2025 World Series of Poker

Event #95: $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack
Day: 1
12
Event Info
2025 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
5♣2♠
Prize
$252,386
Event Info
Buy-in
$800
Prize Pool
$1,995,700
Total Entries
2,851
Level Info
Level
40
Blinds
800,000 / 1,600,000
Ante
1,600,000
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
2,851
Players Left
162
Players Left 1 / 2,851
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Chaura Doubles Through Patni

Gabrielle Barredo
Gabrielle Barredo
Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Basel Chaura opened to 2,500 in middle position and got a caller in the small blind, Jian Yang. Big blind, Kunal Patni, went beyond and made it 10,500, which triggered Chaura to go all-in for around 35,000. Yang got out of the way, but Patni called.

Basel Chaura: A♥K♠ All in
Kunal Patni: A♦Q♥

Chaura was ahead, dominating Patni's hand, and his lead was reinforced when the flop came 3♦K♥2♦. The runout 6♣9♣ didn't improve Patni's hand. Chaura scooped the pot for a double.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Basel Chaura us
Basel Chaura 		62,500
62,500
 62,500
Profile photo of Kunal Patni in
Kunal Patni 		47,000
47,000
 47,000
Profile photo of Jian Yang cn
Jian Yang 		16,200
16,200
 16,200

Tags: Basel ChauraJian YangKunal Patni

Mike Takayama: A Story of Rags to Riches Through Poker

Gabrielle Barredo
Gabrielle Barredo
Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Mike Takayama
Mike Takayama

Started off as a professional billiards player, Mike Takayama is a classic story of rags to riches. Hailing from the Philippines, Takayama hustled in every billiards room he could find in Metro Manila to make ends meet.

Told that it was easier to make money playing poker, he learned the game and realized that it wasn't so. But he studied it, watched others, and in no time excelled in it. He is second in the Philippines’ All-Time Money List and one of the most respected players in the Asian poker scene.

On his very first visit to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2018, he won himself a WSOP bracelet and has inspired numerous players in his country to chase the dream. He continues to chase his own as he inspires others to do the same.

Tags: Mike Takayama

Level: 8

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

Hannan Wins Three-Way All-in

Gabrielle Barredo
Gabrielle Barredo
Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Action was picked up with three players in middle position and late all-in.

Azamat Dyussembekov: A♦K♥ All in
Conor Hannan: 10♠10♥ All in
Luubao Nguyen: 9♣9♥

Hannan was ahead and was looking at a potential boost to his stack. Dyussembekov, who was at most risk, just wanted one of his overcards to fall. The flop came J♥Q♥8♣. Both Dyussembekov and Nguyen still had minimal outs to turn things to their favor. The runout 6♦6♠ secured Hannan's win, eliminating Dyussembekov from the tournament and leaving Nguyen with less than a big blind behind.

Nguyen was eliminated a couple of hands after.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Conor Hannan us
Conor Hannan 		133,000
133,000
 133,000
Profile photo of Luubao Nguyen us
Luubao Nguyen 		Busted
Profile photo of Azamat Dyussembekov kz
Azamat Dyussembekov 		Busted

Tags: Azamat DyussembekovConor HannanLuubao Nguyen

Level: 7

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

Mike Allis Still Going Strong

Roxanne Johnson
Roxanne Johnson
Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Michael Allis
Michael Allis

A pioneer in the game, Mike Allis continues to hold his own at the poker table. With several deep cashes already under his belt this summer, he’s off to a promising start in the current event, recently scooping a healthy pot with an ace-high flush.

Allis captured his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2022, outlasting a massive field of 5,702 and defeating former Main Event champion Ryan Riess heads-up in a thrilling finish. This marked his second WSOP final table appearance; he previously finished sixth in the 2012 $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em event. Back in 2008, he also placed 11th in the $1,000 WSOP Seniors World Championship.

When asked what poker has taught him, Allis responded with a grin, “Even someone who does not play that well can still win.”
Allis credits the late, fantastic Doyle Brunson as his biggest poker inspiration. As for how he manages to endure the long hours and high-level competition, he quipped, “I am old, so it is hard.” Still, his continued success proves that poker truly is a game for all ages.

A former chess player, Allis attributes much of his poker success to skills he developed over the chessboard. The analytical thinking, pattern recognition, and emotional discipline required in chess have served him well in poker’s high-pressure environment. These mental tools are evident as he calmly navigates deep tournament runs, relying on sharp decision-making and steady focus.

Whether it’s a final table or a fresh tournament, Mike Allis remains a force, combining wisdom, wit, and strategy to stay competitive in the game he loves.

Tags: Doyle BrunsonMike AllisRyan Riess

Level: 6

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

TJ Murphy Returns to the Felt with His Eyes on Another Bracelet

Roxanne Johnson
Roxanne Johnson
Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante
TJ Murphy
TJ Murphy

TJ Murphy, last year’s champion of the $800 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack event, which occurred in June, earned him a career-best $368,997. He is back and aiming to add another bracelet to his collection. Most recently, he finished second in a WSOP Circuit ring event at the Festival Grand Falls Casino in Larchwood, Iowa, pocketing $76,736 this past March. Now, he's ready to chase more success.

A driven advertising executive by profession, Murphy brings the same intensity to the poker table. “Life’s going to kick you in the ass sometimes, you have to stay mentally strong,” he said. That resilience was tested when, shortly after his 2024 victory, his hometown of Spencer, Iowa, was hit by a devastating flood. “You just never know what life is going to throw at you,” he reflected.

To stay sharp, Murphy invests time in studying the game, taking poker lessons, and working with a trainer during breaks. “So I can come back to the table and fold, fold, fold,” he jokes. He also uses the mindset app Primed Mind to help focus and calm his mind before sessions, part of his strategy to maintain peak mental form.

Murphy first got into poker roughly 20 years ago and was swept up in the excitement of the Moneymaker boom. Still, it wasn’t until 2016 that he began approaching the game more seriously. Despite his competitive drive, he remains grounded, balancing poker with his full-time career and entering tournaments when his schedule allows.

He just arrived back in Las Vegas yesterday and is eager to fire in a few more events, ready, focused, and determined to go deep once again.

Tags: TJ Murphy

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