Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 4 | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-09-2025 12:00 UTC-8

Sabag Sent Packing by Brutal River

Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

As the hand-for-hand announcement was made, Mitchell Hynam raised to 18,000 in middle position. Jesse Simon called in the cutoff, after which Roi Sabag three-bet to 100,000 in the big blind.

Hynam gave it some thought before mucking his hand, but Simon back-raised all in, covering Sabag's above-average stack of 600,000. Sabag immediately called off, and the cards hit their backs.

Roi Sabag: Q♥Q♦ All in
Jesse Simon: 7♠7♦

Sabag had a big lead over Simon's sevens, and he remained ahead on the 2♣4♦5♠ flop and 2♦ turn. Simon was left with two outs, but he hit one of them on the 7♣ river, making a full house.

Esther Taylor started screaming for the media to come over, and the table was soon crowded with cameras.

Both stacks were carefully counted, and once it was confirmed that Simon covered Sabag, the latter dropped his chips into the middle before he took a depressing exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jesse Simon	1,450,000 813,000	813,000
Esther Taylor	900,000 145,000	145,000

Mitchell Hynam	640,000 81,000	81,000

Roi Sabag	Busted

Tags: Esther Taylor Jesse Simon Mitchell Hynam Roi Sabag

07-09-2025 11:53 UTC-8

Tens are Good

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Bruno Soutavong opened to 18,000 under the gun and got called by Adrien Delmas on the button.

Both players saw a flop of 9♥Q♥4♣. Souvatong check-called Delmas bet of 18,000.

They both checked the turn 8♣ and river 5♠.

Souvatong tabled 10♦10♥, prompting Delmas to muck his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrien Delmas	730,000 113,000	113,000
Bruno Soutavong	72,000 626,000	626,000

Tags: Adrien Delmas Bruno Soutavong

07-09-2025 11:52 UTC-8

Hand-for-Hand Play Begins

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Frank Visser

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

With five players to go before the money bubble will burst, the tournament director has announced that the WSOP Main Event will play hand for hand until the money has been reached.

07-09-2025 11:50 UTC-8

Garcia Not Welcome at Buckingham's Palace

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Adam Lamers

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Kosaku Akashi opened to 17,000 in early position, and Richard Buckingham flat-called on the button. Pedro Garcia three-bet to 84,000 from the big blind, and only Buckingham called.

The flop fell J♥5♥3♣ and Garcia led out with a bet of 57,000. Buckingham slid out a stack of T-25,000 chips, enough to cover the 110,000 that Garcia had behind. After spending a few minutes in the tank, Garcia opted to send his cards into the muck and survive for now. Buckingham conceded to some peer pressure and showed the 3♥ as he dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Buckingham	1,210,000 209,000	209,000
Pedro Garcia	110,000 149,000	149,000

Tags: Kosaku Akashi Pedro Garcia Richard Buckingham

07-09-2025 11:50 UTC-8

Angelil Makes a Big Call on the Bubble

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Juliet Hegedus raised to 16,000 from the small blind and Rene-Charles Angelil defended from the big blind.

The flop came 2♥8♥J♦. Hegedus checked, Angelil bet 20,000 and Hegedus check-raised to 80,000. Angelil called.

Both players checked the 2♠ turn leading to the 6♥ river. Hegedus bet 175,000 just as the start of hand-for-hand play was being announced by the tournament staff. Angelil called after a couple minutes of contemplation.

Hegedus had a missed gutshot with Q♣9♣ while Angelil had 8♦7♠ for two pair, eights and deuces to take down a sizable pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Juliet Hegedus	1,494,000 251,000	251,000
Rene-Charles Angelil	841,000 271,000	271,000

Tags: Juliet Hegedus Rene-Charles Angelil

07-09-2025 11:49 UTC-8

Anavi Flops a Set to Double Through Polop

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Tim Baker

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Steven Touitou made it 16,000 from early position before Or Anavi three-bet to 40,000 from the next seat. David Cabrera Polop cold four-bet to 98,000 from the hijack, which only Anavi called.

