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

06-18-2025 14:41 UTC-8

More Entries Just Before First Break

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 14:43 UTC-8

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 14:51 UTC-8

Zappula Straightens Out Blumenthal

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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

Omaha Hi-Lo

Nicholas Blumenthal opened from the button and received calls from Jeffery Taylor in the small blind and Paul Zappulla in the big blind.

The flop came Q♣7♠10♦. Taylor checked, Zappulla bet, Blumenthal raised, Taylor folded and Zappulla called.

Zappula check-called another bet from Blumenthal on the 2♥ turn before both players checked the J♥ river.

Zappula showed a king-high straight with K♣K♥9♣2♠ which was enough to win the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chad Eveslage	78,000 18,000	18,000

Paul Zappulla	63,500 3,500	3,500

Jose Velador	61,000 1,000	1,000

Matt Glantz	52,500 7,500	7,500

Jeffery Taylor	49,000 11,000	11,000
Mehmet Cetinkaya	44,500 15,500	15,500
Eddie Blumenthal	41,000 19,000	19,000

Tags: Jeffery Taylor Nicholas Blumenthal Paul Zappulla

06-18-2025 15:01 UTC-8

Break Time

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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

Players are now on their first 15-minute break of the day

Level: 4

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

06-18-2025 15:16 UTC-8

Top Stacks After First Break

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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

According to the WSOP+ app, these are the 25 biggest stacks in the room after the first break of the day.

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

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 15:41 UTC-8

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 15:46 UTC-8

Level 4 Entries

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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

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

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