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

07-02-2025 13:58 UTC-8

Meranda Soaring High

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 13:48 UTC-8

Top Pair for Lodge

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Maxime Taldir

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Harry Lodge opened to 700 from middle position and was called by all five players to his left, creating a six-way pot.

Lodge continued for 1,700 on the 6♣J♣4♦, but only Joseph Curcio in the cutoff made the call.

Both players checked the 9♣ turn leading to the 2♦ river where Lodge bet 5,500. Curcio went deep into the tank and called, but mucked his cards after Lodge flipped over A♣J♥ for top pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Curcio	75,000 75,000	75,000
Harry Lodge	69,000 69,000	69,000

Tags: Harry Lodge Joseph Curcio

07-02-2025 13:48 UTC-8

Martin Kabrhel Will Take Over WSOP POY Lead with Final Table Win

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Jon Sofen

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Love him or despise his antics, Martin Kabrhel is closing in on first place in the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year race.

The Czech poker pro, at the time of publishing, had a large chip lead in Event #75: $1,000 Mini Main Event with just four players remaining. He entered the day second in chips with five players left. But he's taken over the final table, at least for the time being, in a tournament that attracted 10,794 entrants.

Read the Full Story Here

Tags: Martin Kabrhel

07-02-2025 13:44 UTC-8

Nines Enough For Martin

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Dan O'Hair

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Heads-up on a 8♦6♥5♠ flop with a few thousand already in the middle, Kevin Martin checked from middle position and Adam Singer bet 1,600 from the cutoff. Martin called.

Both players proceeded to check down on the 8♥ turn and 4♦ river and Martin turned over 9♥9♣ for two pair.

Singer took one last look at his hole cards and then sent them into the muck.

"Ace-king," Singer said as Martin collected the chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kevin Martin	75,000 3,700	3,700

Adam Singer	64,000 64,000	64,000

Tags: Adam Singer Kevin Martin

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 13:43 UTC-8

Gardes Win a Nice Pot

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Barry Russell

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

There were roughly 7,000 chips in the pot on a board of 2♥4♥3♦, Eric Salow bet 1,600 from the button, then Josselin Gardes decided to raise to 5,600 from the small blind. Salow called.

Both players checked when the 9♥ hit the turn, and Gardes decided to lead for 5,300 on the Q♥ river. Salow took his time before he eventually folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Josselin Gardes	143,000 10,000	10,000
Eric Salow	25,000 3,000	3,000

Tags: Eric Salow Josselin Gardes

07-02-2025 13:43 UTC-8

Yokosawa Chipping Up

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Stewart Morrison

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

After seeing a raise to 600 ahead of him, Masato Yokosawa made the call from the hijack, which also tempted David Cabrera Polop, in the big blind, to join in.

Action checked to Yokosawa on the K♦10♣2♣ flop, and he put out a bet of 1,200. Cabrera Polop called, and the initial raiser folded.

Yokosawa kept up the pressure on the J♦ turn, this time betting 4,600. This was enough to lay claim to the pot, as Cabrera Polop folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Cabrera Polop	135,000 10,000	10,000
Masato Yokosawa	56,000 3,000	3,000

Tags: David Cabrera Polop Masato Yokosawa

07-02-2025 13:42 UTC-8

Reisman Leads and Takes It

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

With three players seeing a board of K♣J♥9♠ and 2,300 in the middle Richard Reisman checked from the big blind, Frank Kassela checked from under the gun and Hal Hammaker checked from middle position.

Action checked around to Kassela who bet 1,000 on the 4♣ turn. Both opponents called.

On the 7♣ river Reisman led out with a 2,200 bet and both opponents quickly mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hal Hammaker	89,500 89,500	89,500
Frank Kassela	68,300 300	300

Richard Reisman	49,000 49,000	49,000

Tags: Frank Kassela Hal Hammaker Richard Reisman

07-02-2025 13:37 UTC-8

Cavallin Shoves into Ahuja

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

With two players seeing a board of Q♥3♣2♣ and a bit over 3,000 in the middle, Timothy Cavallin checked from under the gun, Ankit Ahuja bet 1,600 from the cutoff and Cavallin called.

Both players checked the 2♦ turn leading to the A♠ river. Cavallin shoved for 5,300 and Ahuja mucked his hand.