Event #99: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Day 1 | 2025 World Series of Poker

07-15-2025 21:53 UTC-7

Eslami Pips Leng in Monster Pot

Adam Lamers

Level 15 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Ryan Leng and Ali Eslami got into a preflop raising war where Leng ended up with his stack of 117,000 in the middle and the cards were turned up.

Ryan Leng: A♣Q♥ All in
Ali Eslami: A♠K♠

The flop came 6♦4♣2♣ and Eslami was still in the lead with the dominating hand. The 2♦ on the turn provided some chop outs but the J♣ on the river spelled the end for Leng.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ali Eslami	418,000 418,000	418,000

Ryan Leng	Busted

Tags: Ryan Leng

Level: 15

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Ante: 6,000

07-15-2025 21:51 UTC-7

Sammartino Shows Strength

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Giuseppe Sammartino opened to 10,000 in late position and got called by David Litt in cutoff.

The flop came 10♣2♥3♣. Sammartino check-raised Litt's bet of 16,000 to 50,000. Litt called.

On the turn 2♦, Sammartino shoved all-in for 140,000, which got a fold from Litt.

Player	Chips	Progress
Giuseppe Sammartino	320,000 320,000	320,000

David Litt	110,000 20,600	20,600

Tags: David Litt Giuseppe Sammartino

07-15-2025 21:48 UTC-7

Hellmuth Bust With Royal Flush Draw

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Barry Russell

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Phil Hellmuth shoved 19,000 chips from the cutoff, Julien Sitbon three-bet to 100,000, the big blind folded.

Phil Hellmuth: K♠Q♠ All in
Julien Sitbon: A♦9♠

The flop came 4♦J♠10♠, which gave Hellmuth a royal flush draw and the equity lead, but unfortunately for Helmuth he could not find any of his outs as the board ran out 2♥2♦, and he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Julien Sitbon	340,000 258,000	258,000

Phil Hellmuth	Busted

Tags: Julien Sitbon Phil Hellmuth

07-15-2025 21:43 UTC-7

Drinks and Double-Ups

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Adam Lamers

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

"Don't tell anyone that we're drinking," Esther Taylor said as PokerNews arrived at the table. Her and Florian Ribouchon had drinks in their hand, albeit Ribouchon spilled half of his on the table already.

Meanwhile, Vadzim Lipauka shipped all in for 52,000 in early position and Taylor squeezed her cards and found a holding to stick in the last of her 48,000 chips.

Esther Taylor: Q♥Q♣ All in
Vadzim Lipauka: A♣J♠

The board ran out K♠9♥5♣7♣Q♠ and Taylor improved to a set of queens for a double up.

"Do you wanna buy out?" Taylor asked Ribouchon as the two players have a $200 last longer bet going on. "You already got 2%."

"You gave him 2%?" Benjamin Ludlow inquired.

"We swapped because we have a last longer. The rest of you are all duds," Taylor joked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Esther Taylor	109,000 65,000	65,000
Florian Ribouchon	25,000 25,000	25,000
Vadzim Lipauka	4,000 4,000	4,000

Tags: Benjamin Ludlow Esther Taylor Florian Ribouchon Vadzim Lipauka

07-15-2025 21:39 UTC-7

Tan Flops Straight

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Gabrielle Barredo

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Timothy Vu open-shoved in middle position for 5,000 and Tony Lin, to his immediate left, raised to 15,000. Sean Tan in late position four-bet to 55,000. When action returned to him, Lin folded, leaving the other two players to go to showdown.

Timothy Vu: K♠3♥ All in
Sean Tan: A♥J♦

Lin was trying to encourage Vu and calculating his odds but the flop came Q♦10♥K♣ giving Tan a straight. Lin could only go, "Oh no." Vu packed his things as the dealer completed the board with 6♦4♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tony Lin	215,000 215,000	215,000

Sean Tan	150,000
Timothy Vu	Busted

Tags: Sean Tan Timothy Vu Tony Lin

07-15-2025 21:38 UTC-7

Thiriart Picks Up a Pot

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Barry Russell

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Stoyan Madanzhiev raised 10,000 in early position, Arthur Thiriart called in the cutoff, Patrick Leonard called in the small blind, and Matthew Wantman called in the big blind.

Madanzhiev fired out a bet of 4,000 on a flop of 5♦10♣3♥, only Thiriart and Leonard called.

The 10♦ on the turn slowed Madanzhiev down with a check, Thiriart bet 20,000 and got two folds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stoyan Madanzhiev	315,000 15,000	15,000

Arthur Thiriart	160,000 55,000	55,000
Patrick Leonard	88,000 38,000	38,000

Matthew Wantman	23,000 27,000	27,000

Tags: Arthur Thiriart Matthew Wantman Patrick Leonard Stoyan Madanzhiev

07-15-2025 21:33 UTC-7

Palma and Hellmuth Exchanging Words

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Adam Lamers

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Nicholas Palma was coming off winning a flip versus Lewis Spencer and now sits among the chip leaders. However, Palma and Phil Hellmuth started to get into a heated exchange after the hand.

The tournament floor was called over to the table as Hellmuth was accused of calling someone or many players "idiots" while Palma kept enticing Hellmuth with some banter. Both players were asked to not say another word but that didn't stop them from still going off.

"Are you the only one who can talk s*** about people?" Palma asked.

"Can you stop f***ing talking to me?" Hellmuth shouted.

Another tournament director threatened both players with a one round penalty but nothing was handed out as of yet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nicholas Palma	325,000 253,000	253,000
Phil Hellmuth	32,000

Lewis Spencer	Busted

Tags: Phil Hellmuth Nicholas Palma Lewis Spencer

07-15-2025 21:29 UTC-7

[Removed:532] Cracks Aces and Bottom Set to Score Double KO

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 14 : Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Action was picked up on the turn with the board reading 3♥K♥8♣6♥. Max Pinnola was all in for around 130,000 from the cutoff, Joonhee Yea was all in for less from the small blind and they were up against [Removed:532] who was in the big blind covering both players.

Joonhee Yea: A♣A♦ All in
Max Pinnola: 3♦3♠ All in
[Removed:532]: A♥J♥

Yea was third best with aces while Pinnola had bottom set needed the board to pair to overcome [Removed:532] nut-flush. [Removed:532] held on the 5♦ river to eliminate both players and drag in a massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
[Removed:532]	430,000 430,000	430,000
Max Pinnola	Busted
Joonhee Yea	Busted

Tags: Joonhee Yea Max Pinnola

Level: 14

Blinds: 3,000/5,000

Ante: 5,000