2026 World Series of Poker
Chip Counts
Jason Blount raised to 60,000 from under the gun, and Sarah Lee called from the cutoff. Alan Raymundo squeezed from the big blind, and after a few moments, Blount ripped it in for 710,000. Lee folded, while Raymundo made the call.
Jason Blount: A♣A♥
Alan Raymundo: K♠K♥
It was poker's classic cooler, with Raymundo finding himself on the wrong end of it.
The 2♥3♦6♦3♥8♥ runout changed nothing, and Blount's aces remained best to earn the double-up at Raymundo's expense.
Alen Bakovic had gotten his stack of 310,000 in on the button against Will Givens in early position.
"Short deck!" Givens shouted across the room as the cards were tabled.
Alen Bakovic: A♣Q♦
Will Givens: J♠10♠
While the K♣9♠K♦7♠9♥ board could also have emerged in short deck, it did not improve Givens' hand and Bakovic doubled.
Jose Rodriguez Zurita opened to 60,000 from middle position and Alex Faynshteyn three-bet to 160,000 from the hijack. Wesley Fei took some time and slowly counted out 310,000 from his stack and four-bet. Zurita folded, but Faynshteyn found a call.
The 5♣6♠9♠ flop saw both check to the 6♥ turn. Both slowly checked through to see the A♠ river and Faynshteyn checked again. He looked Fei as he bet out 290,000.
Faynshteyn asked Fei if all of his green chips were on show and went into a small tank, before he mucked his cards.
Heads up to the 3♦2♣6♣8♦7♦ river, with 490,000 in the middle, Lara Eisenberg checked from the small blind to Michael Mizrachi on the button. Mizrachi bet 500,000, Eisenberg raised all in to 565,000, and Mizrachi called.
Eisenberg showed A♦2♦ for the nut flush. Mizrachi had J♦10♦ for a lower flush, and paid the bet to be left with just over four big blinds.
Aaron Barone three-bet to 210,000 in the small blind before Tianle Wang moved all in from the cutoff. Another tablemate called the clock on Barone after he tanked for a few minutes, and he eventually called for 1,225,000.
Aaron Barone: A♣Q♦
Tianle Wang: J♣J♦
Barone was racing for his tournament life, and he took the lead on the A♥Q♠8♦ flop with top two pair. The rest of the board ran out 3♥10♥, and Barone doubled up.
Ezequiel Waigel raised to 315,000 in the small blind, leaving only 100,000 behind. Michael Banducci put his opponent all in from the big blind, and Ezequiel Waigel called off his last chips.
Ezequiel Waigel: Q♣5♥
Michael Banducci: K♥Q♥
Banducci paired his king on the 2♠K♠3♥ flop to leave Waigel drawing dead on the 3♦ turn. The 7♥ river was rendered meaningless as Waigel headed to the exit.
Pikcing up the action on a 9♠7♥7♣8♠ turn, with 665,000 already in the pot. Caitlin Comeskey checked A♠K♠ under the gun to Tony Dunst in middle position.
Dunst bet 260,000 with 8♦8♥, which Comeskey called with her flush draw. After Comeskey checked the A♦ river as well, Dunst shoved all in for 1,070,000 with his full house.
Comeskey spent some time in the tank, but eventually correctly folded her rivered pair to send the pot Dunst's way.
Seeing a raise to 60,000 from Arash Vaziri in early position ahead of him, Peng Shan called in the big blind.
Shan check-called a bet of 75,000 on a 2♦4♦2♥ flop, before the A♣ turn checked through.
The A♦ river saw Shan switch tactics, this time leading out for 200,000. That did the trick as Vaziri released his cards to the dealer.
Josh Arieh raised to 60,000 from early position, and Archimedes Arenas called from the next seat.
The dealer spread the J♥10♥6♦ flop, and Arieh continued for 75,000. Arenas quickly called.
The 4♠ turn checked through before the 9♦ completed the board. Arieh fired 225,000, and Arenas took his time before making the call.
Arieh tabled K♦Q♣ for the nut straight to earn the pot, while Arenas revealed Q♠Q♦ for a pair of queens, blocking the nuts himself.
Ali Ayub quipped after the hand to the entire table, "You want to know something about the pros? In my 25 years of playing, they just always have it"