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

Jul 02, 2025

Spitaleri Shows Aces

Stewart Morrison

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Marc Spitaleri raised under the gun, before seeing big blind David Sorgente, three-bet to 3,000. Spitaleri responded with a four-bet to 8,000, and Sorgente called.

The dealer put out a 2♠7♠10♥ flop, which saw Sorgente check-call a bet of 8,000.

When the dealer flipped the 5♥ turn, Sorgente checked again, but this time he was asked for all of it, as Spitaleri moved all in for 22,300.

A visually perturbed Sorgente took some time to come to a decision, choosing to fold his hand face up, revealing J♠J♦. He received good news, though, as Spitaleri rolled over A♠A♦.

Tags: David Sorgente Marc Spitaleri

Jul 02, 2025

Binder Gets Value With Second Pair

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Bernhard Binder opened to 800 from early position and received calls from Leon Sturm in middle position and Jacques Ortega in the big blind.

The flop came 10♥K♠4♥. Ortega checked, Binder bet, Sturm called and Ortega folded.

The two remaining players checked the A♥ turn leading to the 2♠ river. Binder bet 1,000 and Sturm called.

Binder turned over a pair of kings with K♦Q♥ and Sturm mucked.

Tags: Bernhard Binder Jacques Ortega Leon Sturm

Jul 02, 2025

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.

Tags: Frank Funaro Giovanny Rodriguez Ocampo Rafael Pfleger

Jul 02, 2025

Barer Makes a Hero Call

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Barry Russell

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Amichai Barer raised in early position to 900, Tabatha Hilliard called in the big blind.

Barer fired out a bet of 800 when the flop came 5♦2♦Q♥, Hilliard check-called. Both players decided to check on the 7♠ turn and Hilliard led when the 9♦ was dealt on the river.

Barer peeled back his cards one last time and flicked in the call, and Hilliard tabled K♠Q♣ then Barer mucked.

Tags: Amichai Barer Tabatha Hilliard

Jul 02, 2025

Mercier Chipping Up

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Nick Becker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Artem Sugak raised to 800 in early position, Renat Bohdanov three-bet to 2,400 in middle position, and Natasha Mercier cold-called in late position. Sugak called as well.

The flop came J♥Q♠5♥ and it checked over to Mercier who slid out a bet of 3,300.

Sugak and Bohdanov both tossed their cards into the muck and the pot was pushed Mercier's way.

Tags: Artem Sugak Natasha Mercier Renat Bohdanov

Jul 02, 2025

Lipp Builds Six-Figure Stack

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Stewart Morrison

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

After an under-the-gun raise of 1,000 from Philipe Pinto, Matthias Lipp responded with a three-bet to 3,200. Only Pinto made the call, and the two went to a flop.

The dealer fanned out the 3♣6♥10♦ flop, which was good enough for Lipp to continue with a bet of 5,400. Pinto took a moment to consider his options but decided to return his cards to the dealer.

Tags: Matthias Lipp Philipe Pinto

Jul 02, 2025

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.

Tags: Al Riccobono Kristopher Rundquist Marios Savvides Ritvars Cekalins

Jul 02, 2025