Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 5 | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-10-2025 15:29 UTC-8

No Insurance for Affleck

Adam Lamers

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

A completed board of K♦Q♠4♦9♠Q♥ was spread across the felt with around 600,000 in the middle already. Alon Shahar led out with a bet of 420,000 in middle position and Matt Affleck dipped into the think tank.

According to the TV crew, Affleck spent about five minutes in the tank before finally making the call. Shahar rolled over A♣Q♣ for trip queens and Affleck saw the majority of his stack slide across the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alon Shahar	2,910,000 1,930,000	1,930,000
Matt Affleck	280,000 540,000	540,000

Tags: Matt Affleck Alon Shahar

07-10-2025 15:27 UTC-8

Merson Correctly Folds a Straight

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Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Santiago Montes opened from middle position to 60,000 with K♦J♥ and Greg Merson defended his big blind holding 8♥6♣.

They both picked up something on the 8♠7♣10♥ flop and Merson check-called a bet of 45,000 from Montes.

A 7♦ on the turn was checked through and both hit a straight on the 9♥ river. Merson threw out a bet of 50,000, then Montes announced a raise to 175,000. Merson sat still with his gallon of milk in front of him and took some time to think about it before he came to the correct conclusion and folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Greg Merson	2,010,000 185,000	185,000

Santiago Montes	1,440,000 140,000	140,000

Tags: Greg Merson Santiago Montes

07-10-2025 15:25 UTC-8

Boivin Chips Up as Hesse Hero-Calls

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Frank Visser

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

In a limped pot to the Q♥4♣A♠, Thomas Boivin bet 30,000 from the small blind, and Stephen Hesse called in the big blind. The 2♠ turn then checked through to the 9♠ river, which Boivin also checked.

Hesse fired 35,000, and Boivin put in a massive check-raise to 400,000, more than half his stack. After some minutes in the tank, Hesse called.

Boivin showed K♠5♠ for the nuts, and Hesse quickly tossed his Q♣J♦ in the muck, having called with second pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stephen Hesse	3,255,000 505,000	505,000
Thomas Boivin	1,250,000 365,000	365,000

Tags: Stephen Hesse Thomas Boivin

07-10-2025 15:24 UTC-8

Overton Can't Le Down Trips

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Connor Richards

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

In a heads-up pot on a board of K♥8♥J♠J♥10♥, Aaron Overton checked and Tony Le bet 300,000 with around that already in the middle.

"How can I fold this hand?" Overton said before calling for most of his stack.

Le could only show A♠10♠ and Overton turned over Q♠J♣ to win the pot with trips.

Before the next hand, Japan's Yuta Mutsuura told the table that it was his first time in America.

"It's been a pretty good start," quipped John Petro to bring laughs from the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aaron Overton	1,300,000 85,000	85,000
Tony Le	1,200,000 695,000	695,000

Tags: Aaron Overton John Petro Tony Le Yuta Mutsuura

07-10-2025 15:21 UTC-8

Matsuura Wins Sizeable Pot Against Sasaki

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Erick Torres

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

This hand was caught when the board read 10♠3♥8♣9♦8♥ in a pot that swelled to approximately 1,000,000 in chips in what was told to PokerNews to be a four-bet pot that saw a series of small bets on the flop and turn.

Seiji Sasaki opted to check the river, and after some considerable thought, Yuta Mutsuura also checked to send them to a showdown.

Sasaki showed Q♥10♥ for top pair and a busted straight draw. Matsuura rolled over his Q♣Q♦ to show an overpair and scoop the big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yuta Mutsuura	2,200,000 1,360,000	1,360,000
Seiji Sasaki	965,000 960,000	960,000

Tags: Seiji Sasaki Yuta Mutsuura

07-10-2025 15:20 UTC-8

No Flowers for Liu

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

On a heads-up turn of A♣10♣9♦2♦, Frank Flowers in the cutoff was all-in for 560,000 against Tian Liu from under the gun and they flipped over the following cards.

Frank Flowers: 9♣9♥ All in
Tian Liu: K♣J♦

Flowers only needed to dodge queens and did so thanks to the 8♣ on the river to nearly pull even with Liu.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tian Liu	1,550,000 1,050,000	1,050,000
Frank Flowers	1,475,000 525,000	525,000

Tags: Frank Flowers Tian Liu

07-10-2025 15:19 UTC-8

Berger Doubles But for a Single Chip

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

On a pay jump from $40,000 to $45,000, David Berger in the small blind three-bet with a single T-5,000 chip behind and was called by Theodore Doukas. The two players checked down the entire board of J♦6♠4♠4♣3♣ and Berger tabled his A♦A♣, Doukas nodded and mucked.

"Great, now we don't know what he called with," Anastasija Zavorotnaja said and Joshua Beckenstein replied "I like it ... I like it a lot."

Player	Chips	Progress
Theodore Doukas	1,200,000 785,000	785,000
David Berger	305,000 385,000	385,000

Tags: Anastasija Zavorotnaja David Berger Joshua Beckenstein Theodore Doukas

07-10-2025 15:19 UTC-8

Cooper Has Smith Pipped For a Bustout

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David Salituro

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

With around 300,000 in the middle on a flop of A♠2♦4♣, David Smith bet 140,000 from middle position before Jason Cooper moved all in for 685,000 in early position. Smith turned to look at the tournament clock before calling.

David Smith: A♥Q♠ All in
Jason Cooper: A♣K♥

Both players had flopped top pair, but Cooper was ahead with his king-kicker. Smith couldn't improve on the 9♦ turn or 3♣ river and Cooper locked up the pot.

The stacks were counted down and Cooper barely had Smith covered, sending him to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jason Cooper	1,600,000 920,000	920,000
David Smith	Busted

Tags: David Smith Jason Cooper

07-10-2025 15:19 UTC-8

Loewry Busts Trying to Bluff Angelil

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Tim Baker

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

On a completed board of 4♠K♥2♦5♠K♦ and with approximately 600,000 in the pot, Rene-Charles Angelil checked from the big blind, and Jacob Lowery jammed for 500,000 from early position. Angelil got an exact count from the dealer and thought for a while before deciding on a call.

Loewry showed a busted flush draw with A♠10♠, and lost the pot to Angelil's K♠6♥ for trip kings. Loewry's Main Event came to an abrupt end, while Angelil increased his stack to 2,200,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rene-Charles Angelil	2,200,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Jacob Lowery	Busted

Tags: Jacob Lowery

07-10-2025 15:18 UTC-8

Green Slows Down Tajiou

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Mounir Tajiou opened to 65,000 from under the gun and Richard Green defended from the big blind.

The flop came J♠6♣4♣ and Green check-called a 40,000 continuation bet from Tajiou.

Tajiou sized up with a 300,000 bet into the 255,000 pot when checked to on the 5♦ turn. Green called again before both players checked the 6♦ river.

Tajiou had A♠K♣ for just ace-high while Green had two pair with 7♦7♣ to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mounir Tajiou	3,120,000 530,000	530,000
Richard Green	2,090,000 420,000	420,000

Tags: Mounir Tajiou Richard Green