Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-13-2025 16:34 UTC-8

Musa Takes from Castagnini

Gaelle Jaudon

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Bahar Musa raised and only got called by Maximiliano Castagnini seated in the big blind.

The flop gave K♥3♣9♣ and Castagnini first checked. Musa continued for 850,000 and Castagnini raised it to 2,800,000. Musa thought about it and called.

When the K♠ hit the turn, Castagnini led out for 6,000,000. Once again, Musa called.

A Q♣ brought no action on the river and they tabled their cards. Castagnini held A♥3♠ for two pair of threes and the pot was sent to Musa who showed A♦K♦ for trips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bahar Musa	32,500,000 13,000,000	13,000,000
Maximiliano Castagnini	16,700,000 8,600,000	8,600,000

Tags: Bahar Musa Maximiliano Castagnini

07-13-2025 16:23 UTC-8

Seat	Player	Country	Chip count	Big blinds
1	Maximiliano Castagnini	Argentina	25,300,000	51
2	Bogdan Munteanu	Romania	18,900,000	38
3	Mikhail Zavoloka	Russian Federation	22,800,000	46
4	Bahar Musa	Bulgaria	19,500,000	39
5	Jacopo Achille	Italy	11,300,000	23
6	Simon Wilson	Ireland	9,800,000	20
7	Andrew Robinson	United States	5,000,000	10
8	Ankit Ahuja	India	9,750,000	20
9	Ian O'Hara	United States	19,600,000	39
10	Eshaan Bhalla	United States	8,800,000	18

Player	Chips	Progress
Maximiliano Castagnini	25,300,000 6,400,000	6,400,000
Mikhail Zavoloka	22,800,000 6,050,000	6,050,000
Ian O'Hara	19,600,000 800,000	800,000

Bahar Musa	19,500,000 3,100,000	3,100,000
Bogdan Munteanu	18,900,000
Jacopo Achille	11,300,000 1,750,000	1,750,000

Simon Wilson	9,800,000 1,250,000	1,250,000
Ankit Ahuja	9,750,000 1,250,000	1,250,000
Eshaan Bhalla	8,800,000 1,200,000	1,200,000

Andrew Robinson	5,000,000 4,125,000	4,125,000

Artem Tuliupa Eliminated in 11th Place ($93,602)

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Sava Krink

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Bogdan Munteanu opened from under the gun to 1,125,000 and found a single caller in Artem Tuliupa, who defended his big blind.

The flop came A♥Q♥2♦, and after a check from Tuliupa, Munteanu moved all in. Tuliupa snap-called, and the cards went on their backs.

Artem Tuliupa: 7♥3♥ All in
Bogdan Munteanu: A♠10♥

Tuliupa held a flush draw and needed a heart to survive, and the 9♥ turn delivered just that. But celebration came too soon, as the 6♥ river brought a fourth heart and gave Munteanu the higher flush with the ten.

Tuliupa, who had already taken a few hits earlier, saw his run come to an end as Munteanu claimed yet another knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	18,900,000 4,100,000	4,100,000
Artem Tuliupa	Busted

Tags: Artem Tuliupa Bogdan Munteanu

07-13-2025 16:12 UTC-8

Ning Dong Eliminated in 12th Place ($74,383)

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Gaelle Jaudon

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Ning Dong shoved in the hijack for 1,750,000 and Bogdan Munteanu decided to call on the button. It folded to Bahar Musa in the big blind who took a minute and shoved. Munteanu snap-folded and the cards were tabled:

Ning Dong: Q♣J♥ All in
Bahar Musa: A♠A♥

Dong was in terrible shape to survive, and found anothing on the 10♣4♣2♦8♣J♠ to officialy bust in 12th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bahar Musa	16,400,000 3,275,000	3,275,000
Bogdan Munteanu	14,800,000 1,300,000	1,300,000
Ning Dong	Busted

Tags: Bahar Musa Ning Dong Bogdan Munteanu

07-13-2025 16:05 UTC-8

Munteanu Spikes a Queen to Double Through Tuliupa

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Sava Krink

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Ning Dong opened the action from the cutoff with a raise to 2,400,000, leaving himself just 1,600,000 behind. Artem Tuliupa moved all in from the button for 10,250,000, and Bogdan Munteanu in the small blind took a moment before shoving as well for 6,475,000, putting himself at risk. Dong got out of the way, and the cards were tabled.

