Event #78: $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship Day 2 | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-02-2025 15:49 UTC-8

Godard Finds Huge Call

Jacob Wilson

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Ivan Ruban narrowly missed out on a chance to further extend his chip lead, as his river bluff got picked off by the top pair of Nicolas Godard.

The board read J♦6♦4♣J♣A♠ at the river, with the pot being worth 1,220,000, more than the average stack here in Level 23. Nicolas Godard checked over to Ivan Ruban, who announced "all in," which would be enough to put anyone with chips at risk, let alone Godard with just 580,000 behind. After a long tank, Godard eventually made the call for his tournament life, tabling A♦3♦ for top pair with no kicker.

Ruban showed K♣Q♠ for a pure bluff, and Godard let out a sigh of relief, as he chipped up massively, as well as staying alive. "Wow. What a call," said another player at the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ivan Ruban	5,240,000 35,000	35,000
Nicolas Godard	2,380,000 2,305,000	2,305,000

Tags: Ivan Ruban Nicolas Godard

07-02-2025 15:55 UTC-8

Cortijo Wins Big, Refuses to Show

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

On a pot of around 330,000 and a completed board of 4♠5♦J♣7♠2♦, Lucas Cortijo, heads up, fired 105,000 and got raised by Yang Lei to 395,000. Cortijo responded with an all-in shove for around 1,400,000 that effectively placed Lei all-in, who had around 500,000 behind.

Lei went into the tank and stayed there long enough for the players at the table to get up and stretch their legs. Satisfied with the much-needed stretch, they called for clock.

Lei ultimately folded, pleading for Cortijo to show at least one card. As the pot was being pushed towards his direction, Cortijo still hung on to his cards. But in the end, he decided not to show to the frustration of Lei.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lucas Cortijo	2,250,000 1,725,000	1,725,000
Yang Lei	600,000 193,000	193,000

Tags: Lucas Cortijo Yang Lei

07-02-2025 15:58 UTC-8

Zhang Left Low

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Jacob Wilson

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Zhongmin Xia got it all in from early position. Only Congya Zhang made the call from the small blind.

Zhongmin Xia: K♥J♦ All in
Congya Zhang: 8♦8♠

Zhang had lots of outs to fade by the time she got to the turn, with the board reading 2♠A♥10♠A♦. Any king queen jack or ten would downgrade her hand, meaning the K♠ river decreased her stack to just a couple of big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Zhongmin Xia	550,000 250,000	250,000
Congya Zhang	65,000 590,000	590,000

Tags: Congya Zhang Zhongmin Xia

07-02-2025 16:01 UTC-8

Aces Cracked Again

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Roxanne Johnson

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Guozhi Li moved all in from late position, and Eric Kotsines called with the smaller stack of 715,000 from the cutoff.

Eric Kotsines: K♠K♥ All in
Guozhi Li: A♥A♠

The board ran out with J♣5♣K♣8♥6♦, and a set of kings was glorious for Kotsines.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Kotsines	1,505,000 640,000	640,000
Guozhi Li	300,000 235,000	235,000

Tags: Eric Kotsines Guozhi Li

07-02-2025 16:02 UTC-8

Duddy Takes the Pot

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Michael Brent limped in the small blind and Jesse Duddy checked his option. The flop dropped K♦J♦6♠.

Brent initiated with a 30,000 bet and Duddy called. After the turn 8♣ was checked to him, Duddy bet 60,000, winning the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jesse Duddy	1,600,000 30,000	30,000
Michael Brent	350,000 44,000	44,000

Tags: Jesse Duddy Michael Brent

07-02-2025 16:02 UTC-8

Sushant Secures Double Elimination

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Laura Fryer

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Luke Tatum opened to 120,000 leaving just 10,000 behind, from early position. Jianqiang Yu moved all in from the hijack for around 975,000. Action folded around to Aditya Sushant who called and covered from the big blind. Tatum moved his remaining chips in and the players went three-ways to the runout.

Luke Tatum: A♦3♦ All in
Jianqiang Yu: A♥K♦ All in
Aditya Sushant: 10♥10♠

The 2♣10♦6♣ flop saw Sushant improve further, and with no players holding a club, the 4♣ turn and J♣ river didn't change anything.

Sushant stacked up his chips, and left two players to walk away from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aditya Sushant	2,800,000 2,597,000	2,597,000

Luke Tatum	Busted
Jianqiang Yu	Busted

Tags: Aditya Sushant Jianqiang Yu Luke Tatum

07-02-2025 16:07 UTC-8

Welch Flops a Set of Threes for a Double

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

The hand was already underway with Gregory Teboul in the big blind and David Welch, covered with around 430,000 chips in and under the gun in a showdown, with their hands and chips in the middle of the table.

David Welch: 3♠3♣ All in
Gregory Teboul : A♠J♥

The window card made Welch quite glad when the flop dropped 5♣8♦3♦, instantly giving him a set and the lead. The turn didn't really help Teboul when the A♥ fell. The dealer completed the board with a 9♦ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gregory Teboul	2,100,000 1,140,000	1,140,000
David Welch	850,000 320,000	320,000

Tags: David Welch Gregory Teboul

07-02-2025 16:11 UTC-8

Chiovaro Exits

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Jerome Solomon

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Stephen Chiovaro could not recover from the hand that crippled his stack earlier.

Forced by the blind to go all in, he went head up against Kevin Huang and barely survived.

Stephen Chiovaro: K♠10♣ All in
Kevin Huang: K♣Q♠

The flop ran J♦10♥9♥9♠Q♥, giving both players a king-high straight, meaning they chopped the ante. Chiovaro put his final 20,000 chips all in the next hand from the small blind, that time against Mehrdad Vahabi.

Stephen Chiovaro: 7♥6♥ All in
Mehrdad Vahabi: A♣K♦

The runout didn't save Chiovaro, as 9♣3♥J♣K♥3♣ gave Vahabi a pair of kings and the knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kevin Huang	2,410,000 900,000	900,000
Jeremy Felicetti	2,160,000 75,000	75,000
Mehrdad Vahabi	575,000 309,000	309,000
Stephen Chiovaro	Busted

Tags: Kevin Huang Mehrdad Vahabi Stephen Chiovaro Jeremy Felicetti

07-02-2025 16:14 UTC-8

Bethune Flops a Boat

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Laura Fryer

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Players were already heads-up on the Q♣Q♠8♣ flop which was checked to the 7♠ turn.

Raza Malik checked the small blind and James Bethune bet 30,000. Malik called, taking the players to the 6♠ river.

Malik check-called after Bethune bet 125,000. Bethune showed 8♥8♦ for the boat and Malik mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raza Malik	2,150,000 1,150,000	1,150,000
James Bethune	1,050,000 960,000	960,000

Tags: James Bethune Raza Malik

07-02-2025 16:16 UTC-8

Xia Makes Incredible Call

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Jacob Wilson

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Zhongmin Xia was facing an extremely tough river decision, having been in the tank for multiple minutes. The board read A♥10♥K♦10♣Q♣ with any jack making a straight. Lorenzo Rodriguez had bet 260,000 into a pot of around the same size, and eventually, Xia put in the call.

Rodriguez tabled 7♠7♥ and tapped the table in defeat and respect. Xia showed A♠6♥ for two pair, with his kicker coming from the board.