Event #90: $777 Lucky 7's
Day 3 Completed
Event #90: $777 Lucky 7's
Day 3 Completed
Event #90: $777 Lucky 7’s No-Limit Hold’em is not just another tournament; it is one of the most unique and action-packed events on the World Series of Poker schedule. As the only seven-handed event of the series and the only one with a guaranteed $777,777 prize for the winner, it draws a massive field chasing poker glory.
Nelson Mari Sanchez navigated through 8,012 runners to capture the lion’s share of the $5,447,118 prize pool and his first World Series of Poker bracelet. After entering heads-up play with a three-to-one chip lead, Sanchez was able to close out the victory against Yu Liu under the glow of the Horseshoe Las Vegas.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nelson Mari Sanchez | Mexico | $777,777 |
| 2 | Yu Liu | Canada | $332,777 |
| 3 | Nicola Bracchi | Italy | $244,777 |
| 4 | Allen Shen | Canada | $181,777 |
| 5 | Kieran Walsh | Ireland | $135,777 |
| 6 | Hertsel Levy | Panama | $101,777 |
| 7 | Hayato Kitajima | Japan | $77,777 |
| 8 | Patrick Leonard | United Kingdom | $59,470 |
Sanchez has been playing poker for twelve years and competing at the World Series for two. His largest previous score was $6,006, according to The Hendon Mob but today's win will be more than one hundred times that amount.
"This is a huge change for my bankroll. I’m not sure what’s next, but I know I’ll be back to defend this title next year," he told PokerNews in a winner's interview.
Sanchez didn’t have a set strategy for the final table, nor did he adjust his game under the pressure of the big stage. He mentioned being aware that Patrick Leonard was a well-known professional, but since Leonard lasted only one hand, he wasn’t much of a concern beyond that.
Sanchez would like to thank his wife, Erika, for supporting him today and cheering him on to victory.
Eight players returned on Day 3, with Leonard hitting the rail on the very first hand off the deck when he ran his ace-jack into Nicola Bracchi's ace-king. Hertsel Levy made his presence felt at the final table, wearing a path between his chip stack and the center of the table as he moved plenty of chips before ultimately falling in sixth place.
A crucial hand unfolded five-handed between Sanchez and Kieran Walsh. Walsh attempted an all-in bluff on the river, but Sanchez was sitting on a full house and added many crucial chips to his stack when sending Walsh to the rail.
When play became short-handed, Sanchez ramped up his aggression and applied pressure on the shorter stacks in pursuit of additional pay jumps. He was locked in, and the deck cooperated when needed. Sanchez eliminated the final four players on his way to the bracelet.
Heads-up play was brief, with Sanchez entering the match at a significant advantage. Liu struggled to gain any momentum. The final hand saw Liu move all in with ace-three, but he ran into Sanchez’s bigger ace and was unable to improve.
This concludes coverage of Event #90: $777 Lucky 7's. Stay tuned to PokerNews for more from the 2025 World Series of Poker.
In just the fourth hand of head-to-head play, Yu Liu completed the bet on the button from the small blind.
Nelson Mari Sanchez raised to 15,000,000 and after pausing for a bit, Liu moved all in with 81,000,000 chips. Sanchez quickly called.
Yu Liu: A♥3♠
Nelson Mari Sanchez: A♦10♠
With a dominated ace, Liu needed help but the runout of 10♣K♣6♦K♥Q♣ gave Sanchez the winner with kings and tens.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
320,500,000
76,000,000
|
76,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
The final two players are on a quick 10-minute break in preparation for heads-up play. Play will pick up with 34 minutes remaining in Level 43, with blinds at 2,000,000/4,000,000/4,000,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
244,500,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
76,000,000 | |
Nicola Bracchi limped in from the small blind, and Nelson Mari Sanchez raised to 12,000,000 from the big blind. Bracchi then moved all in for roughly 80,000,000, and Sanchez made the call, holding the lead.
Nicola Bracchi: A♦4♥
Nelson Mari Sanchez: A♠K♥
Sanchez pumped his fist as the J♦10♣Q♠ fell on the flop, and Bracchi was searching for a king to chop the pot and keep his hopes alive. Unfortunately for him, the turn 6♥ and river 5♠ weren't what he was looking for, and he was sent to the payout desk in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
244,500,000
78,500,000
|
78,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
76,000,000
4,000,000
|
4,000,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Nelson Mari Sanchez moved all in from the small blind with the biggest stack at the table. Yu Liu quickly called with his 38,000,000-chip stack.
Yu Liu: K♣10♣
Nelson Mari Sanchez: A♠Q♦
Yu Liu started behind, but immediately liked what he saw on a flop of 10♠5♥3♣, giving him a pair of tens. The turn and river 6♣7♠ didn't change anything, and he had an important double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
166,000,000
62,000,000
|
62,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
80,000,000
63,000,000
|
63,000,000 |
|
|
77,000,000
10,000,000
|
10,000,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 43
Blinds: 2,000,000/4,000,000
Ante: 4,000,000
Nelson Mari Sanchez raised to 6,000,000 from the button and was called by Allen Shen in the big blind.
Action checked through on a 2♥8♣Q♠ flop.
The turn card was the J♦. Shen went all in for 7,000,000, and Sanchez quickly called. Shen knew he was in trouble as the hands were tabled.
Allen Shen: 8♥4♠
Nelson Mari Sanchez: A♦A♥
The river card was the 10♠ ending Shen's impressive run.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
228,000,000
32,500,000
|
32,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
67,000,000
8,000,000
|
8,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
17,000,000
15,500,000
|
15,500,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
Nelson Mari Sanchez completed the bet from the small blind and Yu Liu checked.
After the flop came Q♣4♥8♦, Sanchez and Liu each checked.
The turn was the 10♦. Sanchez put in a 8,000,000-chip bet. Liu folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
195,500,000
15,500,000
|
15,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
32,500,000
2,500,000
|
2,500,000 |
Michael Mizrahi won a poker tournament at Wynn Las Vegas on Sunday night while the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event played down to a final table.
The tournament, one of the last in the Wynn Summer Classic, was a $600 No-Limit Hold'em event that attracted 137 entries, creating a prize pool of $70,555. Mizrahi collected $19,049 after beating Rodruigo Cella heads-up.
You might be scratching your head trying to figure out how "The Grinder" played for 13 hours at Horseshoe in the WSOP Main Event and won a tournament at Wynn on the same day. Alex Foxen double-dipped earlier this summer in WSOP and Wynn events, and he even cashed in both at the same time.