Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-18-2025 15:58 UTC-8

Brown & Johnson Engage in Fair Fight

Chad Holloway

Level 4 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Limit Flop: 500-1,000, 1,000-2,000 Limits
Stud Games: 300-1,000, 1,000-2,000, 200 Ante

Limit Hold'em

Andrew Brown raised from the cutoff before Marco Johnson made it three bets from the button. Both blinds folded, Brown called, and the flop fell 9♣7♠6♠.

Both players checked, the dealer burned and turned the 3♥, and Brown bet 2,000. Johnson called and then both players returned to checking on the 10♠ river.

"Deuces," Brown said before rolling over the 2♥2♦. It was good as Johnson showed the A♦K♠.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Brown	72,000 12,000	12,000

Marco Johnson	60,000

Tags: Andrew Brown Marco Johnson

06-18-2025 15:57 UTC-8

Koral Check-Raises Stacey

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 4 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Limit Flop: 500-1,000, 1,000-2,000 Limits
Stud Games: 300-1,000, 1,000-2,000, 200 Ante

Limit Hold’em

Patrick Stacey opeend from the cutoff and Tom Koral defended from the big blind.

The flop came 3♥9♠9♥. Koral checked, Stacey bet, Koral check-raised and Stacey called.

Koral continued with another bet on the K♥ turn and this time Stacey mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom McCormick	81,000 21,000	21,000
Luigi Santoro	71,000 11,000	11,000
Nicolas Barthe	63,000 8,000	8,000
Matt Grapenthien	61,000

Tom Koral	59,500 500	500

Pat Pezzin	54,000 21,000	21,000
Matt Vengrin	41,300 18,700	18,700

Patrick Stacey	32,000 27,000	27,000

Tags: Patrick Stacey Tom Koral

06-18-2025 15:46 UTC-8

Player	Chips	Progress
David Lin	60,000 60,000	60,000
Chris Grigorian	60,000 60,000	60,000
Nacho Barbero	60,000 60,000	60,000

Alex Livingston	60,000 60,000	60,000

Jon Shoreman	60,000 60,000	60,000

Jerry Wong	60,000 60,000	60,000

Brad Owen	60,000 60,000	60,000

Michael Parizon	60,000 60,000	60,000
Marco Johnson	60,000 60,000	60,000

Owais Ahmed	60,000 60,000	60,000

Freddy Deeb	60,000 60,000	60,000

Matt Vengrin	60,000 60,000	60,000

Brad Ruben	60,000 60,000	60,000

Christopher Chung	60,000 60,000	60,000
Christopher Claassen	60,000

Phil Hui	60,000 60,000	60,000

Kristopher Tong	60,000 60,000	60,000

Scott Lake	60,000 60,000	60,000
Akihide Shimizu	60,000 60,000	60,000
Yuri Dzivielevski	60,000 60,000	60,000

Adam Friedman	60,000 60,000	60,000

Luo on the Rise, Shack-Harris on the Slide

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Chad Holloway

Level 4 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Limit Flop: 500-1,000, 1,000-2,000 Limits
Stud Games: 300-1,000, 1,000-2,000, 200 Ante

Stud

Brandon Shack-Harris: XxXx / 7♣2♣5♠K♣ / Xx
Xixiang Luo: XxXx / K♥3♦J♥A♥ / Xx

Afrer a player brought it in with the 5♥ showing, Brandon Shack-Harris just called before Xixiang Luo completed. Action folded back to Shack-Harris, who called.

On fourth, Luo bet and then called when Shack-Harris raised, which was followed by two checks on fifth.

Luo proceeded to bet 2,000 on sixth, Shack-Harris called, and it was off to seventh.

Luo bet again and Shack-Harris thought long and hard before releasing his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xixiang Luo	80,000 20,000	20,000

Brandon Shack-Harris	43,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Brandon Shack-Harris Xixiang Luo

06-18-2025 15:33 UTC-8

Xu Picks Off Stann's Bluff

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 4 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Limit Flop: 500-1,000, 1,000-2,000 Limits
Stud Games: 300-1,000, 1,000-2,000, 200 Ante

Limit Hold'em

Calvin Anderson opened from the hijack and received calls from Dave Stann in the small blind and Qiang Xu in the big blind.

The flop came 5♦A♣2♣ and action checked around to Anderson who fired a continuation bet that was called by both opponents.

Stann led on the Q♠ turn and both opponents called. On the 9♣ river Stann bet once more and Xu raised. Anderson folded, Stann made it three big bets and Xu called.

