Event #68: $3,000 No-Limit Holdem
Day 4 Completed
2025 World Series of Poker
Event #68: $3,000 No-Limit Holdem
Day: 4
Event Info
2025 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 4
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$6,242,460
Entries
2,338
Level
38
Blinds
800,000 / 1,600,000
Ante
1,600,000
Entries
16
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 2338
Filter
Level 38
: Blinds 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Day 4 of Event #68: $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em saw only 16 hopefuls return from the substantial 2,338 total field.
In the end it was Yilong Wang, who took home the gold and the massive $830,685 first place prize.
Wang defeated Ran Ilani in heads up play despite the latter entering the final two with a near 2:1 chip advantage.
Winner's Reaction
Wang managed to double his career earnings along with earning a shiny new bracelet and when asked what it meant to him, here's what he had to say:
"For, like, seven or eight years I played online [and live] a lot and it just kind of felt like I got unlucky every time, but this time I was lucky enough to get a bracelet."
Wang got into poker in 2011, predominately playing cash games in London while he was at University. He then transitioned to tournaments in 2017, which have since been his main focus.
This was Wang's first ever WSOP final table and his next closest finish was 14th ($11,483) in the $1,000 Super Turbo Bounty in 2019. Wang's initial career trajectory was as a paralegal but since quitting, he has been playing poker full time.
When asked to elaborate what his plans were after such a big win, Wang made mention of the fact that he might quit playing poker professionally and start a new project back home in China.
He does still plan to make the pilgrimage to the World Series of Poker every summer and to play the Main Event.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yilong Wang | China | $830,685 |
| 2 | Ran Ilani | Israel | $553,692 |
| 3 | Ren Lin | China | $406,016 |
| 4 | Yuliyan Kolev | Bulgaria | $300,649 |
| 5 | Kunal Patni | India | $224,833 |
| 6 | Seunghyun Nam | United States | $169,818 |
| 7 | Fabrizio Gonzalez | Italy | $129,563 |
| 8 | Jason Richard | United States | $99,859 |
| 9 | Paawan Bansal | India | $77,760 |
Day 3 Action
Romain Lewis lost a big pot to Illani early in the day, shifting the tide of the event. Shortly after losing the pot, Lewis became the first player to be dispatched on the day. He left in 16th place when he ran his queens into Seunghyun Nam’s kings.
Wang found a huge double with aces over Rohit Mariwalla’s jacks to give him some major momentum as the field thinned.
Upon bagging at the end of Day 3, many eyes were on accomplished poker pro and heads up specialist, Olivier Busquet, who fell in 12th place when his squeeze ran into Paawan Bansal’s pocket kings.
Hamid Toghyan proved to be the final table bubble boy when he went all in with eights and ran into Ren Lin’s tens.
Final Table Action
Play slowed and tensions rose when the remaining ten players redrew for the final table. Steven Jones finally gave the rest of the table elbow room when he bowed out in 10th place as Wang collected his chips.
The pace of play continued to be slow, much to the chagrin of start of day chip leader, Fabrizio Gonzalez, who eventually fell in 7th place.
Gonzalez's exit seemed to trigger a domino effect as Seunghyun Nam (6th), Kunal Patni (5th), and Yuliyan Kolev (4th) all fell in quick succession.
There wasn’t too much disparity in stacks entering three-handed play, and all odds fluctuated as the button quickly rotated around the table. Ren Lin seemed unable to scoop a pot at this phase of the tournament and eventually became the definitive short stack; when he was finally put at risk, he ran into Ilani, who had two pips better and held.
Heads up play was quite a war, as both players were seeking the lion's share of the $6,242,460 total prize pool. Once Wang gained momentum, though — it seemed the majority of the pots were being pushed his way and in the moment when Wang needed some luck most, he found the six he needed to win all the chips and end the tournament.
Anything you might need to know about the 2025 World Series of Poker, hosted by Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas can be found right here, at PokerNews. So make sure to check back for all the major action throughout the summer.
Level 38
: Blinds 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Ran Ilani limped on the button with about 18,500,000 and Yilong Wang moved all in from the big blind to put Ilani at risk. Ilani snap called and quickly saw that he was a big favorite to double up.
Ran Ilani: 9♦9♥ 
Yilong Wang: 6♠6♣
The flop came 4♠10♦6♦ with Wang drilling a six to improve to a set, but Ilani still had outs with a nine or runner-runner for backdoor straight and flush draws.
The turn landed the 10♣, meaning only a nine or a ten would save Ilani, but the river fell the K♥, ending his impressive tournament run.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
93,500,000
20,500,000
|
20,500,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 38
: Blinds 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Yilong Wang kept his drive toward victory going, with a pivotal hand.
After calling 4,000,000 preflop, Ran Ilani was a calling machine. He put 6,000,000 into the pot on a flop of K♣7♦6♣.
After both players checked the 5♣ turn, Wang bet 4,500,000 on the river 2♣, which put four clubs on the board.
Ilani thought about it for a long time, but eventually made the call.
Surprisingly, Wang did not have a flush. But he did have 9♠8♥ for a straight that was good enough to take the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
73,000,000
9,900,000
|
9,900,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
18,500,000
11,900,000
|
11,900,000 |
Level 38
: Blinds 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Ran Ilani limped on the button and Yilong Wang checked in the big blind.
The flop came 4♦K♥9♦ and Wang check-called a bet of 1,600,000 from Ilani.
The 3♥ turn went check-check, bringing the 3♠ river. Wang led out with a big bet of 15,000,000, almost twice the size of the pot and Ilani quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
63,100,000
3,200,000
|
3,200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
30,400,000
3,200,000
|
3,200,000 |
Level 38
: Blinds 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Heads up to a flop of 7♣5♣3♠ saw Yilong Wang check-call a bet of 2,800,000 from Ran Ilani.
The turn brought another flush draw in the form of the 8♠. Want took this cue as incentive to lead out 4,200,000.
Ran Ilani seemed pained by the new action and eventually surrendered the pot, causing waves amongst Wang's rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
59,900,000
6,900,000
|
6,900,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
33,600,000
6,900,000
|
6,900,000 |
Level 38
: Blinds 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
Yilong Wang raised to 3,600,000 on the button and Ran Ilani called in the big blind.
The flop came 10♣A♥3♦ and Ilani check-called a bet of 3,500,000 from Wang.
The turn landed the 6♠ and Ilani check-called again, this time for 7,200,000.
The river brought the Q♣ and Ilani checked for a third time. Wang fired out a bet of 12,000,000 and after taking some time to think through his decision, Ilani gave up his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
53,000,000
16,000,000
|
16,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
40,500,000
16,000,000
|
16,000,000 |
Level 38
: 800,000/1,600,000, 1,600,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
56,500,000
4,500,000
|
4,500,000 |
|
|
37,000,000
4,500,000
|
4,500,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 38
Blinds: 800,000/1,600,000
Ante: 1,600,000
Level 37
: Blinds 600,000/1,200,000, 1,200,000 ante
Michael Mizrachi has once again raised the bar in what can be argued as poker’s most prestigious event.
Already sharing the record for most $50,000 Poker Players Championship victories with Brian Rast, Mizrachi now stands alone after capturing his historic fourth title on Saturday at the 2025 World Series of Poker. "The Grinder" conquered the 107-entry field, earning $1,331,322 from the $5,162,750 prize pool and further cementing his legacy as the event's most dominant force.
