Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 1a | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-02-2025 16:09 UTC-8

Fatal Missread

Maxime Taldir

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Three-way on a flop of 9♥K♠8♠, Armen Ayrapetyan in the cutoff bet 2,000, the small blind folded and Charles Welsh in the big blind made the call.

Ayrapetyan fired a second barrel of 6,000 on the 5♥ turn, but Welsh check-raised to 15,000. Ayrapetyan quickly called and moved all-in for 34,600 after Welsh checked the 10♣ river. Welsh went deep into the tank and called.

Armen Ayrapetyan: A♠K♣ All in
Charles Welsh: 9♦5♦

Ayrapetyan thought he had the won, but Welsh with two pair had the best hand. "But there is a pair on the board, I win," claimed Ayrapetyan, before having a closer look and realizing his mistake. He was covered so he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Charles Welsh	123,000 123,000	123,000
Armen Ayrapetyan	Busted

Tags: Armen Ayrapetyan Charles Welsh

07-02-2025 16:10 UTC-8

Landowski Busts

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Barry Russell

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Action was picked up as Benjamin Landowski was all in from early position against the big blind Joseph Gallagher with roughly 90,000 chips in the pot.

Benjamin Landowski: Q♥Q♠ All in
Joseph Gallagher: K♥K♦

The board ran out 4♦7♠A♠9♠5♥, and Landowski's main event came to an end.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Gallagher	105,000 69,000	69,000
Benjamin Landowski	Busted

Tags: Benjamin Landowski Joseph Gallagher

07-02-2025 16:31 UTC-8

Funaro Scores an Elimination with Aces

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Maxime Taldir

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Rafael Pfleger opened to 1,000 from the cutoff. Giovanny Rodriguez Ocampo on the button three-bet all-in for 6,100, then Frank Funaro in the big blind raised to 9,000 and Pfleger snap-folded.

Giovanny Rodriguez Ocampo: A♦Q♦ All in
Frank Funaro: A♣A♥

The board of 8♠8♣2♦5♥5♠ was no help for Rodriguez Campo who was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frank Funaro	87,000 87,000	87,000

Rafael Pfleger	48,000 48,000	48,000
Giovanny Rodriguez Ocampo	Busted

Tags: Frank Funaro Giovanny Rodriguez Ocampo Rafael Pfleger

07-02-2025 16:50 UTC-8

Savvides Busts To Riccobono in Lengthy Hand

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Liam Gannon

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Marios Savvides called in early position and in the cutoff, Ritvars Cekalins raised to 1,500 with Kristopher Rundquist calling behind him. In the big blind, Al Riccobono raised to 5,000, and Savvides put out a single 5,000 chip and said call. Realizing he had not seen the raise from Riccobono, he tossed his hand into the muck, and the floor was called over.

After much discussion between Savvides and the floor, it was ruled that the 5,000 had to stay out there. He then argued to get his cards back, pointing at the two cards that were mostly separated from the muck. He walked aside and told the floor exactly what his holdings were, and the floor confirmed it was the two cards. After Savvides got his two cards back, both Cekalins and Rundquist called behind, and the flop was seen by four players.

The flop rolled out A♦4♣9♠, and Riccobono bet 7,000 to see only Savvides call.

On the turn Q♣, Riccobono moved all in for 19,300 effective, and Savvides snap-called.

Marios Savvides: A♥Q♠ All in
Al Riccobono: A♣A♠

"That's ridiculous," screamed Savvides as he stood out of his chair, seeing that he was drawing dead to Riccobono's set of aces. The river 8♥ was a mere formality as Savvides screamed many expletives on his way out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Al Riccobono	110,000

Ritvars Cekalins	38,700 38,700	38,700
Kristopher Rundquist	35,600 35,600	35,600
Marios Savvides	Busted

Tags: Al Riccobono Kristopher Rundquist Marios Savvides Ritvars Cekalins

07-02-2025 17:01 UTC-8

Hernandez Eliminated in Dramatic Fashion

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Nick Becker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Action picked up on the turn in a hand between Randall Hernandez in the cutoff and Graham Mathews in the big blind.

On a board of 8♣J♦10♣9♦, Hernandez had about 35,000 left in his stack and the money quickly went in with Mathews having the covering stack.

