Event #88: $50,000 High Roller Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-09-2025 21:38 UTC-8

Pacheco Forces a Fold From Wong

Dan O'Hair

Level 9 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Jason Wong opened to 21,000 from the cutoff and called a three-bet of 61,000 from Andrew Pacheco, who was in the small blind.

Wong called a 40,000 bet from Pacheco on the Q♥5♠10♥ flop, but folded facing an 80,000 barrel from Pacheco on the 10♠ turn.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Pacheco	630,000 30,000	30,000
Jason Wong	590,000 145,000	145,000

07-09-2025 21:38 UTC-8

Oya Soaring After Rezeai Elimination

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Liam Gannon

Level 9 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Action was picked up with cards on their backs with Daniel Razaei all in for his 415,000 in the hijack and Masashi Oya in the small blind with the covering stack.

Daniel Razaei: Q♣Q♠ All in
Masashi Oya: A♦K♦

The board ran out 5♦8♦3♣K♣A♣ and the aces up was good for Masashi to take down the pot and take the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Masashi Oya	1,930,000 1,041,000	1,041,000

Daniel Rezaei	Busted

Tags: Daniel Razaei Masashi Oya

07-09-2025 21:40 UTC-8

Lijo Cracks Wilson's Aces

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Brett Slezak

Level 9 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

After a raising war preflop, Lander Lijo was all-in for his final 271,000 from middle position, at risk against the covering stack of Brandon Wilson in the hijack.

Lander Lijo: A♥K♥ All in
Brandon Wilson: A♦A♣

It was a brutal cooler for Lijo as the Q♠J♣7♣ flop brought him some life with a gutshot. Nothing changed on the 6♠ turn until the 10♦ completed the board, giving Lijo broadway as he decimated Wilson in brutal fashion to double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lander Lijo	567,000 73,000	73,000
Brandon Wilson	90,000 86,000	86,000

Tags: Brandon Wilson Lander Lijo

07-09-2025 21:44 UTC-8

Brewer's Queens are Best

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Dan O'Hair

Level 9 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Chris Brewer raised to 22,000 from early position and called a three-bet of 57,000 from Ryan Feldman, who was in the hijack.

Brewer check-called a 20,000 bet from Feldman on the J♦2♠J♠ flop and a 62,000 bet from Feldman on the K♥ turn.

The K♠ river double-paired the board and both players checked.

Brewer turned over Q♦Q♣ for queens-up and Feldman tossed his hand into the muck.

"I didn't want to get snapped," Feldman said as Brewer collected the chips.

"Well, I wasn't going to snap..." Brewer replied.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Feldman	1,520,000 70,000	70,000
Chris Brewer	930,000 6,000	6,000

Tags: Chris Brewer Ryan Feldman

Level: 10

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 12,000

07-09-2025 21:57 UTC-8

Wilson Triples; Katz Scoops Vaitiekunas

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Liam Gannon

Level 10 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Paulius Vaitiekunas raised to 24,000 in the hijack and Brandon Wilson moved all in for 63,000 from the small blind while Cary Katz moved all in from the big blind for 248,000. Vaitiekunas called to put them both at risk.

Brandon Wilson: 9♥8♥ All in
Cary Katz: A♠K♦ All in
Paulius Vaitiekunas: A♣Q♥

The board ran out 4♠8♣5♦9♦A♥ and the nines up was good for Wilson to take down the main pot to triple, while Katz made money off of Vaitiekunas in the side pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paulius Vaitiekunas	885,000 83,000	83,000

Cary Katz	370,000 148,000	148,000

Brandon Wilson	201,000 111,000	111,000

Tags: Brandon Wilson Cary Katz Paulius Vaitiekunas

07-09-2025 21:58 UTC-8

Koon Calls Out Kulev's Hand, Calls, and Busts

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Brett Slezak

Level 10 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Action picked up on the turn with the board reading 9♦6♦2♣J♣ in a hand between Alex Kulev from middle position and Jason Koon in the cutoff with around 190,000 in the middle already.

Kulev checked to Koon who bet 65,000 before Kulev jammed for 575,000 effective as the slightly covering stack.

"You have kings, don't you?" Koon lamented as he put in the call for his tournament life.

Jason Koon: Q♦J♦ All in
Alex Kulev: K♠K♥

Koon held top pair and a flush draw against the aforementioned kings of Kulev. Koon had fourteen outs to win but he could not find one on the 5♣ river as he was eliminated in a massive pot to the hands of Kulev who has moved well over seven figures.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Kulev	1,350,000 506,000	506,000

Jason Koon	Busted

Tags: Alex Kulev Jason Koon

07-09-2025 22:07 UTC-8

Lee Triples up After "Fun Sweat"

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Dan O'Hair

Level 10 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Chang Lee was already all in for his last 113,000 preflop from the big blind against Cary Katz in middle position and Paulius Vaitiekunas on the button, who both had Lee covered.

"This would be a good one to hit," Katz said before the 5♠6♠10♠ flop was dealt. Both players then checked.

The 6♥ fell on the turn and Katz moved all in, which got a quick fold from Vaitiekunas to set up a showdown between Katz and Lee.

Chang Lee: 9♠9♦ All in
Cary Katz: K♣10♣

Katz was ahead with his ten, but would need to fade a nine or spade to eliminate Lee.

"This is a fun sweat," Katz said.

The dealer brought the K♠ on the river, giving Katz top two pair but also improving Lee to a winning flush for the triple-up as he erupted into celebration.

"Good job, nice hand," Katz said as he offered Lee a handshake. "You wanted it more, you deserve it."

Player	Chips	Progress
Paulius Vaitiekunas	775,000 110,000	110,000

Chang Lee	360,000 200,000	200,000

Cary Katz	250,000 120,000	120,000

Tags: Cary Katz Chang Lee Paulius Vaitiekunas

07-09-2025 22:09 UTC-8

Spitale Falls To Foxen

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Liam Gannon

Level 10 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Pavel Plesuv raised to 24,000 from under the gun and in the hijack, Franco Spitale moved all in for 83,000. Alex Foxen called in the cutoff and Plesuv folded.

Franco Spitale: K♣Q♠ All in
Alex Foxen: 9♥9♦

The board ran out 2♦J♥4♣9♣6♣ and the set of nines was god for Foxen while Spitale was eliminated from the tournament.

Shortly before that, the defending champion Jared Bleznick was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pavel Plesuv	1,325,000 250,000	250,000

Alex Foxen	645,000 85,000	85,000

Jared Bleznick	Busted

Franco Spitale	Busted

Tags: Alex Foxen Franco Spitale Jared Bleznick Pavel Plesuv

07-09-2025 22:13 UTC-8

Badziakouski Rivers Arends

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Brett Slezak

Level 10 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Mikita Badziakouski opened the hijack to 30,000 and Yuri Dzivielevski called in the small blind. In the big blind, Jans Arends jammed for his final 68,000. Badziakouski then clicked it with a minimum raise to 106,000, and Dzivielevski folded after a small tank.

Jans Arends: K♦Q♥ All in
Mikita Badziakouski: K♥7♥

Arends was in good shape with the dominating king on the 9♠5♠2♣ flop. Nothing changed on the 10♠ turn as neither player held a spade. However, the river was the 7♦ and Badziakouski flipped the script to eliminate Arends.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikita Badziakouski	605,000 345,000	345,000

Yuri Dzivielevski	505,000 270,000	270,000

Jans Arends	Busted

Tags: Jans Arends Mikita Badziakouski Yuri Dzivielevski