Event #66: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-25-2025 15:12 UTC-8

Players Upset When Golden Nugget Cancels $1M Gtd. Poker Tournament After Level 1

Jon Sofen

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Golden Nugget pulled the plug on a $1,200 buy-in, $1 million guarantee after the Grand Poker Series tournament had already begun Wednesday morning.

The Las Vegas card room would inevitably cancel the tournament and refund all players after receiving criticism from those who'd entered and expected to be playing for a seven-figure prize pool.

PokerNews spoke with the poker room's Director of Poker Operations, Joel Garcia, and a player who entered the tournament, David Mcconachie, to find out what happened.

Read the Full Story Here

Tags: David Mcconachie

06-25-2025 15:06 UTC-8

Negreanu Shows No Mercier

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Connor Richards

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw

Jason Mercier raised to 9,000 in the cutoff and Daniel Negreanu called on the button. Both players drew one.

Mercier checked after the draw and Negreanu flicked in a 25,000-chip. Mercier went in the tank for over a minute and called.

Negreanu showed an eighty-six with 8x6x5x3x2x and it was good to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Negreanu	720,000 80,000	80,000

Jason Mercier	300,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Daniel Negreanu Jason Mercier

06-25-2025 15:04 UTC-8

Vitch Takes Out Two and Into the Chip Lead

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Brett Slezak

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

Luke Schwartz opened to 11,000 under the gun before Jesse Lonis potted to 39,000 next to act. On the button, Christopher Vitch four-bet pot to 134,000. In the big blind, Hal Rotholz called all-in for 20,000. Schwartz folded and Lonis called.

On the 7♦4♦3♥ flop, Lonis checked, Vitch potted, and Lonis called all-in for 142,000.

Jesse Lonis: A♣J♠7♠7♣ All in
Hal Rotholz: 8♠6♥5♣2♠ All in
Christopher Vitch: K♥K♦10♦7♥

Lonis flopped a set of sevens while Rotholz flopped the nut straight for the smaller main pot, and Vitch had a flush draw with an overpair.

"Keep it clean, dealer," Rotholz requested as the 2♣ brick came on the turn.

However, the script was flipped as the 9♦ peeled off on the river, giving Vitch the flush to eliminate two players as he becomes the largest stack in the room by a wide margin.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christopher Vitch	1,550,000 250,000	250,000

Luke Schwartz	230,000 35,000	35,000
Jesse Lonis	Busted

Hal Rotholz	Busted

Tags: Christopher Vitch Hal Rotholz Jesse Lonis Luke Schwartz

06-25-2025 15:03 UTC-8

Tong Shows Turner the Goods

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David Salituro

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Stud Hi-Lo

Kristopher Tong: XxXx/Q♦4♠K♦A♦/Xx
Jon Turner: XxXx/3♠8♥6♣9♠/Xx
Ali Eslami: XxXx/A♥9♣7♣ - folded on fifth street

Jon Turner bet on fourth street and Kristopher Tong and Ali Eslami both called.

Turner bet again on fifth and this time only Tong called. Tong then bet on sixth and Turner called.

Tong put out another bet on seventh and Turner folded this time. Tong showed him 8♦3♦ for a flush as he took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ali Eslami	950,000 5,000	5,000

Kristopher Tong	400,000 60,000	60,000

Jon Turner	250,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Ali Eslami Jon Turner Kristopher Tong

06-25-2025 15:02 UTC-8

2007 PPC Champion Freddy Deeb Hits the Rail

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

Freddy Deeb opened to 12,000 from the hijack and Christopher Vitch three-bet to 38,000 from the big blind. Deeb called.

Both players checked the J♣8♠6♥ flop leading to the 2♠ turn. Vitch bet 82,000 and Deeb called, leaving 31,000 behind.

Vitch shoved the K♠ river and Deeb folded, telling his tablemates he had 9-7-6-5 shortly after doing so.

Pot-Limit Omaha

The next hand saw Deeb open to 14,000 from under the gun and receive calls from Jesse Lonis on the button and Justin Liberto in the big blind.

The flop came 4♠Q♠Q♣. Liberto checked, Deeb shoved for his remaining 17,000, Lonis called with a covering stack and Liberto folded.

