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

Jul 03, 2025

Blind Straddling at the Main Event?

Jacob Wilson

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Angela Defoe is currently looking to make a "comeback story" at the Main Event, with just under half a starting stack to her name. When PokerNews was at her table, Julian Parmann offered her his large (in comparison) stack to take a photo with, before realising his stack was large enough to get splashy.

The very next hand, Parmann announced a "blind straddle" to 800 chips. They made for a nice donation to the stack of Javier Perez, who isolated to 3,800 from the big blind.

Tags: Angela Defoe Javier Perez Julian Parmann

Jul 03, 2025

Schmitz Cracks Marquez's Aces

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Dan O'Hair

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Ana Marquez raised to 900 first to act and was called by Thi Dao on the button and Orion Schmitz in the big blind for a three-way pot.

Schmitz checked to Marquez, who continued for 1,500 on the J♣9♥2♥ flop. Dao folded, but Schmitz called.

Both players checked on the 10♦ turn and then Schmitz took the initiative with a 2,600 bet on the Q♣ river.

Marquez put in a call and simultaneously tabled A♥A♦. Schmitz revealed K♦10♠ for a straight was was sent the pot.

Tags: Ana Marquez Orion Schmitz Thi Dao

Jul 03, 2025

Astedt Wins Amid Strange Dynamic

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Stewart Morrison

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Niklas Astedt raised under the gun to 900, but when action folded to Christopher Roat in the hijack, he announced "Raise" before throwing in a 1,000 chip. A couple of players at the table then advised the dealer that Roat should be held to a raise of 1,400. Roat had no objections and put 1,400 into the middle.

Action then folded back to Astedt, who had new information to work with. After taking a second, he four-bet to 4,500 and Roat called, putting an end to the preflop drama.

Roat commented that this dynamic is a good way of getting yourself into trouble, before the two players went to a flop.

Astedt continued with a bet of 1,500 on the 7♦7♣9♣ flop, which was met with a raise to 4,500 by Roat. The clicking wasn't over yet, though, as Astedt three-bet to 12,000. This put an end to the hand, as Roat immediately returned his cards to the dealer.

Tags: Christopher Roat Niklas Astedt

Jul 03, 2025

Clark Cracks Aces; Bedson Eliminated

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Laura Fryer

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Daniel Bedson opened to 1,000 from under the gun and Evan Clark called from middle position. Eyal Yanai also called the button, and Alexandre Vuilleumier defended the big blind.

The 2♦4♦10♠ flop saw Vuilleumier check and Bedson bet 1,900. Clark raised to 6,000. Yanai and Vuilleumier folded. Bedson made the call, taking the players heads-up to the turn.

The 7♥ turn saw Bedson check, and Clark flicked in a 25,000 chip, putting Bedson all in for his remaining 24,500.

Bedson considered before making the call.

Daniel Bedson: A♠A♣ All in
Evan Clark: 10♥10♦

Clark had flopped a set of tens, and Bedson needed to see an Ace on the river to stay alive.

The dealer placed the 4♠ river which sent Bedson home, and Clark got a near double up.

Jul 03, 2025

Daub Finds Salvation on the Turn

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Christopher Daub was already all in as Conor Beresford and Jeffrey Gencarelli went to a flop of 8♥10♣5♥ with around 25,000 in the pot. Gencarell then bet 8,000 and Beresford folded.

Christopher Daub: A♥10♦ All in
Jeffrey Gencarelli: J♣J♦

Daub had flopped top pair, but he was behind Gencarelli's jacks and was at risk of elimination. The turn came the A♣ to give Daub two pair and the lead, while the river was the Q♣ to secure his triple up.

"I guess I'll be here a little longer, gentlemen," Daub told his tablemates.

Tags: Christopher Daub Conor Beresford Jeffrey Gencarelli

Jul 03, 2025

McNulty Building a Stack

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Frank Visser

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Takao Shimizu raised to 1,200 on the button. Asaf Benshushan made it 4,300 in the small blind, which Thad McNulty cold-called in the big blind. Shimizu also called, leading to the 8♣7♦A♣ flop.

Benshushan continued for 3,500, McNulty called, but Shimizu raised to 10,000. Benshushan snap-folded, but McNulty stuck around and called.

The 10♣ turn then checked through to the 2♣ river, where McNulty led out for 10,000. Shimizu called off after some debate, but he mucked his cards in defeat when McNulty tabled A♥Q♦ for top pair.

Shimizu was left with 15,000 chips, which he lost only a few hands later to be eliminated from the Main Event.

Tags: Asaf Benshushan Takao Shimizu Thad McNulty

Jul 03, 2025

Akkari Doubles Through Lindsay

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Dan O'Hair

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Katie Lindsay raised to 1,000 from under the gun and was called by Andre Akkari from directly behind and David Farber in the cutoff for a three-way pot.

Lindsay continued for 2,000 on the 4♠8♥4♦ flop, which got a call from Akkari and a fold from Farber.

Akkari called a 4,000 barrel from Lindsay on the 2♣ turn and quickly called after Lindsay put him all in for his last 12,700 on the A♠ river.

Lindsay turned over A♣J♦ for aces-up, but Akkari had it beat with A♥4♥ for a full house — awarding Akkari the double up.

Tags: Andre Akkari David Farber Katie Lindsay

Jul 03, 2025

Lesta on Right Side of Cooler

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jacob Wilson

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Action was picked up with Timothy Lilly standing up, and leaving the tournament area, having been all in preflop, and all out postflop. Play was recounted for PokerNews by the table as follows.

Lilly opened up the action with a raise to 1,200, leaving Jose Lesta to make a big raise to 6,100. Lilly then four-bet to 22,000, and Lesta shoved with a 55,000 stack, just covering Lilly's. Lilly made the call to put himself at risk.

Timothy Lilly: K♠K♥ All in
Jose Lesta: A♦A♠

It was the worst case imaginable for Lilly, who couldn't hit a set on the 5♥10♣3♥2♦J♦ runout, ending his Main Event dream on Day 1b.

Tags: Jose Lesta Timothy Lilly

Jul 03, 2025

Katchalov Sends Tseng Into a Long Tank With Flop Raise

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Chia Tseng was in the small blind and three-bet to 4,000. Eugene Katchalov came back with a four-bet to 11,000 in the hijack, and Tseng called.

The flop came J♦6♠7♥ and Tseng led out for 13,000. Katchalov then raised to 26,000.

Tseng grabbed some of her chips and began shuffling them in her hands as she took several minutes before giving up the pot.

Tags: Chia Tseng Eugene Katchalov

Jul 03, 2025

Negreanu Folds Twice

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Frank Visser

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Dmitry Blyumin raised to 900 in early position. Ian Hamilton called in late position, Jessica Cai tossed in chips from the small blind, and Daniel Negreanu defended his big blind.

It checked to Hamilton on the 2♣2♥A♠ flop, who received three folds for his bet of 2,200.

On the next deal, Thomas Brewer limped in from late position. Alan Mehamed did so in the cutoff, Cai came along on the button, and Negreanu completed the small blind.

The 10♠4♥6♦ flop was checked by all players. Negreanu then led out for 1,200, and Brewer called. They and all others involved in the hand folded when Mehamed raised to 4,500, however, just before the players were sent to dinner.

Tags: Alan Mehamed Daniel Negreanu Dmitry Blyumin Ian Hamilton Thomas Brewer Jessica Cai