cha	United States	$35,515

The action picks up on Level 26 with limits of 120,000/240,000. The four finalists have locked up $144,965 for making it this far out of the 207-entry field, while the eventual champion earns $452,689.

Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates throughout the day until a new champion is crowned.

Tags: Brad Ruben Jason Mercier Kristopher Tong Maximilian Schindler