Freddy Deeb: A♦8♠7♦3♠ All in
Jesse Lonis: A♣Q♥6♥2♦

The rest of the board ran out 6♣7♠. Deeb had rivered a flush but it was no good against Lonis' full house. Deeb was sent to the rail as the pot was pushed to Lonis.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christopher Vitch	1,300,000 390,000	390,000

Justin Liberto	800,000 25,000	25,000

Jesse Lonis	285,000 5,000	5,000

Freddy Deeb	Busted

Tags: Christopher Vitch Freddy Deeb Jesse Lonis Justin Liberto

06-25-2025 14:56 UTC-8

Lamb Can't Bluff Becker

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Connor Richards

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

Greg Mueller considered raising from the hijack but decided against it with "three f***ing animals" left to act in Chino Rheem, Ben Lamb and Shaun Deeb.

"Yeah, fold that king-high," said Lamb.

Johannes Becker then raised in the cutoff and Rheem called on the button, while Lamb called in the small blind.

Lamb checked on the flop of 3♥2♦3♣ and Becker continued for 16,000. Rheem folded and Lamb called. Both players then checked on the K♥ turn.

The 5♥ river completed the board and Lamb bet 83,000 to bring a quick call from Becker, who showed A♥8♥7♦7♣ for the nut flush.

After his failed bluff, Lamb leaned across the table and shook his opponent's hand, something that brought laughs from the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Johannes Becker	530,000 300,000	300,000

Ben Lamb	155,000 149,000	149,000

Chino Rheem	145,000 177,000	177,000

Tags: Ben Lamb Chino Rheem Greg Mueller Johannes Becker Shaun Deeb

06-25-2025 14:55 UTC-8

Hoenig Gives Up to Klodnicki

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David Salituro

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Razz

Chris Klodnicki: XxXx/Ax10x6x4x/Xx
Ryan Hoenig: XxXx/7x9x5x10x/Xx

Ryan Hoenig bet on fifth street and Chris Klodnicki called.

Klodnicki then bet on sixth and Hoenig called. Klodnicki bet agaon on seventh, and this time Hoenig folded.

"You call me with a nine-draw?" Klodnicki asked as he took in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Klodnicki	350,000 18,000	18,000

Ryan Hoenig	160,000 146,000	146,000

Tags: Chris Klodnicki Ryan Hoenig

06-25-2025 14:50 UTC-8

Schulman is No More

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Brett Slezak

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

Nick Schulman was all-in for his final 18,000 from the button against Maxx Coleman in the hijack and Matt Glantz in the big blind.

Coleman and Glantz checked down the A♠Q♥2♥7♣5♣ board until Glantz check-folded to a 30,000 bet from Coleman on the river.

Nick Schulman: A♥J♥4♦2♦ All in
Maxx Coleman: 7♥6♦5♥5♦

Schulman was ahead with a pair of aces and the superior flush draw. However, Coleman would river a set of fives to eliminate Schulman as his quest for bracelet eight will have to wait.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Glantz	860,000 57,000	57,000

Maxx Coleman	540,000 180,000	180,000

Nick Schulman	Busted

Tags: Matt Glantz Maxx Coleman Nick Schulman

06-25-2025 14:46 UTC-8

Quads for Lindgren

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Connor Richards

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Limit Hold'em

Chris Brewer raised on the button and Erick Lindgren defended his big blind.

"This is my game adjacent. What are you doing?" joked Brewer, a no-limit Hold'em specialist.

Lindgren checked on the Q♣Q♠8♥ flop and Brewer bet. Lindgren called. Lindgren checked again on the Q♦ turn and Brewer bet. Lindgren check-raised and Brewer called.

Lindgren bet again on the 5♥ river and Brewer called. Lindgren showed Q♥5♦ for quads as Brewer flashed the 5♠ and mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Erick Lindgren	600,000 20,000	20,000

Chris Brewer	540,000 120,000	120,000

Tags: Chris Brewer Erick Lindgren

06-25-2025 14:46 UTC-8

Smith Jams the Turn

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Brett Slezak

Level 8

Limit Flop/Draw: 4,000-8,000, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Stud Games: 2,000 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 8,000 Completion, 8,000-16,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 4000/6000 Ante, 2000-4000 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

Michael Mizrachi opened to 10,000 under the gun and was called by David Benyamine in the hijack and Jason Mercier on the button. In the big blind, Dan Smith potted to 52,000. Mizrachi folded before Benyamine and Mercier called.

On the Q♥10♠4♠ flop, the action checked to Mercier who bet 55,000 and only Smith called.

The turn was the 7♥. Smith the led all-in for 203,000 into a pot of 282,000. Mercier would tank for almost two minutes before he decided to let it go, conceding a big pot to Smith without showdown.