Event #66: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-24-2025 18:57 UTC-8

Katz Scratch Fever

Connor Richards

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

No-Limit Hold'em

In a heads-up pot on a board of A♥2♣J♦9♥5♦, Brian Yoon bet 21,000 and Cary Katz moved all in for 111,500 to send his opponent into the tank.

"No snap-call!" cheered Katz. "Snap-call and I'm dead."

Yoon folded as Katz took down another pot after once again being at risk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cary Katz	150,000 89,000	89,000

Brian Yoon	70,000 31,500	31,500

Tags: Brian Yoon Cary Katz

06-24-2025 19:00 UTC-8

Tate Shows a Seven in Five-Way Pot

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David Salituro

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

Razz

Brian Tate: XxXx/7x8x2xKx/Xx
Nick Schulman: XxXx/7x10x5xJx/Xx
Brad Owen: XxXx/6x7x9x9x/Xx
Eric Wasserson: XxXx/Ax10xQxJx - folded on sixth street
Matt Glantz: XxXx/3xJxKx - folded on fifth street

Five players went to fourth street where Brad Owen bet. Nick Schulman, Eric Wasserson, Brian Tate, and Matt Glantz all called.

Tate then bet on fifth and Owen, Schulman, and Wasserson called, while Glantz got out of the way. Tate then bet again on sixth and Owen and Schulman called, while Wasserson folded.

Tate bet on seventh and Owen folded, but Schulman raised. Tate called and Schulman announced a seven, but Tate had 6x4xAx for 7-6-4-2-A to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Glantz	400,000 143,000	143,000

Brian Tate	350,000 67,000	67,000
Brad Owen	280,000 90,000	90,000

Nick Schulman	220,000 80,000	80,000

Eric Wasserson	130,000 42,500	42,500

Tags: Brad Owen Brian Tate Eric Wasserson Matt Glantz Nick Schulman

06-24-2025 19:05 UTC-8

Deeb Straightens Out Funkhouser

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Brett Slezak

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

Seven Card Stud

Freddy Deeb: 10♦9♣7♦ / J♦10♠8♥10♥
David Funkhouser: XxXx / J♥K♦9♠7♣

Deeb completed first to act and Funkhouser called in late position.

Funkhouser led with the higher board on fourth and fifth as Deeb came along.

On sixth, Deeb led with open tens and Funkhouser called after a small tank. Deeb fired again on seventh, and Funkhouser called. He got the bad news as Deeb tabled his straight to drag a modest pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Freddy Deeb	440,000 10,000	10,000

David Funkhouser	305,000 95,000	95,000

Tags: David Funkhouser Freddy Deeb

06-24-2025 19:08 UTC-8

Daher Sits Down, Immediately Scores a Knockout

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David Salituro

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

No-Limit Hold'em

Albert Daher had just taken his seat in the tournament when he went three-handed to a flop of 7♠3♥2♣. Matthew Valeo then bet 7,500 from early position and Daniel Negreanu called in the small blind, while Daher raised to 36,000 in the big blind. Only Valeo called.

The turn was the 2♦ and Daher bet 58,000. Valeo spent a minute in the tank before moving all in for 170,000, and Daher snap-called.

Daher showed A♦2♠ for trips. "That's a bad combo," Valeo said, turning over 5♠4♠ for a straight draw. The river was the 4♦ and Valeo was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Albert Daher	560,000
Daniel Negreanu	280,000 79,500	79,500

Matthew Valeo	Busted

Tags: Albert Daher Daniel Negreanu Matthew Valeo

06-24-2025 19:12 UTC-8

Shakerchi Pats Down an Eight

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Connor Richards

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

2-7 Triple Draw

Maksim Pisarenko raised from under the gun and Talal Shakerchi three-bet in middle position. Pisarenko called and drew one as Shakerchi stood pat.

Pisarenko check-called after the first draw and drew one as Shakerchi stood pat. The same action took place after the second draw.

Pisarenko checked again after the final draw and Shakerchi checked back. Pisarenko mucked before Shakerchi could turn over 8♠7♣4♥3♣2♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maksim Pisarenko	280,000 56,500	56,500

Talal Shakerchi	200,000 123,000	123,000

Tags: Maksim Pisarenko Talal Shakerchi

06-24-2025 19:15 UTC-8

Lamb Leaves Barbero on Fumes

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

2-7 Triple Draw

Nacho Barbero was in the small blind and heads-up against Ben Lamb in the big blind just before the second draw with around 20,000 in the middle. Barbero and Lamb each drew two.

After the second draw, Barbero bet and Lamb raised. Barbero called, leaving just 3,000 behind.

For the final draw both players took one. Barbero checked and Lamb bet. Barbero folded, showing 8x8x5x4x2x for a pair of eights as Lamb took the pot, leaving Barbero severely short-stacked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ben Lamb	310,000 310,000	310,000

Nacho Barbero	3,000 30,500	30,500

Tags: Ben Lamb Nacho Barbero

06-24-2025 19:16 UTC-8

Kyte Soaring Up the Counts with Premium Hands

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Brett Slezak

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

Limit Hold'em

Jon Kyte raised from the small blind and Brian Rast called in the big blind.

Kyte bet the A♠10♠3♦ flop and Rast called.

On the J♣ turn, Kyte fired again and Rast called after some deliberation.

Kyte put out a final bet on the 5♣ river and Rast quickly called. Kyte tabled J♠5♥ for runner-runner two pair to drag the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jon Kyte	725,000 130,500	130,500
Brian Rast	65,000 82,000	82,000

Tags: Brian Rast Jon Kyte

06-24-2025 19:18 UTC-8

Rocco Lays the Trap

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Brett Slezak

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

Seven Card Stud

Philip Sternheimer: XxXx / 10♣8♦Q♥7♠ / Xx
Michael Rocco: 9♠7♥7♣ / 7♦A♣9♣K♠

Action picked up on fifth with several bets in the middle as Rocco checked, Sternheimer bet, Rocco raised, and Sternheimer called.

Rocco then led on sixth before he checked on seventh. Sternheimer took a while before he wisely decided to check back as Rocco tabled his full house, sevens full of nines, to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Rocco	225,000 119,000	119,000

Philip Sternheimer	210,000 110,000	110,000

Tags: Michael Rocco Philip Sternheimer

06-24-2025 19:19 UTC-8

Barbero Quadruples Up

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds

No-Limit Hold'em

Brian Breck opened to 6,000 from under the gun and Nacho Barbero called off with his stack of 3,000 from the button, putting himself at risk.

Nacho Barbero: A♥7♦ All in
Brian Breck: 8♦7♥

Barbero had Breck dominated and after remaining ahead on the J♦K♦A♠10♠5♦ runout he quadrupled his short stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brian Breck	195,000 101,500	101,500
Nacho Barbero	13,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Brian Breck Nacho Barbero

06-24-2025 19:20 UTC-8

Deeb Shows Chambers Queens Up

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David Salituro

Level 4

Limit Flop/Draw: 2,500-5,000, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 5,000 Completion, 5,000-10,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 2,500/3,500 Ante, 1,000-2,500 Blinds