Bogdan Munteanu: A♣Q♥ All in
Artem Tuliupa: 9♠9♣

Tuliupa held the lead with pocket nines, and the 2♥3♠K♣ flop kept him ahead. The 10♥ turn gave Munteanu a few extra outs with a Broadway draw, and sure enough, the Q♣ landed on the river to pair his queen and snatch the pot.

Munteanu secured a crucial double-up, while both Tuliupa and Dong were left short-stacked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	16,100,000 7,900,000	7,900,000
Artem Tuliupa	3,775,000 7,900,000	7,900,000
Ning Dong	1,600,000 4,400,000	4,400,000

Tags: Artem Tuliupa Bogdan Munteanu Ning Dong

07-13-2025 16:00 UTC-8

Castagnini Grabs Some Chips from O'Hara

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Gaelle Jaudon

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Ian O'Hara raised to 1,000,000 and Maximiliano Castagnini called next to him and both checked on a flop 10♥4♦2♥.

On the 10♣ turn, O'Hara check-folded after Castagnini bet 1,300,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ian O'Hara	20,400,000 50,000	50,000

Maximiliano Castagnini	18,900,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Ian O'Hara Maximiliano Castagnini

07-13-2025 15:49 UTC-8

Matthew Beinner Eliminated in 13th Place ($74,383)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Bogdan Munteanu opened to 1,000,000 from middle position and Matthew Beinner defended from the big blind.

The dealer fanned a flop of 6♠J♣Q♦, and all the chips went in the middle with Beinner at risk for less than a million.

Matthew Beinner: 7♦6♦ All in
Bogdan Munteanu: A♠A♥

Beinner ran into aces and didn't find any help with the 2♦Q♠ runout so he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	8,200,000 2,425,000	2,425,000
Matthew Beinner	Busted

Tags: Bogdan Munteanu Matthew Beinner

07-13-2025 15:48 UTC-8

George Tomescu Eliminated in 14th Place ($59,615)

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Gaelle Jaudon

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Mikhail Zavoloka raised under the gun to 1,000,000 and it folded to George Tomescu in the big blind who chose to raise it to 6,600,000, keeping only 625,000 behind. After a minute, Zavoloka shoved and Tomescu sent his last chips in the middle:

George Tomescu: A♠2♠ All in
Mikhail Zavoloka: A♣Q♦

Tomescu's hand was dominated and didn't improve as the board went 4♦9♠7♦K♠9♦, which eliminated him in 14th place for a $59,615 payday.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	28,850,000 11,900,000	11,900,000
George Tomescu	Busted

Tags: George Tomescu Mikhail Zavoloka

07-13-2025 15:38 UTC-8

Alan Keating ‘Got Outplayed’ in WSOP Heads-Up Event; Wants to Face Negreanu

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Chuck Sklar

Level 34 : 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Alan Keating had an opportunity to prove to the high-stakes tournament grinders — notably, Daniel Negreanu — that he can hang in their arena. But the Hustler Casino Live fan favorite bowed out in the second round of Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up Championship on Friday at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

Keating, known primarily for his high-stakes cash game appearances, has over $200,000 in career WSOP earnings but hasn’t recorded a WSOP cash since 2013. Recently, he’s been publicly challenged by several high-stakes pros—including Negreanu — to step outside the comfort of the private cash game scene and compete against the game's elites.

It seems Negreanu was on Keating’s mind when he registered for the event. When PokerNews caught up with him and asked about his motivation for playing, Keating said, “It’s a heads-up tournament, and I saw Negreanu was on the list,” adding that he thought to himself, “Alright, here’s my chance to find him in his streets.”

Updated Chip Counts

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Maxime Taldir

Level 34 : 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ian O'Hara	20,350,000 6,100,000	6,100,000

Maximiliano Castagnini	18,925,000 2,075,000	2,075,000
Mikhail Zavoloka	16,950,000 2,050,000	2,050,000
Bahar Musa	13,125,000 1,025,000	1,025,000
Jacopo Achille	13,050,000 550,000	550,000

Artem Tuliupa	11,675,000 1,875,000	1,875,000
Simon Wilson	11,050,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Andrew Robinson	9,125,000 1,875,000	1,875,000
George Tomescu	9,125,000 325,000	325,000
Ankit Ahuja	8,500,000 800,000	800,000
Eshaan Bhalla	7,600,000 1,600,000	1,600,000

Ning Dong	6,000,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Bogdan Munteanu	5,775,000 375,000	375,000
Matthew Beinner	2,700,000 550,000	550,000