Reigning GPI Player of the Year and current 2025 frontrunner Jesse Lonis has revealed he’s locked in a $2,000 bet on himself to win the WSOP Main Event at 500-to-1 (+50,000) odds with none other than poker's all-time money list fifth place Mikita Badziakouski.
Niall Farrell open-shoved for 17,500 in early position.
"It's time for a big boy move," he commented as the action folded to Timur Margolin in the small blind. He called with the covering stack, and the players showed down.
Niall Farrell: A♣K♦ 
Timur Margolin: 7♠7♣
Margolin flopped a set on 4♠7♥10♠, and Farrell was left drawing dead on the K♠ turn. The triple crown winner would not add a WSOP Main Event win to his resume, and he said his goodbyes as the 3♥ river completed the board.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
140,000
68,000
|
68,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Tobey Faugno raised it up from early position and Troy Neptune called from the small blind. The flop came A♥Q♦3♦ and Neptune check-called a small bet from Faugno.
The turn brought the 4♦ and Neptune checked again. Faugno threw in a bet of 15,000 and Neptune check-raised to 45,000. Faugno announced all in as the bigger stack which sent Neptune into the tank.
"I have the second nuts, but I can't beat an ace-high flush," Neptune pondered out loud over the course of nearly five minutes. While the rest of the table sat in silence, Neptune continued to deliberate until the clock was called. With only seconds left to act, Neptune threw his K♦8♦ face up into the muck.
"You have to show the cameras," one player said to Faugno. Despite PokerNews not having any cameras at the table, Faugno did show his 10♦9♦ for a smaller flush which sent Neptune spinning.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
185,000
117,200
|
117,200 |
|
60,500
24,000
|
24,000 |
As one of the far shortest stacks in the field, Yu Lo was all-in and at risk for only 7,000 on the live stream table.
Yu Lo: 4♦4♣
David Williams: A♠6♦
The A♥J♣7♠ flop improved Williams to the superior pair, who then also improved to two pair with the 6♥ turn. The river was the 3♥ and that spelled the end for Lo.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
485,500
21,500
|
21,500 |
|
436,500
223,500
|
223,500 |
|
||
|
119,000
31,000
|
31,000 |
|
93,000
40,500
|
40,500 |
|
81,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
|
79,500
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
73,000
500
|
500 |
|
|
||
|
|
28,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
Federico Ottenio moved all in from early position for his remaining 17,500 and was called by Duane Blanchard in middle position, who had him well covered.
Federico Ottenio: A♣K♣
Duane Blanchard: 9♠9♥
Blanchard was ahead, and the 3♣8♦5♣ flop kept him there, although it brought in a flush draw for Ottenio.
The 9♣ turn saw Blanchard improve to a set of nines but, it also brought in the club flush for Ottenio.
The 6♦ river didn't change anything and Ottenio secured the double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
116,000
2,600
|
2,600 |
|
39,000
35,700
|
35,700 |
Action was recapped by the table.
Brett Feder raised to 3,500 in the hijack and on the button, Joe McKeehen three-bet to 12,500. Action folded back around to Feder who four-bet to 38,500 and McKeehen called.
The flop rolled out Q♣8♣6♣ and Feder moved all in for 115,000 effective and McKeehen called to put himself at risk.
Brett Feder: Q♥Q♦
Joe McKeehen: A♠A♥
No help was brought to the 2015 WSOP Main Event champion on the runout of 3♥9♠ and Feder raked in a massive pot while McKeehen was eliminated from the tournament.
Also eliminated shortly after at the same table was 8th place finisher in the 2022 WSOP Main Event, Aaron Duczak.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
354,000
285,400
|
285,400 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Having recently doubled up, David Chung committed his newly acquired 21,500 into the middle from early position and Brek Schutten called to try and bust him from the next seat.
David Chung: 8♣8♦
Brek Schutten: A♠J♦
It was a flip that Chung needed to win to keep his Main Event dream alive. Chung left Schutten almost drawing dead on the 8♥A♦8♠ flop as he improved to quad eights. The remainder of the board came Q♥9♣ and Chung yet again, doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
70,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
||
|
|
46,000
24,500
|
24,500 |
The full board 7♥A♥5♣J♣3♠ was on display, when Maurice Hawkins bet 7,000 from the big blind. Jesse Jones raised enough to put Hawkins all in were he to make the call. He did.
Maurice Hawkins: Q♥J♥
Jesse Jones: A♠7♠
Hawkins had flopped a flush draw and turned a pair of jacks, but that was not good enough against the two pair Jones hit when the dealer displayed the first three cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
206,000
129,000
|
129,000 |
|
Busted |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
616,000
23,800
|
23,800 |
|
525,000
321,000
|
321,000 |
|
455,000
167,000
|
167,000 |
|
440,000
348,800
|
348,800 |
|
232,000
24,500
|
24,500 |
|
190,000
48,000
|
48,000 |
|
|
||
|
180,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
|
||
|
175,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
170,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
170,000
14,500
|
14,500 |
|
160,000
10,500
|
10,500 |
|
|
||
|
136,000
400
|
400 |
|
|
||
|
124,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
122,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
92,000
43,000
|
43,000 |
|
|
||
|
71,000
9,500
|
9,500 |
|
63,000
28,500
|
28,500 |
|
|
||
|
60,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
||
|
51,000
109,000
|
109,000 |
|
|
44,000
7,800
|
7,800 |
|
|
35,000 | |
When the action folded around to Derek Norton, he moved all in for his remaining 20,000. One seat to his left, Jesse Williams made the call, and both of the players in the blinds folded.
Derek Norton: K♥J♥
Jesse Williams: J♦J♣
The situation wasn't looking good for Norton when the flop and turn came down 4♠7♥2♠A♠, but the K♠ river arrived just in time to keep him alive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
121,500
10,800
|
10,800 |
|
44,000
44,000
|
44,000 |
