Event #7: $25,000 Heads Up Championship Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

05-30-2025 17:12 UTC-8

Another One for Foxen

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Nick Vazquez

Level 16 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante

Phil Ivey raised from the button to 6,000 and Alex Foxen called.

The flop came the K♥9♦2♥ and when Foxen checked, Ivey bet 8,000. Foxen called.

Foxen then check-called a bet of 25,000 from Ivey when the 4♣ came on the turn.

The river was the Q♦ and the action quickly was checked by both players. Foxen revealed the K♠5♣ and that was good to take down this pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Foxen	465,000 45,000	45,000

Phil Ivey	135,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Alex Foxen Phil Ivey

05-30-2025 17:10 UTC-8

Brown Spikes Queen on River

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Erick Torres

Level 16 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 0 ante

Roughly 75,000 was in the middle between Wesley Fei and Brandon Brown on the board that read J♥8♥7♥7♦.

Fei opted to bet 40,000 on the turn, which was called by Brown.

The Q♠ river did not slow Fei down, who elected to bet 60,000 into Brown. Brown took a moment before calling.

Fei showed K♥J♠ for a pair of jacks, while Brown delivered the bad news to Fei rolling over Q♦10♥ for a pair of queens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brandon Brown	453,000 153,000	153,000
Wesley Fei	147,000 153,000	153,000

Tags: Brandon Brown Wenzhi Fei

Level: 16

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 0

05-30-2025 17:06 UTC-8

Life Outside Poker: Embattled Poker Pro Brad Booth Vows to Make Amends

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Connor Richards

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 25th episode, Connor speaks with embattled poker pro Brad Booth about learning poker from his grandfather, climbing up stakes in Canada, living at the Bellagio and playing in Bobby's Room, bluffing Phil Ivey and getting cheated on Ultimate Bet.

Booth, who the poker community hasn't heard from for several years, opened up about his absence and going missing in 2020, as well as his gambling addiction and various poker debts to players like Doug Polk that he says he plans to make right.

"I got caught up in all of it and all I can try and do is make right now," he told PokerNews of his poker debts.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Brad Booth by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

Tags: Brad Booth Connor Richards Doug Polk Phil Ivey

05-30-2025 17:05 UTC-8

Leonard Dispatches Wilson

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Adam Lamers

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Patrick Leonard picked up an early lead on Brock Wilson and it all came to a head on a flop of 7♥6♥3♣. Wilson checked to Leonard who tossed in a bet and Wilson check-raised all in for roughly 80,000. Leonard shrugged as he made the call and the cards were on their backs.

Brock Wilson: K♥5♦ All in
Patrick Leonard: 9♠9♦

Leonard held an overpair to the board but was dodging Wilson's lone over card along with a straight draw. The 2♣ on the turn and the 6♣ on the river bricked out and Wilson was ousted in the second round.

Player	Chips	Progress
Patrick Leonard	600,000 90,000	90,000

Brock Wilson	Busted

Tags: Patrick Leonard Brock Wilson

05-30-2025 17:02 UTC-8

Leonard Takes Commanding Lead

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Stewart Morrison

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Patrick Leonard and Brock Wilson were already at the river, with 10,000 in the middle.

Leonard checked to Wilson, who bet 14,000 on the 9♣6♣10♦J♥10♥ board. Leonard returned with interest, check-raising to 101,500.

Wilson used a couple of time banks before making the call. Leonard showed Q♦8♣ for the turned straight and Wilson mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Patrick Leonard	510,000 210,000	210,000

Brock Wilson	90,000 210,000	210,000

Tags: Brock Wilson Patrick Leonard

05-30-2025 17:01 UTC-8

Foxen Bets Big on River

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Erick Torres

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Alex Foxen found significant value on the river against opponent Phil Ivey.

Foxen led out for 80,000 with approximately 80,000 in the pot on the board of 2♣4♦10♦7♠J♦.

Ivey used two time banks before deciding on a call.

Foxen rolled over J♥8♥ for a pair of jacks. Ivey mucked his hand, awarding the chips to Foxen.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Foxen	420,000 190,000	190,000

Phil Ivey	180,000 190,000	190,000

Tags: Alex Foxen Phil Ivey

05-30-2025 16:58 UTC-8

Keating's Big River Bet Gets Paid Off

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Adam Lamers

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

A completed board of A♦9♥3♠K♦J♣ was spread across the felt with around 40,000 chips in the middle. Alan Keating was first to act and made a large bet of 65,000.

David Chen was facing the large bet but wasted little time before flicking in a chip to call. Keating whipped over Q♥10♦ for the nut straight while Chen was left with K♥J♠ for just two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joao Vieira	600,000 300,000	300,000

Alan Keating	447,000 147,000	147,000
David Chen	153,000 147,000	147,000
Jeremy Dan	Busted

Tags: Alan Keating David Chen

05-30-2025 16:50 UTC-8

Ivey Jumps in Front of Foxen

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Adam Lamers

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Alex Foxen raised it up on the button and Phil Ivey reraised to 16,000 out of the big blind. Foxen called and the dealer fanned the flop of 9♣8♠5♣. Ivey checked to Foxen who bet 10,000 and Ivey just called.

The Q♥ landed on the turn and both players checked to the 10♠ on the river. Ivey checked one more time and Foxen counted out a bet of 42,000. Ivey quickly called and Foxen rolled over 10♦9♥ for two pair. It was no good, however, as Ivey tabled Q♣Q♦ for a set of queens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Phil Ivey	370,000 70,000	70,000

Alex Foxen	230,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Phil Ivey Alex Foxen

05-30-2025 16:48 UTC-8

Wantman and Martirosian Make Quick Work

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Adam Lamers

Level 15 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

Matthew Wantman built a massive lead on his opponent Jesse Lonis and then finished the match by shoving all in on the button. Lonis called off his last 25,000 chips with Ax9x and was up against Wantman's Qx8x.

Wantman spiked a queen on the flop and Lonis was unable to find any help on the runout.

Across the room, there was a pot of around 100,000 brewing between Artur Martirosian and Faraz Jaka. The board read Q♦6♥6♣K♠9♣ and Martirosian announced all in. Jaka had a decision to make for his stack of around 75,000 but decided to fold.

Just a couple of hands later, Jaka was seen leaving the tournament room and Martirosian was declared the winner and advanced to round three.