For the third hand in a row, Kyle Grupp and Michael Mizrachi clashed.
Grupp opened from the hijack with 9♣8♣ to 400,000, and Mizrachi, sitting on Q♥Q♣, fired back with a three-bet to 975,000.
Grupp made the call, and they went to a flop that came 6♣7♦8♠, giving Grupp top pair and an open-ender.
Grupp led out for 625,000, and Mizrachi responded with a raise to 2,100,000. Grupp came over the top with a shove to 7,800,000, leaving just 25,000 behind. Mizrachi moved all in, and Grupp took his time before the call, putting his tournament life on the line.
With the cards on their backs, Grupp needed a ten, nine, eight, or five to survive. The 2♥ turn offered no help, and the Q♠ river sealed it as Mizrachi improved to a set and sent Grupp to the rail after a dramatic three-hand saga.
After some arguments between Will Kassouf and Tomas Szwarcberg surrounding the clock being called too early, Kassouf started bantering his tablemate within earshot of the tournament floor supervisor. He was then given a one round penalty and took that time to step away from the table to have a discussion with two of the tournament directors.
Kassouf was still in the middle of explaining his situation and all of the controversy that took place on Day 6 when Jack Effel arrived in the tournament area.
"This conversation is over. There is nothing else to be said here. Take your one-round penalty and shut up," Effel went off on Kassouf. "If you follow me or if this continues, I will have security escort you out of here and you will be disqualified."
Kassouf was clearly not happy with the situation unfolding and took it outside of the ropes to continue explaining his situation to the PokerGO camera.
Albert Calderon was in the tank from early position and was given 30 seconds to act before he shoved all in for 3,525,000. Maxim Babko also spent some time in the tank before the clock was called on him as well. Babko eventually moved in the last of his 2,050,000 chips and the rest of the table quickly folded.
Maxim Babko: A♣K♣
Albert Calderon: A♥A♦
Babko ran into it as Calderon turned over the one hand he did not want to see. The board ran out 10♠7♦5♦8♥9♠ and Calderon's pocket aces held on to eliminate Babko.
Charles Lee shoved from early position for just over 2,000,000, and Tony Gregg called in the hijack.
Charles Lee: A♥10♦
Tony Gregg: J♠J♦
Lee was behind, but did pick up some more outs on the 10♣7♣Q♠ flop. An 8♥ on the turn left him with one more shot at survival, but he couldn't make it happen as the K♣ on the river sealed his fate.
Ben Jackson pushed all in from under the gun for his last five and a half blinds, with the prospect of being the big blind in the very next hand for almost one third of his stack. Kenny Hallaert called two seats over and the rest of the table folded.
Ben Jackson: Q♠8♦
Kenny Hallaert: 10♦10♥
Jackson had one overcard at his disposal, but missed on the J♥7♠7♦ flop and the 4♣ turn. The river was the 2♣ and that spelled the end for Jackson. As the first casualty on Day 7, he receives $165,000 for his 57th place finish.
Sergio Veloso raised to 400,000 in early position before Mitchell Hynam three-bet to 1,200,000 in the hijack. Veloso then moved all in for 11,700,000, and Hynam called.
Sergio Veloso: A♦K♣
Mitchell Hynam: Q♠Q♦
Nearly 25,000,000 was at stake in the classic flip as the 10♥10♦3♥ flop kept Hynam in the lead with his queens, but the turn brought the K♥ to give Veloso two pair. The river was the J♥, and Veloso earned the massive double up, knocking Hynam down to a short stack.
From a field of 9,735 hopefuls chasing poker’s most prestigious title, only 57 players remain as Day 7 of the 2025 World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event No-Limit Hold'em World Championship begins today at 12 p.m. local time inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. They’ve already locked up $165,000 apiece, but the real prize lies ahead: a spot at the final table, and a shot at the $10,000,000 top prize from the massive $90,535,500 prize pool.
