Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
Day 1 Completed
Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
Day 1 Completed
On Wednesday, the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe & Paris Casino in Las Vegas continued with Day 1 of Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. The field swelled to 176 players, but after 10 levels of play, it had been whittled down to 91. That number will grow, though, as late registration is open until ~2:15 p.m. local time on Day 2.
Bagging up the big stack was Poker Hall of Famer John Hennigan, who was followed by Chris Vitch as the only player above the 300,000 mark. Others to bag big were Marco Johnson (274,000), Justin “Boosted J” Smith (208,500), Mike “The Mouth” Matusow (208,000), and Scott Seiver (206,500).
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Hennigan | United States | 350,500 | 44 |
| 2 | Christopher Vitch | United States | 342,500 | 43 |
| 3 | Ryan Miller | United States | 294,500 | 37 |
| 4 | Daniel Strelitz | United States | 288,000 | 36 |
| 5 | Marco Johnson | United States | 274,000 | 35 |
| 6 | Dave Stann | United States | 240,500 | 30 |
| 7 | Walter Chambers | United States | 233,500 | 29 |
| 8 | Matt Grapenthien | United States | 211,000 | 27 |
| 9 | Justin Smith | United States | 208,500 | 26 |
| 10 | Mike Matusow | United States | 208,000 | 26 |
Some other players to make it through were Brad Owen (196,500), Poker Hall of Famers Huck Seed (190,000) and Todd Brunson (189,000), Chad Eveslage (152,500), Shaun Deeb (140,500), Benny Glaser (138,000), and “Texas” Mike Moncek (98,000).
Unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky on Day 1. Among those to try and fall were Calvin Anderson, Viktor Blom, Anthony Zinno, Allen Kessler, Jeff Madsen, Adam Friedman, Yuval Bronshtein, Eddie Blumenthal, Gershon Distenfeld, David Baker (both Bakes & ODB), and Nick Schulman.
Day 2 of the tournament will start at 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, with the plan to play eight more levels. PokerNews will once again be on-site to capture all the action, so be sure to join us then for updates straight from the tournament floor.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
350,500
210,500
|
210,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
342,500
218,500
|
218,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
294,500
179,500
|
179,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
288,000
131,000
|
131,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
274,000
24,500
|
24,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
240,500
4,500
|
4,500 |
|
|
233,500
91,500
|
91,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
211,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
208,500
124,800
|
124,800 |
|
|
208,000
89,000
|
89,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
206,500
53,500
|
53,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
200,500
59,500
|
59,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
196,500
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
190,000
98,000
|
98,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
189,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
183,500
81,100
|
81,100 |
|
|
182,500
76,500
|
76,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
175,500
118,500
|
118,500 |
|
|
173,000
59,500
|
59,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
163,500
47,000
|
47,000 |
|
|
158,000
98,000
|
98,000 |
|
|
152,500
83,500
|
83,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
148,500
88,500
|
88,500 |
|
|
148,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
|
142,000
49,000
|
49,000 |
|
|
||
That's a wrap for Day 1 of the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship.
Stay tuned for full updated chip counts and a recap of the night's action.
Stud Hi-Lo
Dan Heimiller: XxXx/A♦7♣8♣2♠
Esther Taylor: XxXx/A♥8♥Q♣J♠ - folded on sixth street
Philip Sternheimer: XxXx/10♥ - folded on third street
Ray Fishman: XxXx/5♠ - folded bring in
Philip Sternheimer called the bring in, Dan Heimiller completed, Esther Taylor called and Sternheimer folded.
Taylor check-called bets from Heimiller on fourth and fifth street before check-folding on sixth street.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
124,000
64,000
|
64,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
82,000
37,000
|
37,000 |
|
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47,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
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|
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32,500
77,000
|
77,000 |
Tournament officials have just announced that the remaining players will play two more hands before bagging on Day 1. Stay tuned for any last-minute hands followed by end-of-day chip counts and a short recap of the Day 1 action.
Stud Hi-Lo
Chris Hunichen: 3♠5♣ / 4♥Q♥2♥10♠ / Q♣
DJ Buckley: 7♦4♠ / 6♣2♦9♥2♠ / J♠
Chris "Big Huni" Hunichen brought it in, and Minnesota's DJ Buckley, who last year drew a $1,000,000 bounty in the Mystery Bounty event, completed. Hunichen called and then check-called a bet on fourth.
Hunichen bet out after taking the lead on fifth and then Buckley checked sixth after taking the lead.
Hunichen bet and Buckley called off his last 5,000 with what turned out to be a pair of deuces and a low draw. He was actually ahead of Hunichen, who didn't have a pair and was drawing to a low of his own.
Hunichen showed first after he received the Q♣ on seventh for a pair of queens, and it wound up being good as Buckley failed to improve with the J♠.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
100,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
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|
Busted | |
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Omaha Hi-Lo
Scott Lake opened from middle position, Qiang Xu called from the small blind and Pat Pezzin called from the big blind.
Action checked around to Lake who fired a continuation bet on the A♣5♦10♣ flop that both opponents called.
Lake bet again when checked to on the 6♠ turn and this time only Pezzin called.
On the 5♠ river Pezzin check-called another bet from Lake.
Lake turned over top boat with A♠A♥J♦2♣ and Pezzin's hand hit the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
245,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
|
141,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
105,500
25,500
|
25,500 |
|
|
93,000
33,000
|
33,000 |
|
|
79,000
8,500
|
8,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
77,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
36,000
94,000
|
94,000 |
|
|
32,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
||
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Busted | |
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Omaha Hi-Lo
Dario Alioto limped under the gun, and Tom Koral called from the cutoff. Nicolas Barthe came along from the button, Tom McCormick did the same from the small blind, and then Ofi Mor exercised his option from the big by raising to 6,000.
All of his opponents called and it was five-way action to the flop of 7♥10♣A♥.
McCormick checked, Mor bet, and Alioto raised, which prompted Koral to get out of the way. Barthe then called, as did McCormick, and Mor put in the additional 3,000 to see the K♣ turn.
Three checks saw Barthe bet 6,000, and three calls ensued including Alioto calling off for his last 5,000, which created a 3,000 side pot.
McCormick then checked the 6♦ river, Mor bet 6,000, and Barthe called. McCormick thought for a long time but eventually released his hand.
Dario Alioto: A♣4♥2♥8♠
Nicolas Barthe: Q♣J♣9♠4♠
Ofir Mor: A♦2♦2♠3♥
Barthe had the high, Mor the low, and Alioto was ousted from the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
115,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
75,000
44,500
|
44,500 |
|
|
75,000
49,000
|
49,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
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