Rosengarten and Prociak Top Day 1 of Inaugural $3,000 T.O.R.S.E.
Stud Games: 1,000 Ante, 1,000 Bring-In, 4,000 Completion, 4,000-8,000 Limits
The inaugural $3,000 T.O.R.S.E. event made a strong debut (much to the delight of Allen Kessler), as 522 entrants found their way to Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas, to participate in the final "low" buy-in mixed-game tournament of the 2025 World Series of Poker. Day 1 played out at a torrid pace, and after 12 Levels of action, just 159 players remained in contention.
Topping the leaderboard are Robert Rosengarten and David Prociak — who both managed to bag up exactly 355,500 heading into Day 2. Hot on both their heels in third position is Ryan Hughes, who ended with 337,000.
Prociak, a three-time bracelet winner (two of which came in 2024), boasts over $2.6 million in live-tournament earnings and has already notched several cashes this summer, although a final table has eluded him thus far. On the other hand, the less-experienced Rosengarten will be seeking his second cash of the series, but is in excellent position to chase a breakout score and add to his $100,000 in live-tournament earnings.
Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Rosengarten | United States | 355,500 |
| 1 | David Prociak | United States | 355,500 |
| 3 | Ryan Hughes | United States | 337,000 |
| 4 | Nick Guagenti | United States | 334,000 |
| 5 | Nicolas Milgrom | France | 330,500 |
| 6 | John Monnette | United States | 308,000 |
| 7 | Ryan Miller | United States | 297,000 |
| 8 | David Williams | United States | 290,000 |
| 9 | Bryce Yockey | United States | 279,500 |
| 10 | Wissam Gahshan | United States | 245,000 |
Unsurprisingly, the pros and notables turned out in droves for the event, with many able to secure a nice bag. Among them are James Obst (131,000), Adam Owen (228,000), Viktor Blom (208,000), Alex Livingston (150,500), Chad Eveslage (196,000), Josh Arieh (70,000), Mike Matusow (158,000), and Yuri Dzivielevski (238,000).
After late registration closed, the prize pool was confirmed to have reached $1,393,740. The final 79 players will see a return on their investment, with $6,011 guaranteed for those who make the money. The eventual champion will take home $273,386 for their efforts in addition to the gold bracelet.
While many players thrived, many more faltered and hit the rail before they could secure a Day-2 berth. Among those who were sent home early are Ari Engel, Dan Shak, Jim Collopy, Christian Roberts, Tom Koral, Benny Glaser, Frankie O'Dell, Jeff Madsen, Jesse Lonis, and Steve Zolotow — who was dealt a one-two blow from Ryan Miller in Razz and Stud for a swift exit.
Day 2 will get underway on Saturday, July 12 at 1 p.m. local time. Play will resume at Level 13, which features 2,500/5,000 blinds for limit games, a 2,000 bring-in and 5,000 completion for Stud games, and 5,000/10,000 betting limits for all games. Levels will continue to last 60-minutes each and breaks will be held after every two hours of play. An extended 60-minute dinner break will be held at the end of Level 18 (~7:30 p.m.)
As always, be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action from the floor leading to the inaugural T.O.R.S.E champion!