Event #77: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

06-30-2025 16:48 UTC-7

Hastings Shows a Straight as Wallace Shares His Life Experiences

David Salituro

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Brian Hastings: XxXx/7♥9♦8♦5♠/Xx
Hunter McClelland: XxXx/3♥Q♥4♥8♣/Xx

"I hitchhiked from Detroit to Guatemala once in college. Life-changing experience," Christopher Wallace told his tablemates.

"You know you can take a bus, right?" James Cheung replied.

"Buses are a hassle. Plus, I didn't have money for a bus," Wallace added.

While this conversation was ongoing, Brian Hastings had completed and was called by Hunter McClelland.

Hastings bet on fourth street and McClelland called. Both players then checked on fifth.

Hastings resumed betting on sixth and McClelland called. Hastings bet again on seventh and McClelland once more called.

Hastings showed 7♣6♣5♣ for a straight and McClelland flashed eights and threes as he mucked.

"Making straights in Stud 8 helps a lot. Full houses, too," Mike Matusow chimed in at the end of the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brian Hastings	70,000 5,000	5,000

Christopher Wallace	70,000 5,000	5,000

Norman Chad	65,000 8,000	8,000
Mike Matusow	58,000 2,000	2,000

Hunter McClelland	50,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Brian Hastings Hunter McClelland

06-30-2025 16:41 UTC-7

Hopping In as Luo First to Exit

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Frank Visser

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Player	Chips	Progress
Lawrence Brandt	60,000 60,000	60,000

Brad Ruben	60,000 60,000	60,000

Koji Fujimoto	60,000 60,000	60,000
Roland Israelashvili	60,000 60,000	60,000

Brian Tate	60,000 60,000	60,000
Nikolay Ponomarev	60,000 60,000	60,000
Anthony Zinno	60,000 60,000	60,000

Hunter McClelland	60,000 60,000	60,000
Ariel Mantel	60,000 60,000	60,000
Mark Gregorich	60,000 60,000	60,000
Andrey Zhigalov	60,000 60,000	60,000

Sachin Bhargava	60,000 60,000	60,000
Dan Shak	60,000 60,000	60,000
Ryan Miller	60,000 60,000	60,000

Xixiang Luo	Busted

06-30-2025 16:38 UTC-7

Buchalter Ships Big With Quads

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Frank Visser

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Viktor Blom: XxXx/7♥6♠7♣7♠/Xx
Yehuda Buchalter: 4♥4♦3♦/4♣5♥3♥4♠
John Monnette: XxXx/9♥K♥A♥2♦/Xx - folded on seventh street
Nicolas Barthe: XxXx/2♣K♣8♣5♠/Xx - folded on seventh street

Four-way, the action checked to John Monnette on fifth street. He tossed in a bet with three hearts showing, seeing Nicolas Barthe, Viktor Blom, and Yehuda Buchalter all call.

Blom made open trips on sixth street and led out. Once again, all three opponents called. Blom bet again on seventh street, but this time Buchalter raised.

Monnette weighed his options for a bit before folding his cards, and Barthe quickly mucked as well. Blom called off, but he too mucked his hand when Buchalter showed four fours for the winning hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yehuda Buchalter	92,000 32,000	32,000
John Monnette	77,000 11,400	11,400

Viktor Blom	65,500 7,200	7,200
Nicolas Barthe	60,000 13,900	13,900
Xixiang Luo	4,000 13,200	13,200

Tags: John Monnette Nicolas Barthe Viktor Blom Yehuda Buchalter

06-30-2025 16:37 UTC-7

Nikiforov, Li Chop Up Xu

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David Salituro

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Ilya Nikiforov: XxXx/K♦A♣J♦10♦/Xx
Yingui Li: XxXx/4♠5♥3♣9♣/Xx
Qiang Xu: XxXx/Q♥9♠A♠3♠/Xx

Yingui Li bet on fifth street and Qiang Xu and Ilya Nikiforov called.

Nikoforov then bet on sixth and Li raised. Xu and Nikiforov called to seventh, where Li bet again. Only Nikiforov called this time.

