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

07-02-2025 16:28 UTC-8

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♦.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marc Spitaleri	64,900
David Sorgente	58,500 1,200	1,200

Tags: David Sorgente Marc Spitaleri

07-02-2025 16:30 UTC-8

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Sturm	138,500 1,500	1,500

Jacques Ortega	114,000 8,000	8,000
Bernhard Binder	38,000

Tags: Bernhard Binder Jacques Ortega Leon Sturm

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 16:33 UTC-8

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ami Barer	94,000 94,000	94,000

Tabatha Hilliard	70,000 10,600	10,600

Tags: Amichai Barer Tabatha Hilliard

07-02-2025 16:45 UTC-8

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Natasha Mercier	73,000 73,000	73,000
Artem Sugak	52,500 14,500	14,500
Renat Bohdanov	36,000 36,000	36,000

Tags: Artem Sugak Natasha Mercier Renat Bohdanov

07-02-2025 16:48 UTC-8

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.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthias Lipp	105,000 105,000	105,000
Philipe Pizzari Pinto	43,200 43,200	43,200

Tags: Matthias Lipp Philipe Pinto

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 16:56 UTC-8

Updated Chip Counts in Horseshoe Gold

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Sturm	167,000 28,500	28,500

Gregory Sly	120,500 14,000	14,000
Jacques Ortega	120,000 6,000	6,000
Jeremy Dan	118,000 17,700	17,700
Ankit Ahuja	117,000 52,000	52,000
Carlotta Ceccatelli	112,000 45,000	45,000
Richard Reisman	102,000 30,000	30,000
Jeffrey Rogers	101,000 28,000	28,000
Hal Hammaker	93,000 27,200	27,200
Han Nguyen	78,500 8,500	8,500
Matthias Auer	70,600 45,400	45,400
Erik Eisen	66,500 31,500	31,500
Camillo Baggiani	65,000 6,000	6,000
Stephen Peppin	60,000 30,000	30,000
Gregory Brodnik	59,500 4,300	4,300
Joseph Bold	58,000 14,400	14,400
Denny Kruezi	53,500 11,000	11,000
Alexander Carr	52,000 8,100	8,100
Collin Ball	47,500 13,500	13,500
Matt Salsberg	42,500 17,500	17,500
Angela Jordison	38,500 38,500	38,500

Kelly Lucas	37,000 3,000	3,000
Bernhard Binder	36,000 2,000	2,000
Robert Neal	30,300 3,700	3,700
Scott Thurman	28,500 8,500	8,500