Stann could only show a bluff with K♣10♠ while Xu had a flush with Q♣J♣ to win the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dave Stann	68,000 8,000	8,000
Calvin Anderson	59,000

Qiang Xu	58,200 41,800	41,800

Timothy Wong	45,200 14,800	14,800
Ryan Hoenig	45,000 15,000	15,000

Yuval Bronshtein	44,500 15,500	15,500

Gershon Distenfeld	41,000 19,000	19,000

Viktor Blom	16,500 27,500	27,500

Tags: Calvin Anderson Dave Stann Qiang Xu

06-18-2025 15:16 UTC-8

Player	Chips	Progress
Qiang Xu	100,000

Kristan Lord	98,000
Chad Eveslage	91,000

Walter Chambers	85,800

Matthew Valeo	83,000

Masafumi IIjima	80,500
Mike Matusow	80,000

James Karamanis	80,000
William Romaine	79,700
Suketu Patel	77,700
Brian Hastings	77,500

William Ford	77,000
Francois Scapula	76,300
Esther Taylor	76,000

Daniel Strelitz	76,000

Pat Pezzin	75,000
Carol Fuchs	74,000

Max Pescatori	72,800

James Obst	71,000

Daniel Idema	70,300

Justin Smith	70,000
Jose Paz-Gutierrez	69,600
Ilkka Heikkila	69,500
Jason Papastavrou	68,000

Cousineau Completes and Takes from Big Huni

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Chad Holloway

Level 3 : 400/800, 800 ante

Limit Flop: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200-800, 800-1,600, 200 Ante

Stud Hi-Lo

Chris Hunichen: XxXx / 2♣4♦Q♦6♦ / Xx - muck
Tony Cousineau: A♦8♥7♣4♣ / 10♣8♣7♠

Chris "Big Huni" Hunichen, who unfortunately had to cancel his famous annual 4th of July party this year, had the bring-in showing the 2♣ and everyone folded to Tony Cousineau, the last player remaining with the A♦ up. Cousineau completed, Hunichen called, and it was off to fourth street.

Hunichen called a bet and then did so again on fifth street. On sixth, both players checked and then did the same on seventh.

Cousineau showed two pair eights and sevens, and it was good as Hunichen sent his hand to the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Hunichen	54,000 6,000	6,000

Tony Cousineau	50,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Chris Hunichen Tony Cousineau

06-18-2025 14:41 UTC-8

More Entries Just Before First Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : 400/800, 800 ante

Limit Flop: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200-800, 800-1,600, 200 Ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Brandon Shack-Harris	60,000 60,000	60,000

Pat Pezzin	60,000 60,000	60,000
James Obst	60,000 60,000	60,000

Lucas Zwingmann-Gocht	60,000 60,000	60,000
Paul Zappulla	60,000 60,000	60,000

Craig Chait	60,000 60,000	60,000
Yuval Bronshtein	60,000 60,000	60,000

John Monnette	60,000 60,000	60,000

Carol Fuchs	60,000 60,000	60,000

06-18-2025 14:38 UTC-8

Wattel Gets Blom to Fold Seventh

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : 400/800, 800 ante

Limit Flop: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200-800, 800-1,600, 200 Ante

Stud Hi-Lo

Mike Wattel: XxXx/8♣9♥5♦7♦/Xx
Viktor Blom: XxXx/A♣9♦10♠4♦/Xx - folded on seventh street

With two players seeing fifth street and around 6,000 in the middle Viktor Blom bet and Mike Wattel called.

Blom slowed down with a check on sixth street and Wattel bet. Blom called, but then check-folded to another bet from Wattel on seventh street.

Player	Chips	Progress
Donny Rubinstein	79,000 14,000	14,000
Daniel Strelitz	64,000 4,000	4,000

William Ford	63,000 5,500	5,500
Mike Wattel	56,000 4,000	4,000

Michael Estes	55,000 5,000	5,000
Jason Papastavrou	53,000 7,000	7,000
Edward Jackson Spivack	52,000 8,000	8,000
Viktor Blom	44,000 16,000	16,000

Tags: Mike Wattel Viktor Blom

06-18-2025 14:24 UTC-8

More Early Arrivals

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : 400/800, 800 ante

Limit Flop: 400-800, 800-1,600 Limits
Stud Games: 200-800, 800-1,600, 200 Ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Wells	60,000 60,000	60,000

Jeff Madsen	60,000 60,000	60,000

Viktor Blom	60,000 60,000	60,000
Clayton Mozdzen	60,000 60,000	60,000
Ryan Miller	60,000 60,000	60,000

Daniel Mayoh	60,000 60,000	60,000
Timothy Wong	60,000 60,000	60,000
Michael Estes	60,000 60,000	60,000
Chris Hunichen	60,000 60,000	60,000

Ian Johns	60,000 60,000	60,000

Xixiang Luo	60,000 60,000	60,000

Greg Mascio	60,000 60,000	60,000
Max Pescatori	60,000 60,000	60,000

Suketu Patel	60,000 60,000	60,000
Matthew Valeo	60,000

Eric Rodawig	60,000 60,000	60,000

Noah Bronstein	60,000 60,000	60,000

Dave Stann	60,000 60,000	60,000
Esther Taylor	60,000 60,000	60,000

John Ma	60,000 60,000	60,000
Mark Rubbathan	60,000 60,000	60,000

Andrew Brown	60,000 60,000	60,000

Mike Wattel	60,000 60,000	60,000