Anavi knuckled the action over to Polop on the 3♣Q♣10♣ flop, and Polop jammed to put Anavi all in. Anavi raised his eyebrows, looked back at his cards, and then called for his 222,000.

Or Anavi: Q♥Q♦ All in
David Cabrera Polop: K♠K♥

Anavi flopped top set of queens against the cowboys of Polop. The J♥ turn gave Polop a straight draw, but the 6♣ on the river was clean for Anavi, and he doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Or Anavi	680,000 320,000	320,000
David Cabrera Polop	520,000 407,000	407,000
Steven Touitou	385,000 169,000	169,000

Tags: David Cabrera Polop Or Anavi Steven Touitou

07-09-2025 11:48 UTC-8

Chornyy Shuts it Down

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Dan O'Hair

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Bogdan Chornyy opened to 16,000 from middle position and was called by Nikesh Chawla on the button.

Chawla called a 13,000 bet from Chornyy on the 10♦A♥6♠ flop and a hefty 73,000 bet from Chornyy on the 8♠ turn.

The K♥ completed the board and both players checked. Chornyy tabled 9♠5♠ for a busted combo draw and Chawla revealed A♣Q♦ for a pair of aces to claim the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikesh Chawla	1,000,000 318,000	318,000
Bogdan Chornyy	620,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Bogdan Chornyy Nikesh Chawla

07-09-2025 11:46 UTC-8

Affleck Applies Max Pressure to Gaugusch

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David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Heads-up on a flop of A♦2♦3♠, Matt Affleck bet 16,000 from middle position and Florian Gaugusch called in the big blind.

The turn was the 3♣ and Affleck bet another 58,000. Gaugusch called to see the 2♣ river, where Affleck moved all in.

Gaugusch immediately buried his face in his hands and covered up with his hoodie as he lowered his head toward the table. He spent several minutes in the tank considering the decision for his last 200,000, but he eventually tossed A♥Q♣ into the muck and Affleck took the pot without showing.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Affleck	700,000 240,000	240,000
Florian Gaugusch	200,000 53,000	53,000

Tags: Matt Affleck Florian Gaugusch

07-09-2025 11:41 UTC-8

Sheils Turns Up the Heat

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Stewart Morrison

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Brandon Sheils kicked the action off with a raise to 18,000 under the gun. Alberto Destrade was the only player to call, doing so on the button.

Both players checked on the 10♦Q♠J♣ flop, before moving on to the Q♦ turn.

Sheils picked his betting lead back up, putting 22,000 into the middle, which Destrade called.

The river added another queen to the board, coming the Q♣. Sheils continued with aggression, putting out a more substantial bet of 170,000.

Destrade didn't take too long before returning his cards to the dealer, surrendering the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alberto Destrade	990,000 36,000	36,000
Brandon Sheils	710,000 26,000	26,000

Tags: Alberto Destrade Brandon Sheils

07-09-2025 11:37 UTC-8

Paukovitz Runs Into Overcards and Runs Out of Time

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Sava Krink

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

David Paukovitz had been hanging on as the short stack at the table, down to just 22,000. He was under the gun, took a quick look at his cards, and his expression said it all; it was now or never. He moved all in.

Joel Shackelford, sitting in middle position, three-bet to 62,000 to isolate, and everyone else got out of the way.

David Paukovitz: J♠J♥ All in
Joel Shackelford: A♣K♥

Paukovitz didn't want to watch. It seemed like he had a bad feeling, and the flop confirmed it, 6♠A♣10♣ gave Shackelford top pair. The 4♦ turn offered no help, and the 9♥ river ended Paukovitz’s Main Event run, sending him to the rail with his hopes dashed just before the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joel Shackelford	424,000 56,000	56,000
David Paukovitz	Busted

Tags: David Paukovitz Joel Shackelford