Event #77: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-01-2025 20:44 UTC-8

Cheung Doubles on Soft Bubble

Frank Visser

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

James Cheung: 2♠4♥/6♣8♠4♦7♦/5x
Viktor Blom: A♥3♣/2♥K♦Q♠Q♣/Xx

Viktor Blom completed, and the short-stacked James Cheung called. Blom check-called on fourth street, and did so too when Cheung moved all in on fifth street.

Cheung locked up the low on sixth street, and he made a straight on seventh to best the queens of Blom and scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Viktor Blom	420,000 120,000	120,000
James Cheung	135,000 62,000	62,000

Tags: James Cheung Viktor Blom

07-01-2025 20:45 UTC-8

Hand-For-Hand Begins

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David Salituro

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Action has slowed down approaching the money bubble and tournament officials announced that play is going hand-for-hand.

07-01-2025 20:48 UTC-8

Born Doubles Off Fal; Zappulla Takes From Suzuki

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David Salituro

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Laura Born: XxXx/10♥6♠5♣J♥ All in
Nikolay Fal: XxXx/5♦Q♥2♦9♦

Nikolay Fal bet on fourth street and Laura Born called.

Fal bet again on fifth and sixth. Born called on fifth, then raised all in on sixth as Fal called.

Born turned over A♦A♠2♣ for aces, while Fal could only manage Q♠8♠3♥ for a pair of queens as Born doubled up.

Paul Zappulla: XxXx/8♦10♣7♣7♠/Xx
Ryutaro Suzuki: XxXx/2♥K♣K♦9♦/Xx

At the same time at another table, Paul Zappulla had bet on fifth street and Ryutaro Suzuki called.

Zappulla also bet on sixth and seventh as Suzuki called him down. Zappulla turned over 8♠8♥2♠ for trips and Suzuki mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Zappulla	550,000 95,000	95,000

Nikolay Fal	300,000 55,000	55,000

Laura Born	200,000 29,000	29,000
Ryutaro Suzuki	160,000 302,000	302,000

Tags: Laura Born Nikolay Fal Paul Zappulla Ryutaro Suzuki

07-01-2025 20:53 UTC-8

Pan Crosses Seven Figures

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Frank Visser

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Qinghai Pan: A♣Q♦Xx/A♥Q♠J♥5♣
Viktor Blom: XxXx/6♦A♠9♥K♠/Xx - folded on seventh street

Qinghai Pan completed, Viktor Blom raised, and Pan called the second bet once the action had folded back to him. Pan check-called Blom's bet on fourth street, but let out on fifth street.

Blom called and check-called on sixth street when he gained the betting lead. Blom also checked seventh street, but he quickly folded to a final bet from Pan.

Pan showed aces and queens as he raked in the sizable pot, and the bubble continued.

Player	Chips	Progress
Qinghai Pan	1,010,000 115,000	115,000

Viktor Blom	270,000 150,000	150,000

Tags: Qinghai Pan Viktor Blom

07-01-2025 21:10 UTC-8

Player	Chips	Progress
Jordan Siegel	920,000 75,000	75,000
Luke Schwartz	840,000 190,000	190,000
Christopher Claassen	500,000 98,000	98,000

Larry Tull	460,000 165,000	165,000
Sachin Bhargava	340,000 70,000	70,000
David Lin	335,000 80,000	80,000
Timothy Frazin	276,000 13,000	13,000
Richard Bai	175,000 90,000	90,000
Ryuta Nakai	170,000 13,000	13,000
Renan Bruschi	133,000 11,000	11,000

Kevin Nathan	104,000 143,000	143,000

Jake Schwartz	100,000 70,000	70,000
Ryutaro Suzuki	80,000 80,000	80,000

Felipe Ramos	50,000 15,000	15,000

Taylor Gives Herself a Standing Ovation

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David Salituro

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Esther Taylor: XxXx/K♥Q♠ All in
Jared Rubin: XxXx/5♠9♥

Jared Rubin completed before Esther Taylor raised, sending Rubin deep into the tank.

"If I win this hand I'll give myself a standing ovation," Taylor said.

"Go away you piranhas," Craig Chait added as players at the other tables began to gather around.

"Piranhas everywhere," Taylor said as she began singing "Let It Go" From Frozen. "Think of Elsa. She always made the right decision," she added.

"Nobody is rooting for me," Taylor said as Rubin continued to tank.

"I'm rooting for you," Alex Livingston replied.

"He's Ricky Bobbying it. He might crash his car going for first, but he's going for it," Chait said about the big-stacked Livingston.

"Come on, this tournament would be a lot less fun without me. Nobody wants this," Taylor told Rubin, who eventually called. Taylor then moved all in on fourth street and Rubin called.

