Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Day 2 | 2026 World Series of Poker

3 days 1 hour ago

Moncek Busts With First-Ever Rolled-Up Hand

Frank Visser

Level 12

Limit Flop/Draw: 10,000-20,000 Blinds, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Stud Games: 5,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 20,000 Completion, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 10,000/15,000 Ante, 5,000-10,000 Blinds

Seven Card Stud

Michael Moncek: 9♠9♦/9♣6♣4♦A♣/3♥ All in
Jason Mercier: Q♠J♠/10♠8♠K♦Q♥/A♠

Michael Moncek got his last few chips in on sixth street against Jason Mercier. Moncek was ahead with his trip nines, but Mercier made a flush on seventh street to send "Texas Mike" packing.

"That was the first time in my life I was rolled up," a dejected Moncek said before he departed the tournament area.

Tags: Jason Mercier Michael Moncek

3 days 2 hours ago

Tong Cements the "Real Heat Check"

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 12

Limit Flop/Draw: 10,000-20,000 Blinds, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Stud Games: 5,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 20,000 Completion, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 10,000/15,000 Ante, 5,000-10,000 Blinds

2-7 Lowball Triple Draw

Dan Shak had just been eliminated by Kristopher Tong and left the table rather upset.

What followed was then an open-raise by Brian Rast in the cutoff. Tong called with his massive stack on the button, which was then dubbed as "the heat check" by Christopher Vitch when Rast discarded two and Tong took three.

They checked to the second draw on which both took two. Rast bet and Tong called. The final draw saw both players discard one each and Rast's bet was called. Rast showed a pair of eights, and Tong won the next pot with 7x5x3x3x2x for a pair of treys.

The heat check is confirmed. Tong is still running hot.

Tags: Brian Rast Christopher Vitch Dan Shak Kristopher Tong

3 days 2 hours ago

Hoenig Heads Home

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Frank Visser

Level 12

Limit Flop/Draw: 10,000-20,000 Blinds, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Stud Games: 5,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 20,000 Completion, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 10,000/15,000 Ante, 5,000-10,000 Blinds

2-7 Lowball Triple Draw

Before the final draw, Ryan Hoenig was in the hijack and check-called a bet from Luke Schwartz on the button. Hoenig then drew one card, with Schwartz remaining pat behind.

Hoenig had just 33,000 left, which he kept when he check-folded to Schwartz's final bet.

No-Limit Hold'em

A couple of hands later, Hoenig was in the big blind in no-limit hold'em. Matt Glantz made it 22,000 in the cutoff, and Yuri Dzivielevski called in the small blind. Hoenig called off his last 8,000, after which Glantz and Dzivielevski checked through the J♦7♣9♥6♦2♦ board.

Dzivielevski showed 7♥5♥ for a pair, besting the Q♦10♠ of Glantz and the 6♣4♦ of Hoenig to send the latter to the rail.

Tags: Luke Schwartz Matt Glantz Ryan Hoenig Yuri Dzivielevski

3 days 2 hours ago

Taherpur Ousts Katz; Takes From Kenney

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Calum Grant

Level 12

Limit Flop/Draw: 10,000-20,000 Blinds, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Stud Games: 5,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 20,000 Completion, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 10,000/15,000 Ante, 5,000-10,000 Blinds

Cary Katz was down to 1,000 after he played a huge pot against Dara Taherpour in 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw. Taherpour explained that he made a wheel, while Katz made #2 early in the hand, with each street seeing a series of raises.

No-Limit Hold'em

Katz put in his final chip from middle position before Taherpour made it 25,000 from the button. Eric Wasserson defended from the big blind.

Wasserson check-folded to a bet of 20,000 on the A♣8♦2♥ flop, and the cards were turned over.

Cary Katz: J♣10♦ All in
Dara Taherpour: A♦J♥

Katz picked up some outs after pairing his ten on the 10♥ turn but was eliminated after the 8♠ river.

On the next deal, Taherpour opened to 25,000 from the cutoff and Bryn Kenney called from the big blind.

The 9♣8♦3♣ flop checked through to the 7♦ turn. Kenney bet 20,000 and was called. Kenney sized up to 30,000 on the 2♦ river and was met with a snap-call.

Kenney had Ax7x but Taherpour had gotten tricky with K♣K♠ to take another pot.

