Event #68: $3,000 No-Limit Holdem Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-25-2025 16:27 UTC-8

Lee Puts Alqarqaz on the Ropes

Jerome Solomon

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Ayman Alqarqaz bet 8,000 chips on the flop of 6♠3♠6♣. Dongmin Lee raised the bet to 15,000.

When the 9♠ hit on the turn, Alqarqaz shoved all in. Lee made the call with less and immediately asked Alqarqaz if he had a flush.

Dongmin Lee: 8♦6♦ All in
Ayman Alqarqaz: J♦J♠

Lee had flopped trips and was ahead all the way. He did not need the board to pair on the river car 9♣, which gave him a full boat.

Alqarqaz was knocked out of the tournament during the next rotation.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dongmin Lee	165,800 165,800	165,800
Ayman Alqarqaz	11,400 11,400	11,400

Tags: Ayman Alqarqaz Dongmin Lee

06-25-2025 16:32 UTC-8

Baldwin Chipping Up

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Nick Becker

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Xuemei Liang raised to 1,300 under the gun, Mariano Molino flatted in the hijack, and Eric Baldwin three-bet to 5,200 on the button. Charles Shaverdians cold-called in the big blind, Liang called, and Molino got out of the way.

The flop came 6♠K♥J♥and it checked around to Baldwin who bet 6,000. Shaverdians and Liang both folded and the pot was pushed Baldwin's way.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mariano Molino	89,000 37,000	37,000
Eric Baldwin	73,500 38,500	38,500

Charles Shaverdians	52,500 30,500	30,500
Xuemei Liang	40,000

Tags: Charles Shaverdians Eric Baldwin Mariano Molino Xuemei Liang

06-25-2025 16:33 UTC-8

Cohen Doubles Through Hallaert

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Joseph Berg

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Kenny Hallaert raised to 1,400 from the cutoff, and Samantha Cohen then went all in and was at risk for roughly 10,000. Action folded back around to Hallaert who made the call and the players were off to the races.

Samantha Cohen: A♥J♠ All in
Kenny Hallaert: 6♦6♥

The final board read 3♦Q♥10♠5♣J♥, securing a much-needed double-up for Cohen.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kenny Hallaert	91,000 27,200	27,200

Samantha Cohen	22,000

Tags: Samantha Cohen Kenny Hallaert

06-25-2025 16:39 UTC-8

Tot Jams the River

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Nick Becker

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Hugo Dief raised to 1,200 under the gun and was called by Oliver Tot in the small blind and Marc Sanchez in the big blind.

The flop of 7♣4♥10♣ checked through to the 2♠ turn. Tot checked, Sanchez bet 2,500, and Dief folded. Tot raised to 9,000 and Sanchez called.

On the 8♥ river, Tot moved all in to put Sanchez at risk who had about 26,000 behind. Sanchez took a moment to look back at his cards before tossing them into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oliver Tot	62,000
Victoria Livschitz	49,000 9,000	9,000
Hugo Dief	38,000
Marc Sanchez	26,000

Tags: Hugo Dief Marc Sanchez Oliver Tot

Level: 6

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

06-25-2025 16:40 UTC-8

Chirumamilla Chipping Up

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Myles Phago

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Ayman Qutami raised to 1,200 from late position only to be three-bet by Raja Chirumamilla in the cutoff to 3,600. Qutami called.

The flop came Q♦3♥2♣ and Qutami check-called Chirumamilla's 3,000 continuation bet, and the players saw the 6♥ fall on the turn, which they both checked.

The river brought the 4♦, and again the action went check-check. Qutami flipped over his 10♣10♠ way behind to Chirumamilla's K♠K♦, who was pushed the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raja Chirumamilla	105,000 105,000	105,000
Ayman Qutami	16,000 16,000	16,000

Tags: Ayman Qutami Raja Chirumamilla

06-25-2025 16:51 UTC-8

Ilani Takes From Musa

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Joseph Berg

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Bahar Musa raised to 1,600 from early position. Ran Ilani then three-bet to 4,100 next to act. The rest of the table folded and Musa made the call.

The flop came 2♠Q♠10♠. Musa checked. Ilani bet 7,100 and Musa's cards hit the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ran Ilani	52,000 52,000	52,000
Bahar Musa	41,000 41,000	41,000

Tags: Bahar Musa Ran Ilani

06-25-2025 16:59 UTC-8

Kovalski Sitting Above 100,000

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Nick Becker

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Allen Shen raised to 2,000 in the hijack, Graham Mathews flatted in the cutoff, and Fabiano Kovalski called in the big blind.

The flop came 9♦5♣9♥ and it checked to Mathews who bet 2,300. Kovalski raised to 7,000, Shen folded, and Mathews called.

The 5♦ turn went check-check, bringing the J♦ where Kovalski put out a block bet of 3,000. Mathews quickly called.

"Nice hand," said Mathews once Kovalski turned over A♣J♠ for two pair, jacks and nines with an ace kicker. Mathews showed Q♣J♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fabiano Kovalski	103,500 103,500	103,500
Allen Shen	41,300 41,300	41,300
Graham Mathews	28,400 28,400	28,400

Tags: Allen Shen Fabiano Kovalski Graham Mathews

06-25-2025 17:05 UTC-8

Powers Sent Packing

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Myles Phago

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Marco Bich raised it up from late position to 2,000 only to see Jacob Powers three-bet jam all in from the cutoff for 15,100. Bich thought for a while before he made the call.

Jacob Powers: K♣Q♦ All in
Marco Bich: A♠Q♥

A clean runout for Bich with the 5♠2♠7♦J♥5x board and Powers was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Bich	72,000 72,000	72,000
Jacob Powers	Busted

Tags: Jacob Powers Marco Bich

06-25-2025 17:09 UTC-8

Matsumoto's Queens Taken Out

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Jerome Solomon

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Ryan Bambrick three-bet Rentaro Matsumoto's preflop raise to 4,800. Matsumoto shoved and Bambrick made the call.

Rentaro Matsumoto: Q♦Q♠ All in
Ryan Bambrick: J♣J♥

It didn't take long for Bambrick, a two-time bracelet winner, to overcome the odds against him, as he flopped a set and held on through a board runout of 5♦J♠3♦A♦K♣. Matsumoto's flush draw after the turn proved to be unrealized hope.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Bambrick	108,300 68,300	68,300

Rentaro Matsumoto	Busted

Tags: Rentaro Matsumoto Ryan Bambrick