Kenny Hallaert leads the way after a late-night surge on Day 6 saw him eliminate two players with aces, which sent his stack soaring to 36,950,000. Hallaert, who was born in Belgium but now resides in the UK, is no stranger to this stage as he finished sixth in 2016, and now finds himself in familiar territory with a chance to make poker’s biggest final table once again.
Kenny Hallaert
Eric Afriat sits just behind with 31,200,000 after a dream Day 6 that included cracking aces and a set of queens in a 20-million chip pot when his combo draw came in on the river. Despite multiple major titles, Afriat’s lone WSOP final table came back in 2018 when he finished fifth in The Closer. He didn’t hesitate when asked if he’d trade it all just to make the Main Event final table, “100 percent,” he said. “Maybe this is the second magic that’s going to happen.”
Rounding out the top three is Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, who bagged 19,925,000 thanks in part to a hero call with pocket sevens for a flush on a four-heart board late on Day 6. The seven-time bracelet winner famously finished fifth in the 2010 Main Event and says this run is déjà vu...except this time he said, “we’re gonna win it.”
Top Ten Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Kenny Hallaert
Belgium
36,950,000
246
2
Eric Afriat
Canada
31,200,000
208
3
Michael Mizrachi
United States
19,925,000
133
4
Daehyung Lee
South Korea
18,675,000
125
5
Chad Power
United States
18,575,000
124
6
Richard Freitas
Brazil
18,500,000
123
7
Joey Padron
United States
16,675,000
111
8
Adam Hendrix
United States
16,125,000
108
9
Braxton Dunaway
United States
15,725,000
105
10
Muhamet Perati
Italy
14,950,000
100
Among the 57 players returning for Day 7 are several familiar faces and rising stars hoping to carve their names into Main Event history. Adam Hendrix (16,125,000) and Braxton Dunaway (15,725,000) both bagged healthy stacks as they look to parlay consistent series runs into career-defining results. Muhamet Perati (14,950,000), Derek Sudell (12,925,000), and Leo Margets (6,400,000) also made it through, with the Spanish player once again earning the label of last woman standing.
Tomas Szwarcberg, who finished 30th last year, is back for another Day 7 appearance with 11,500,000, while Joey Padron (16,675,000) and Daehyung Lee (18,675,000) sit comfortably in the top ten.
Greg Merson
One of the most intriguing storylines belongs to Greg Merson, the 2012 Main Event champion and the only Main Event winner still in contention. Merson bagged 3,025,000 and will return as one of the shorter stacks, but with his deep-run experience and Main Event pedigree, he's not a player anyone will be overlooking.
Remaining Payouts
Place
Prize
Place
Prize
1
$10,000,000
10-11
$750,000
2
$6,000,000
12-13
$560,250
3
$4,000,000
14-17
$450,000
4
$3,000,000
18-26
$360,000
5
$2,400,000
27-35
$300,000
6
$1,900,000
36-44
$240,000
7
$1,500,000
45-53
$200,000
8
$1,250,000
54-57
$165,000
9
$1,000,000
The 57 remaining contenders have secured at least $165,000. The next pay jump comes at 53rd place, where payouts rise to $200,000. As the field shrinks, so do the gaps between life-changing sums: $300,000 awaits those who survive to the final 35, while a spot in the top 11 is worth at least $750,000. Though the bracelet won’t be awarded today, every decision on Day 7 inches players closer to the $10,000,000 top prize and a place in poker history.
With the blinds starting at 100,000/200,000 and a 200,000 big blind ante, the pressure will be on from the beginning. The average stack sits at just over 10,200,000, giving players just over 51 big blinds. Every pot matters. Every decision could be the difference between a historic run and a heartbreaking exit.
Action gets underway at 12 p.m. local time, with cards-up coverage streaming on PokerGO on a one-hour delay starting at 1 p.m. Stick with PokerNews throughout the day for exclusive chip counts, hands, photos, and player interviews as the road to the final table continues.
