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

07-02-2025 14:35 UTC-8

Puri Talks Himself Out of the Tournament

Stewart Morrison

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Action was joined as Shawn Puri and Mohamed Mamouni were locked in battle in a four-bet pot.

The full board had already been delivered by the dealer, showing 10♠4♥8♥10♣7♠, and there was roughly 43,500 in the pot.

Puri had put out a bet of 26,000, which was met by an all-in by Mamouni, totalling 36,900. Puri had just 9,400 left, meaning a call would put his tournament life at risk.

"Write it down", Puri said to PokerNews, "I'm going to bust".

The tortured Puri went back and forth, deciding what to do. Ultimately, he decided he was getting too good a price and made the call.

The bad news was immediate as Mamouni turned over 9♥6♥ for a rivered straight. Puri revealedK♠K♦, and, after taking a minute to come to terms with the circumstances, he said his goodbyes to the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohamed Mamouni	116,000 58,000	58,000
Shawn Puri	Busted

Tags: Mohamed Mamouni Shawn Puri

07-02-2025 14:06 UTC-8

Chris Moneymaker Eliminated Early from 2025 WSOP Main Event

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Will Shillibier

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Chris Moneymaker’s Main Event run has come to an early end, for this year at least, after a dramatic full-house-over-full-house clash on Day 1a.

Moneymaker got involved in a deep river spot and ultimately made the call, but ran straight into a cooler. It's a tough exit for the 2003 WSOP Main Event champion.

Want the full hand breakdown and a look at his Main Event history? Click here for the full story.

07-02-2025 13:58 UTC-8

Meranda Soaring High

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Liam Gannon

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Action was picked up on the river in a pot between Runtian Zhang in early position and Anthony Meranda in the small blind with 17,800 in the center.

The board read 7♠5♠A♥A♣J♣ and Meranda bet 25,000, which sent Zhang into the tank.

"If you have ace-jack you can just jam," Meranda said. "You don't have to do the whole tanking thing."

Zhang thought for a little bit longer and eventually put in the call. Meranda tabled A♠5♦ for aces full of fives, prompting Zhang to flash an A♦ before tossing his hand into the muck.

"See that's a good value bet," said Meranda after the hand. "If I just jam, he folds."

After the hand, Zhang was left with just 6,000 and was eliminated shortly after.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anthony Meranda	165,000 53,000	53,000
Runtian Zhang	Busted

Tags: Anthony Meranda Runtian Zhang

07-02-2025 13:51 UTC-8

Big Slick Versus Aces

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Stewart Morrison

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Action was joined with Michael Nicholson and John Wike maneuvering their stacks into the middle on a J♥K♠5♠ flop.

Nicholson had the shortest of the two stacks and, as such, was the player at risk.

Michael Nicholson: A♠K♦ All in
John Wike: A♥A♣

A sorry situation for Nicholson, as his top pair had run into the pocket aces of Wike.

The 8♥ turn and 4♦ weren't able to offer redemption, and Nicholson vacated his seat to head for the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Wike	78,500 78,500	78,500
Michael Nicholson	Busted

Tags: John Wike Michael Nicholson

07-02-2025 13:43 UTC-8

Top Full Over Second Full Sends Moneymaker Packing

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Liam Gannon

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

David Brown raised to 600 from the cutoff and in the small blind, Chris Moneymaker called.

The flop rolled out J♠J♣6♥ and Moneymaker check-called a bet of 500 from Brown.

Both players checked the turn 10♠ to the river Q♥ where Moneymaker bet 2,500. Brown responded with a raise to 10,000, prompting Moneymaker to raise to 20,000. Brown moved all in for 47,000 effective and Moneymaker went into the tank.

"Do you really have pocket queens?" asked Moneymaker as he pondered a decision for his tournament life. He talked through a few more parts of the hand before eventually relenting and putting the chips in the middle saying, "If you've got queens, you've got queens."

Chris Moneymaker: Q♠J♦ All in
David Brown: Q♦Q♣

Brown had rivered a one-outer to make queens full of jacks, besting Moneymaker's jacks full of queens. Brown raked in a sizable pot while the 2003 WSOP Main Event champion was eliminated from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Brown	131,500 131,500	131,500
Chris Moneymaker	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker David Brown

07-02-2025 12:34 UTC-8

Agarwal Ships the River

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Stewart Morrison

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

As Amit Agarwal was on his way to the exit, the action leading to his dismissal was recalled by his vanquisher, Chase Rogers.

Rogers raised in middle position to 800, and only Agarwal, directly to his left, called.

The two saw a 5x7x9x flop, and Rogers check-called a bet of 1,200.

Rogers checked again on the 7x turn, and this time faced a bet of 10,000, which he called.

When the river Ax was revealed, Rogers continued in flow, checking for a third time. This time, though, he was going to be asked for all of it, as Agarwal moved all in for roughly 38,500.

It was bad timing by Agarwal, though, as Rogers called, flipping over pocket aces for a rivered full house. Agarwal revealed 9♣2♣, for an inferior two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chase Rogers	118,000 38,900	38,900
Amit Agarwal	Busted

Tags: Amit Agarwal Chase Rogers

07-02-2025 12:11 UTC-8

Gargiulo Sends Aalvik Home

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Liam Gannon

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Davis Aalvik raised to 900 from under the gun and he was called by Orito Kazuyuki in middle position and Cyril Attali in the small blind. In the big blind, Joseph "Joey" Gargiulo moved all in for 79,900 and Aalvik went into the tank. He debated his decision for a little bit before calling for his last 19,000 and everyone else folded.

Davis Aalvik: K♥K♦ All in
Joseph Gargiulo: A♠A♦

The flop rolled out 9♥J♦Q♥, prompting a response from Gargiulo.

"It's never easy, my god," said Gargiulo as the A♣ peeled off on the turn "Oh at least I got my ace. Make it a black deuce on the river."

A 3♣ peeled off on the river, keeping Gargiulo's set of aces in the lead while Aalvik exited the tournament.

"That's my poker nightmare right there," table-mate Chris Moneymaker said. "Level 1, I've got kings, and somebody forces me all in."

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Gargiulo	101,100 38,100	38,100
Cyril Attali	59,100 59,100	59,100
Orito Kazuyuki	58,500 58,500	58,500
Chris Moneymaker	52,000 5,000	5,000

Davis Aalvik	Busted

Tags: Chris Moneymaker Cyril Attali Davis Aalvik Joseph Gargiulo Orito Kazuyuki

07-02-2025 12:01 UTC-8

Garagnani Claims First Casualty of 2025 Main Event

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Dan O'Hair

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Jamar Adams raised to 600 from under the gun and was called by Lauren Hazelgreen from the cutoff and Kevin Gerhart on the button. Pedro Garagnani then squeezed to 3,200 from the small blind and everyone called for a bloated four-way pot.

The flop came 10♣J♣4♦ and it was checked to Hazelgreen, who bet 6,000. Gerhart folded, but Garagnani check-raised to 23,000, which got a fold from Adams. Hazelgreen moved all in and Garagnani quickly called to put Hazelgreen at risk.

Lauren Hazelgreen: A♠J♠ All in
Pedro Garagnani: 10♠10♥

It was a nightmare scenario for Hazelgreen, who found herself drawing to runner-runner to avoid being the first person eliminated.

The 6♠ turn left her drawing dead and an irrelevant A♥ completed the board to make Hazelgreen the unfortunate first person to hit the rail in the 2025 Main Event.