Randall Hernandez: Q♥Q♦ All in
Graham Mathews: A♠Q♠

Only a king on the river would knock Hernandez out and the river brought just that - the K♦ to send Hernandez to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Graham Mathews	134,500
Randall Hernandez	Busted

Tags: Graham Mathews Randall Hernandez

07-02-2025 17:14 UTC-8

Cipiti Sees an Early Exit

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Nick Becker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Ueberton De Aquino was seen dragging in a pot after having knocked out Nick Cipiti.

With cards still on their backs at showdown, De Aquino held K♥J♣ on a board of 10♠J♥6♠5♠4♥ to best Cipiti's K♣Q♣.

PokerNews caught up with De Aquino after the hand to get a quick recap of the action.

According to De Aquino, he opened the action with a raise in the hijack and Cipiti three-bet jammed in the cutoff for about 11,000. De Aquino made the call with the covering stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ueberton De Aquino	78,500
Nick Cipiti	Busted

Tags: Nick Cipiti Ueberton De Aquino

07-02-2025 17:27 UTC-8

Dream Spot for Duffy

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Nick Becker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Carolyn Duffy limped in late position, Stefan Lehner raised to 1,400 in the cutoff, and Radiant Hoang bumped it up to 5,000 in the small blind. Duffy then reraised to 25,500, prompting Lehner to get out of the way and Hoang to move all in for 57,500. Duffy made the call with the covering stack.

Radiant Hoang: K♣K♠ All in
Carolyn Duffy: A♠A♥

The board ran out 8♦6♠5♠3♣A♣ with Duffy improving to a set of aces on the river to scoop a sizable pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Carolyn Duffy	123,000
Stefan Lehner	31,500

Radiant Hoang	Busted

Tags: Carolyn Duffy Stefan Lehner

07-02-2025 17:43 UTC-8

Chip Counts Horseshoe Bronze

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Barry Russell

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Josselin Gardes	165,000 19,000	19,000
Marwan Salamoun	126,000 4,000	4,000
Tony Souri	116,000 64,000	64,000
James Pines	115,000 41,000	41,000
Takumi Matsumoto	102,000 54,000	54,000
John Frank	99,000 18,000	18,000
Joe Nalbandyan	86,200 25,800	25,800
Franklin Azevedo	84,000 21,000	21,000
Ami Barer	84,000 1,000	1,000

Nicholas Roberts	82,000 7,000	7,000
Kevin Theodore	78,000 15,000	15,000

Landen Lucas	73,200 3,200	3,200
Pasquale Grimaldi	72,200 21,000	21,000
Norman Murray	71,000 15,000	15,000
Dan O'Brien	68,000 13,000	13,000
Michael Rangel	67,000 5,000	5,000
Justin Yaker	66,000 7,000	7,000
Clayton Kalisek	64,000 22,000	22,000
Tabatha Hilliard	63,600 6,400	6,400
Robert Christensen	62,000 30,000	30,000
Jeremy Hamey	61,200 200	200
David Stamey	60,400 5,000	5,000
Federico Quevedo	60,000 21,000	21,000
Paul Gibbons	60,000 17,000	17,000
Kurt Paeper	59,000 24,000	24,000

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07-02-2025 17:45 UTC-8

No Chips for Dinner for Vieira

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Maxime Taldir

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

While being filmed by Winamax's TV crew, Joao Vieira in the hijack three-bet after Koen Breed opened from middle position.

Breed called to find a flop of K♥2♠4♦ where Vieira made a continuation bet. Breed check-called, then on the 6♥ turn, Vieira fired a second barrel of 7,000. Breed check-called once more.

On the 6♦, Breed checked, Vieira moved all-in for 16,500 and Breed went deep into the tank before making the call.

Joao Vieira: Q♣10♣ All in
Koen Breed: J♦J♣

Vieira was caught bluffing and was eliminated moments before the start of the dinner break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Koen Breed	83,000 83,000	83,000
Joao Vieira	Busted

Tags: Joao Vieira Koen Breed

07-02-2025 19:32 UTC-8

Gold Wakes Up with Aces

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Nick Becker

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Benjamin Gold was in the small blind and got it all in preflop against Kurt Watkins in the big blind. Watkins had about 50,000 to start the hand and was at risk.

Kurt Watkins: Q♥Q♣ All in
Benjamin Gold: A♠A♥

Gold's pair of aces remained best as the board ran out 9♦K♥9♣9♠2♥ and Watkins' tournament run came to an end.