"Do I have a straight?" Taylor asked as her board ran out K♣10♦A♠J♥Q♦. Rubin ended up with 5♠9♥4♦5♦3♦A♥K♠ and handed over the double-up.

As promised, Taylor got up and started clapping, receiving a rather muted response.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jared Rubin	200,000 195,000	195,000
Esther Taylor	100,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Esther Taylor Jared Rubin

07-01-2025 21:21 UTC-8

Stone Bubble Reached as Ramos Runs Into Aces

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Frank Visser

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Felipe Ramos: 6♠6♦/2♦10♠J♥10♣/4♣
Larry Tull: A♥A♦/4♥A♠6♥J♦/Xx

Felipe Ramos used his option to complete as the lowest card. Larry Tull two-bet, and Ramos three-bet all-in. Tull's aces made trips on fourth street. Ramos had two pair by sixth street, leaving him with some outs.

Seventh street could not save him, however, seeing Ramos depart in 30th as the tournament progressed to the stone bubble.

Player	Chips	Progress
Larry Tull	520,000 60,000	60,000
Felipe Ramos	Busted

Tags: Felipe Ramos Larry Tull

07-01-2025 21:28 UTC-8

Blom Gets a Much-Needed Boost; Bai Scoops Bruschi

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David Salituro

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Viktor Blom: XxXx/8♥10♠3♣4♦/Xx
Qinghai Pan: XxXx/5♣Q♣4♥6♦/Xx

Qinghai Pan bet on fourth street and Viktor Blom called.

Pan continued betting on each street down to seventh and Blom called. Blom then bet on seventh and Pan called.

Blom showed K♥K♠3♥ for kings and threes, and Pan mucked.

Richard Bai: XxXx/A♥7♣3♥Q♦/Xx
Renan Bruschi: XxXx/3♣7♠2♠K♣/Xx

At another table, Richard Bai had bet on fourth street and Renan Bruschi called.

Bai bet on fifth and sixth as Bruschi called. "Everyone circle the table. Are we circling?" Craig Chait said as a crowd began to gather.

Both players checked on seventh and Bai showed 5♠2♦2♥ for a pair of deuces and 7-5-3-2-A to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Qinghai Pan	940,000 70,000	70,000

Viktor Blom	350,000 80,000	80,000
Richard Bai	260,000 85,000	85,000
Renan Bruschi	70,000 63,000	63,000

Tags: Qinghai Pan Renan Bruschi Richard Bai Viktor Blom

07-01-2025 21:33 UTC-8

Frazin Finds Boat on Bubble

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Frank Visser

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

Andrey Zhigalov: XxXx/9♥J♦J♣6♣/Xx - folded on seventh street
Timothy Frazin: 10♠8♦6♠/10♦8♠4♠8♣
Larry Tull: XxXx/2♦A♥7♠A♠/Xx

Andrey Zhigalov paired his jack on fifth street and bet out. Timothy Frazin and Larry Tull both called, after which sixth street checked through.

Tull then led out on seventh street, and Zhigalov called after some thought. Frazin made it two bets, sending Tull into a tank of several minutes. Eventually, he tossed in a call, prompting Zhigalov to snap-fold.

Frazin showed eights full of tens, and he was awarded the entire pot when Tull mucked his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timothy Frazin	550,000 274,000	274,000
Andrey Zhigalov	525,000 35,000	35,000

Larry Tull	200,000 320,000	320,000

Tags: Andrey Zhigalov Larry Tull Timothy Frazin

07-01-2025 21:46 UTC-8

Cheung Peels His Way to a Double-Up

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David Salituro

Level 17

Ante: 3,000
Bring In: 5,000
Completion: 15,000
Limits: 15,000-30,000

James Cheung: XxXx/2♦10♦5♣J♠/Xx All in
Viktor Blom: XxXx/Q♣4♥10♣10♥/Xx
Tomasz Gluszko: XxXx/4♣9♠Q♠J♥ - folded on sixth street

"Do you realize that you could be sitting beside the Player of the Year, Phil?" Craig Chait said to Phil Hellmuth as he patted Scott Bohlman on the back.

"He said he hasn't lost a hand in a month," Hellmuth replied.

"That's almost accurate," Chait added.

Meanwhile at this table, Viktor Blom had bet on fourth street and Tomasz Gluszko called, as did James Cheung.

Blom bet again on fifth and both opponents called. Blom bet on sixth and Gluszko folded, but Cheung kissed his last 10,000 and put it in the middle.

Blom turned over K♥K♣4♠ for two pair, while Cheung had 5♦3♦ going to seventh and needed to improve to stay alive. "It's red," Cheung said as he took several seconds to peel his card.

"That's a long peel for a red," Bohlman said.

Cheung eventually turned over the 6♦ and slammed it on the table as he made a flush to double up.