Nikiforov turned over J♣7♦8♦ for a flush, while Li had 8♣7♠6♦ for a straight and a low to chop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yingui Li	65,000 65,000	65,000

Qiang Xu	45,000 18,100	18,100

Ilya Nikiforov	40,000 1,000	1,000

Tags: Ilya Nikiforov Qiang Xu Yingui Li

06-30-2025 16:28 UTC-7

Shack-Harris Has Aces in the Hole to Take From Leonard

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David Salituro

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Brandon Shack-Harris: XxXx/5♥2♥4♣K♦/Xx
Patrick Leonard: XxXx/7♦4♦6♠Q♦/Xx

Brandon Shack-Harris, Patrick Leonard, Max Hoffman, and Yueqi Zhu went four-handed to fifth street when Shack-Harris bet. Leonard then raised to chase away Hoffman and Zhu, while Shack-Harris called.

Leonard bet on sixth and Shack-Harris called. Shack-Harris then bet on seventh and Leonard called.

Shack-Harris turned over A♦A♠5♣ for aces and fives, and Leonard mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brandon Shack-Harris	80,000 5,000	5,000

Max Hoffman	70,000 5,600	5,600
Yueqi Zhu	60,000 7,700	7,700

Patrick Leonard	40,000 12,200	12,200

Tags: Brandon Shack-Harris Max Hoffman Patrick Leonard Yueqi Zhu

06-30-2025 16:25 UTC-7

Hughes' Chips Get Chopped

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Frank Visser

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Esther Taylor: A♥10♦2♥/10♠K♠8♦6♠
Karl Tretter: 9♠3♥3♣/8♣2♦6♣A♠
Ryan Hughes: XxXx/8♠10♣6♦4♦ - folded on sixth street

Esther Taylor bet on fifth street, and saw Karl Tretter and Ryan Hughes call. Tretter gained the betting lead on sixth street and led out. Hughes mucked his cards before Taylor tossed in a call.

Taylor called a final bet by Hughes on seventh street, and her pair of tens was high enough to get half the pot against Tretter's eight-low.

Player	Chips	Progress
Esther Taylor	67,800 900	900
Ryan Hughes	49,100 12,200	12,200

Karl Tretter	38,000 11,300	11,300

Tags: Esther Taylor Karl Tretter Ryan Hughes

06-30-2025 16:22 UTC-7

Staszko Calls Down Carter

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David Salituro

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Martin Staszko: XxXx/K♥2♠4♦J♦/Xx
Adrienne Carter: XxXx/5♦8♦K♦4♠/Xx

Adrienne Carter and Martin Staszko were heads-up going to fourth street when Carter bet and Staszko called.

Carter bet again on fifth and Staszko called. Carter continued betting on sixth and seventh as Staszko called her down.

Carter flashed the 8♣ for a pair of eights, but Staszko turned over A♦K♣2♣ for kings and deuces to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Martin Staszko	63,000 7,900	7,900
Adrienne Carter	57,000 7,000	7,000

Tags: Adrienne Carter Martin Staszko

06-30-2025 16:15 UTC-7

Chip Counts at Break

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David Salituro

Level 4

Ante: 200
Bring In: 300
Completion: 1,000
Limits: 1,000-2,000

Player	Chips	Progress
Long Tran	122,500 47,500	47,500
Robert Meyer	90,000 23,500	23,500
John Monnette	88,400 31,400	31,400

Larry Tull	84,300 9,300	9,300
Qinghai Pan	82,000 22,000	22,000

Ryan Schoonbaert	79,700 19,700	19,700
Max Hoffman	75,600 15,600	15,600
Yuval Bronshtein	75,200 4,200	4,200

Paul Houvener	75,000 10,000	10,000
Derek Dubois	75,000 15,000	15,000
Nicolas Milgrom	74,600 21,600	21,600

Nicolas Barthe	73,900 3,900	3,900
Norman Chad	73,000 13,000	13,000
Viktor Blom	72,700 2,700	2,700
Jared Rubin	72,000 12,000	12,000
John Holley	69,400 600	600
James Cheung	69,200 4,200	4,200
Hal Rotholz	68,000 8,000	8,000
Yueqi Zhu	67,700 2,700	2,700

Arthur Peters	67,000 2,000	2,000
Esther Taylor	66,900 8,000	8,000
Allen Kessler	65,200 8,200	8,200
Aaron Duczak	65,000 3,000	3,000
Yuebin Guo	64,200 4,200	4,200
Bryan Pimlott	64,000 4,000	4,000