2025 World Series of Poker
Robert Ashelm from the small blind and Lok Chan from the cutoff were heads-up to the completed board of Q♣8♥6♥2♥5♥ with around 135,000 in the middle already.
Ashelm would lead all-in for 73,000, sending Chan into the tank. He was clearly pained by the decision as he apologized to the table for taking so much time. In actuality, he took just over a minute before he stuck in the call.
Robert Ashelm: 5♦5♣
Lok Chan: 3♠3♥
Ashelm had rivered a set but had no heart in his hand as Chan made an impressive hero-call with just the three of hearts to drag a massive one and eliminate Ashelm.
Action was picked as Nadya Magnus put Claudio Elizalde all in on a board of 10♠6♥Q♦7♠2♦, both had checked on the flop, Magnus bet 16,000 on the turn and shoved 110,000 on the river after Elizalde checked.
Elizalde took his time before he eventually made the hero call. Magnus tabled K♥K♦ for an over pair to the board, and Elizalde tabled 10♥9♥ for second pair.
Isaac Rodgin opened to 5,000 from under the gun, Omid Nikzad called from middle position and Dario Dussan Guzman called from the cutoff.
The flop came 4♦J♣9♥. Rodgin bet 7,000, Nikzad shoved for 24,000, Guzman folded 7♠7♣ and Rodgin snap-called with a covering stack to put Nikzad at risk.
Omid Nikzad: J♦10♦
Isaac Rodgin: 9♠9♣
Nikzad was drawing dead by the turn and was sent to the rail after the 9♦K♥ runout improved Rodgin to quad nines.
Jarryd Godena raised to 5,000 from the hijack, and was promptly met with a three-bet one seat to his left. It was Jon Kyte who had put in the raise, upping the price of poker to 16,000. Action folded back to Godena, who moved all in for 102,000, and Kyte made the immediate call.
Jarryd Godena: A♠K♥
Jon Kyte: J♣J♦
There was no help to be found for Godena when the board ran out Q♥9♣7♠7♣8♠, giving Kyte's stack an early boost and sending Godena to the rail.
Jennifer Harman raised to 5,000 and Tung-Jung Wu three-bet all in for 40,500. Harman counted out her chips and thought over her decision before calling.
Tung-Jung Wu: K♣Q♥
Jennifer Harman: 9♦9♠
Harman was ahead but would have to dodge outs after the flop came J♣10♥7♣. She covered some of them with her pocket pair, and the 10♦6♦ runout sent Wu to the rail as the Hall of Famer chipped up.
High-stakes pro Michael Rocco took to farming after a series of near misses last year, and the beat he just received in the Main Event likely has him dreaming of crops and fields.
Picking up the action on a flop of Q♦6♥4♥ in a three-way pot, Greg Raymer bet in early position and Michael Rocco called in the cutoff as Hung Nguyen called on the button.
Raymer bet 20,000 on the 7♠ turn and Rocco shuffled his chips behind rose-tinted sunglasses before moving all in for around 134,500. Nguyen folded and the 2004 Main Event champion called.
Michael Rocco: 5♣3♣
Greg Raymer: 6♠6♦
Rocco had turned a straight on Raymer's set of sixes, but the dealer put down the Q♠ river to improve Raymer to a full house. Rocco, visibly frustrated, flicked his chips toward the pot as he stood up from his seat.
Rocco regained his composure moments later and left on a light note. "You guys don't mind if I play with that 25,000 chip, do you?" he joked as he pointed to a green chip that the dealer had yet to give Raymer.
Gary Tomes opened to 6,000 from the hijack and picked up two callers in Dustin Schoonover from the small blind & Viet Vo in the big blind.
The flop fell 3♥A♠8♠ and once it checked to Tomes, he continued for 7,000. Schoonover then check-raised to 17,000, Vo cold-called, and Tomes got out of the way.
A K♠ landed on the turn and Schoonover checked it over to Vo, who bet 34,500. Schoonover had just under 80,000 in his stack and was in the tank for around four minutes while he contemplated how to proceed. He looked like he was going to call, then fold, but eventually decided to shove for 79,500.
"Oh my god, what the hell," said a shocked Vo, who was laughing to himself at the situation.
"All that time in the tank, it's probably going to work for you," he added. Eventually, after spending a few minutes in the tank himself, Vo called.
"Do you have a flush?" asked Schoonover. "Yeah, I got it," replied Vo.
Dustin Schoonover: A♣K♥
Viet Vo: 9♠3♠
Schoonover couldn't believe it and was up and out the door as soon as the 4♠ hit the river. Vo, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief that his flush was good, which brought his stack to around 240,000.
"Nice hand," said one of the table. Vo responded, "Man, I thought he had it. All that tanking was going to work out for him."
Samuel Gruber raised to 34,000 from late position and on the button, Tom Fuchs called.
The flop rolled out 7♠4♠5♥ and both players checked to the turn 4♥ where Gruber check-called an all in bet for 2,500.
Samuel Gruber: 9♣8♣
Tom Fuchs: A♥A♠
Gruber was drawing to a straight to survive, but it did not materialize on the river 4♦ and Gruber became one of the day's first eliminations.