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

07-05-2025 12:22 UTC-8

Cheong Fires Three Bullets at Ivey

David Salituro

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Phil Ivey had just taken his seat in the Paris Black section to the direct right of Joseph Cheong, and the two didn't take long before tangling in a pot.

Cheong had three-bet from the cutoff before the flop, before continuing for 3,000 on the 9♣7♥4♠ flop. Ivey called in the hijack and the K♥ fell on the turn.

Cheong then bet 7,000 and Ivey again called. The river was the A♠ and Cheong fired out 15,000. Ivey quickly folded this time and Cheong took the pot.

Martin Jacobson, the 2014 Main Event champion, has also recently joined this section.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Cheong	90,000 30,000	30,000

Martin Jacobson	60,000 60,000	60,000

Phil Ivey	41,500 41,500	41,500

Tags: Joseph Cheong Martin Jacobson Phil Ivey

07-05-2025 12:28 UTC-8

More Notables in Horseshoe Red

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Brett Slezak

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Kane Kalas	60,000 60,000	60,000
David "ODB" Baker	60,000 60,000	60,000

Justin Liberto	60,000 60,000	60,000

Jeremy Becker	60,000 60,000	60,000
Dan Heimiller	60,000 60,000	60,000

Han Feng	60,000 60,000	60,000
John Holley	60,000 60,000	60,000
Jonah Labranche	60,000 60,000	60,000

Kristen Foxen	60,000

07-05-2025 12:31 UTC-8

Owen's Dream Start to the Main Event

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Tim Baker

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

On his first hand of the 2025 WSOP Main Event, Brad Owen was still greeting his tablemates when Gary Abrahams raised from early position. Owen, who was still unpacking his belongings, three-bet from the hijack, and when it got back to Abrahams, he four-bet to 6,000. Owen responded with a five-bet to 14,000, which Abrahams called.

The dealer spread a flop of 2♦10♣4♣, and Abrahams knuckled the action over to Owen. Owen bet around 8,000, prompting Abrahams to quickly jam around 44,000. Owen snap-called.

Gary Abrahams: K♦K♣ All in
Brad Owen: A♠A♣

It was the ultimate cooler in favor of Owen, who looked poised for a dream start to his Main Event, if he could fade a two-outer on the turn or river.

The Q♥ turn looked scary, but it wasn’t the paint card Abrahams needed. The Q♦ river sealed the double-up for Owen with his bullets and spelled the end of Abrahams’ tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brad Owen	117,000 117,000	117,000

Gary Abrahams	Busted

Tags: Brad Owen Gary Abrahams

07-05-2025 12:31 UTC-8

Top Pair for Bardah

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Maxime Taldir

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Heads-up on a flop of 6♠A♣J♦, Billy Brenton in middle position checked. Ronnie Bardah to his left bet 800 and Brenton called.

Both players checked the 3♣ turn leading to the 4♦ river where Brenton led out for 2,200 with K♥10♥. Bardah snap-called with A♠K♣ for top pair and scooped the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ronnie Bardah	79,000 79,000	79,000

Billy Brenton	51,500 51,500	51,500

Tags: Ronnie Bardah Billy Brenton

07-05-2025 12:32 UTC-8

Five Bets Preflop

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Stewart Morrison

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

After an early position open to 500, Leandro Dirlewanger three-bet on the button to 1,800. One seat to his left in the small blind, Leonardo Valenzuela put in a four-bet to 4,500. Action folded back to Dirlewanger, who responded with a five-bet to 11,500. Valenzuela opted to call, bringing an end to the preflop raising.

After a check by Valenzuela on the 7♠3♥J♥ flop, Dirlewanger continued with a bet of 5,000. Valenzuela called, and both players then chose to check the 2♥ turn.

The dealer then flipped over the 8♦ river, and Valenzuela decided he wanted all of it, moving all in for 49,500. This put Dirlewanger deep into the tank. "We could have the same hand", he said, "The red ones and the black ones". Valenzuela remained statuesque, though, giving nothing away.

Dirlewanger then apologized to the table for the amount of time he was taking. After a torturous few minutes for the Swiss player, he reluctantly released his cards back to the dealer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leonardo Valenzuela	83,500 83,500	83,500
Leandro Dirlewanger	45,300 45,300	45,300

Tags: Leandro Dirlewanger Leonardo Valenzuela

07-05-2025 12:34 UTC-8

Oberlieben Folds to Bifarella With a Straight on Board

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David Salituro

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Paraskevas Tsokaridis bet 3,500 from the small blind on a flop of 5♥2♥3♠ and Samuel Bifarella called in the big blind. Ken Oberlieben then raised to 9,000 in early position and only Bifarella called.

Both players checked the A♦ turn. The 4♣ river put a straight on board, and Bifarella led out for 23,000. Oberlieben tanked for several minutes until folding as Bifarella took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samuel Bifarella	90,000 90,000	90,000
Paraskevas Tsokaridis	55,000 55,000	55,000
Ken Oberlieben	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Ken Oberlieben Paraskevas Tsokaridis Samuel Bifarella

07-05-2025 12:37 UTC-8

Deardorff Doubles Early

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Frank Visser

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Samyo Bounlom open-raised preflop from the cutoff, and Kristen Deardorff made it 2,000 on the button. Bounloom four-bet to 8,000, which Deardorff called.

Bounlom continued for 7,000 on the 5♥Q♦J♦ flop, and Deardorff called to the 8♥ turn. Bounlom slowed down and checked, seeing Deardorff fire a bet of 21,000.

Bounlom tossed in a calling chip for the 5♣ river to complete the board. Bounlom checked, and Deardorff shoved in her remaining 18,600. Bounlom's tank lasted for several minutes, but eventually he called off.

Deardorff tabled J♠J♥ for jacks-full, leaving the K♥K♣ of Bounlom in the dust. Deardorff doubled to a six-figure stack, while Bounloom still had over 100 big blinds to play with.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kristen Deardorff	108,700 108,700	108,700
Samyo Bounlom	20,900 20,900	20,900

Tags: Kristen Deardorff Samyo Bounlom

07-05-2025 12:38 UTC-8

Kings Early On for Stauffer

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Stewart Morrison

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

John Stauffer raised in middle position to 500, and was met by a three-bet to 1,200 by Peter Piorkowski on the button. Stauffer elected to call, and the players moved to a flop.

The dealer spread a J♦9♦6♣ flop, and Stauffer decided to go against the conventional flow of play, leading into his opponent with a bet of 2,200. Piorkowski made the call.

Stauffer executed the same strategy on the 8♣ turn, again putting out a bet of 2,200, and again, Piorkowski called.

The dealer then revealed the 9♠ river, and Stauffer bet once more — 3,300 was the amount Piorkowski would have to call to go to a showdown, and he did just that.

It was bad news for Piorkowski, though, as Stauffer showed K♠K♥, which was enough to claim the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Piorkowski	56,100 56,100	56,100
John Stauffer	51,200 51,200	51,200

Tags: John Stauffer Peter Piorkowski

07-05-2025 12:38 UTC-8

Taylor Wins the First Battle Against Rast

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Tim Baker

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Esther Taylor made it 600 from the hijack and only Brian Rast called from the big blind.

Rast check-called a bet of 600 from Taylor on the K♦A♥3♥ flop.

The 10♠ turn checked through for the K♠ to roll off on the river. Rast led out for 700 and was met by a raise to 3,000 from Taylor. Rast instantly released his cards, and Taylor pulled in the pot.