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

07-03-2025 20:14 UTC-8

Small Pairs Are Hot

David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Shazmann Malek and Benjamin Duronio saw a flop of 9♥3♠10♥ when Malek bet 2,000 from middle position. Duronio then raised to 6,600 in the small blind and Malek called.

Duronio bet another 7,000 on the 5♥ turn and Malek again called. Duronio slowed down and checked the A♣ river, and Malek quickly checked back.

Duronio showed 3♣3♦ for a set, and Malek mucked.

"Threes and fours, man," tablemate Rahil Gaulani said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rahil Gaulani	140,000
Benjamin Duronio	125,000
Shazmaan Malek	10,000

Tags: Benjamin Duronio Shazmann Malek

07-03-2025 20:14 UTC-8

Several Stacks and Who They Belong To

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Frank Visser

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Max Neugebauer	165,000 70,600	70,600

Michael Dwyer	150,000 33,000	33,000

Mike Matusow	70,000 4,600	4,600

John Hennigan	68,500 4,800	4,800

Leo Margets	63,000 6,000	6,000

Florian Duta	48,000 10,200	10,200
Aleksejs Ponakovs	44,000 26,900	26,900

Govert Metaal	28,500 9,000	9,000

07-03-2025 20:12 UTC-8

All Four Kings Accounted For

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Stewart Morrison

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

There was an early position raise to 1,200, and a middle position call before Niklas Astedt three-bet to 5,100 from the button. Chin Wei Lim then elected to cold four-bet from the small blind to 14,500, and when action folded back to Astedt, he called.

Lim continued for 8,000 on the 4♠3♣9♥ flop, and Astedt called again.

The dealer provided the 8♠ turn, and Lim had no thoughts of slowing down. He placed another wager, this time for a more substantial 22,000. Undeterred, Astedt called to see a river card.

The river 7♠ gave both players pause for thought. Lim counted his stack, had a look at his opponent and then chose to check. Astedt went through a similar routine with his stack before electing to check back.

Lim flipped over K♠K♥, which was not enough to win the pot outright, as Astedt revealed he had the other two kings, rolling over K♦K♣.

Lim and Astedt shared a chuckle as the dealer apportioned the pot between the two players.

Player	Chips	Progress
Niklas Astedt	101,300 8,000	8,000
Chin Wei Lim	97,400

Tags: Chin Wei Lim Niklas Astedt

07-03-2025 20:11 UTC-8

Lyu Flummoxes Schwartz

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Dan O'Hair

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Action folded around to the blinds, where Wen Lyu raised to 1,300 from the small blind and Jake Schwartz defended his big blind.

Schwartz called a 1,300 bet from Lyu on the 7♠A♠K♠ flop and then both players checked on the 9♣ turn.

The A♦ completed the board and Lyu pulled a single t-5,000 chip from his stack and looked like he wanted to bet, but then checked. Schwartz gave a puzzled look and then checked behind.

Lyu revealed J♠7♣ for a aces and sevens and Schwartz sent his hand into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wen Lyu	61,000 61,000	61,000
Jake Schwartz	59,000 10,200	10,200

Tags: Jake Schwartz Wen Lyu

07-03-2025 20:08 UTC-8

Ladines Three-bets Green

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Barry Russell

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Brian Green opened 1,200 under the gun, Joshua Ladines three-bet to 4,300 from early position, Green called.

Green checked when the flop came 7♣2♥7♠, Ladines fired out a bet of 2,500, Green called.

Green checked again when the 5♣ hit the turn, and Ladines bet 10,000. After some thought, Green decided to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joshua Ladines	53,000 53,000	53,000
Brian Green	45,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Brian Green Joshua Ladines

07-03-2025 20:05 UTC-8

Ha Takes From Kuney

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Barry Russell

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

There were roughly 8,000 chips in the pot on a flop of A♣6♠Q♦, Thai Ha checked in early position, and Michael Kuney fired a bet of 2,500 on the button, Ha check-called.

Kuney fired out another bet on the K♠ for 10,000, Ha check-called again.

Ha decided to lead for 25,000 when the J♣ hit the river, Kuney snap-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thai Ha	91,000 91,000	91,000

Michael Kuney	63,000 27,000	27,000

Tags: Michael Kuney Thai Ha

07-03-2025 20:04 UTC-8

Fishberg Caught Mekouane

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Laura Fryer

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Jalil Mekouane opened the hijack to 1,200 and Gregory Fishberg called the big blind.

The 7♦3♠2♦ flop was checked by Fishberg, Mekouane bet 1,400 and Fishberg called.

The 8♦ was checked down to the 9♥ river. Fishberg bet 5,000 and Mekouane called.

Fishberg showed 3♦4♦ for the flush, and Mekouane mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jalil Mekouane	89,500 9,600	9,600
Gregory Fishberg	48,000 48,000	48,000

Tags: Gregory Fishberg Jalil Mekouane

07-03-2025 20:03 UTC-8

Pairs in The Blinds

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Jacob Wilson

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Action folded all the way round to Brandon Sowers in the small blind, who raised up to 1,100. Daniel Clement then raised to 5,500 from the big blind, and received a call.

When checked to, Clement threw out a continuation-bet of 6,500 on a flop of 5♣6♥2♠ Before the chips had even left his hands, Sowers called. Action then checked through on both the 7♣ turn and the A♠ river. Sowers showed 9♥9♦ expecting to be good, however he lost out to the K♠K♦ of Clement.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brandon Sowers	63,500 63,500	63,500
Daniel Clement	57,400 57,400	57,400

Tags: Brandon Sowers Daniel Clement

07-03-2025 20:03 UTC-8

Zimmerman Makes Gomez Fold

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Maxime Taldir

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

After an open to 1,200 by a player in middle position, Diane Zimmerman called from the cutoff. The button called as well, but Cosme Gomez in the big blind three-bet to 6,300. Zimmerman was the only one to call.

The dealer fanned a flop of A♦5♠7♣ and Gomez continued for 4,400, but Zimmerman quickly raised to 11,000. It only took a few seconds for Gomez to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Diane Zimmerman	153,000 153,000	153,000
Cosme Gomez	70,000

Tags: Cosme Gomez Diane Zimmerman

07-03-2025 19:58 UTC-8

Rigby Goes Bluff-Catching

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Frank Visser

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Three-way to a 8♦A♥Q♠ flop, Steven Brooks checked from the big blind, and Nicholas Rigby did so in the hijack. Paul Jager then tossed in 2,400 on the button, which both players called.

Brooks checked the 6♣ turn again, but Rigby led out for 6,200. Jager called, while Brooks had seen enough and got out of the way.

The Q♣ turn slowed Rigby down, checking it over to Jager. Jager assembled a sizable bet of 17,400, calmly placing it in the middle of the table.

It did not take long for Rigby to find a call, and he received good news when Jager did not want to show his cards, tossing his presumed bluff into the muck.

Rigby showed the 5♣ as he raked in the chips, leaving Jager to wonder what he had.