Tags: Bryn Kenney Cary Katz Dara Taherpour Eric Wasserson

3 days 3 hours ago

Brannan Bows Out to Tong

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 12

Limit Flop/Draw: 10,000-20,000 Blinds, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Stud Games: 5,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 20,000 Completion, 20,000-40,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 10,000/15,000 Ante, 5,000-10,000 Blinds

Pot-Limit Omaha

With the flop showing 8♣5♣2♠, Kristopher Tong had checked in the big blind and Frank Brannan bet 85,000 from under the gun, which left the table short stack with exactly 1,000 behind. Brian Rast on the button reluctantly folded, whereas Tong called.

Christopher Vitch pointed out that Brannan had one chip behind. Brannan replied, "Sorry, I wasn't angling" to Tong. They headed to the 4♦ turn on which Tong bet and Brannan called all-in.

Frank Brannan: A♥A♣6♣3♦ All in
Kristopher Tong: K♠7♣7♠6♠

"Wow," Brannan could all but gasp when he was shown the bad news and he needed another club to avoid elimination. However, the river was the blank 4♠ and that spelled the end for him.

Tags: Brian Rast Christopher Vitch Frank Brannan Kristopher Tong

3 days 3 hours ago

Brewer on Piles; Hui Heads Home

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Frank Visser

Level 11

Limit Flop/Draw: 8,000-15,000 Blinds, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Stud Games: 4,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 15,000 Completion, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 8,000/12,000 Ante, 4,000-8,000 Blinds

No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw

Ryan Hoenig raised his button to 16,000. Chris Brewer responded with a three-bet to 90,000 from the small blind, which Hoenig called.

Both players remained pat after the draw. Brewer then fired a sizable bet of 225,000. Hoenig called after much debate, but he could not beat the 8x6x5x4x2x of Brewer and mucked in defeat.

Earlier, 2019 champion Phil Hui had gotten short-stacked before he was eliminated with only a few minutes to play in the day's penultimate level.

Tags: Chris Brewer Phil Hui Ryan Hoenig

3 days 4 hours ago

Benyamine Eliminated by Johnson

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 11

Limit Flop/Draw: 8,000-15,000 Blinds, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Stud Games: 4,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 15,000 Completion, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 8,000/12,000 Ante, 4,000-8,000 Blinds

Seven Card Stud

Marco Johnson: XxXx / 9♣8♣J♠K♠ / Xx
Alexander Kostritsyn: XxXx / J♦K♣Q♣3♣ / Xx
David Benyamine: XxXx / 5♥J♥6♠4♠ / Xx

Alexander Kostritsyn three-bet on third street and Marco Johnson called, while David Benyamine was already all-in and awaiting his fate. Kostritsyn bet fourth and fifth street to get called by Johnson, who then raised on sixth street when facing another bet. Kostritsyn called and checked on seventh street while some cameras were recording the action.

Johnson bet again and Kostritsyn reluctantly folded for Johnson to show his 9♥9♦7♦ in the hole for a set of nines. Benyamine briefly flashed his A♥8♦2♣ and was sent to the rail.

Tags: Alexander Kostritsyn David Benyamine Marco Johnson

3 days 4 hours ago

Vengrin Exits After Being Left Short By Lin

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Calum Grant

Level 11

Limit Flop/Draw: 8,000-15,000 Blinds, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Stud Games: 4,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 15,000 Completion, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 8,000/12,000 Ante, 4,000-8,000 Blinds

2-7 Lowball Triple Draw

Matt Vengrin raised from the hijack and called after David Lin reraised from the small blind.

Both players drew two, with Vengrin calling a bet.

Lin took one on second draw, while Vengrin opted for two. Vengrin called another bet.

Both players stood pat on third draw, and Vengrin called again.

Lin tabled 8x7x5x4x2x and Vengrin mucked. He was left with around 70,000, and that was collected by a tablemate shortly after.

Tags: David Lin Matt Vengrin

3 days 5 hours ago

Arieh Bounces Bruschi

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Calum Grant

Level 11

Limit Flop/Draw: 8,000-15,000 Blinds, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Stud Games: 4,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 15,000 Completion, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 8,000/12,000 Ante, 4,000-8,000 Blinds

Seven Card Stud

Josh Arieh: XxXx / A♥9♦A♠
Jared Bleznick: XxXx / 6♣8♠9♣ - folded on fifth street

Jared Bleznick completed and Josh Arieh called. Arieh called a bet on fourth street and then made open aces on fifth street. He fired out a bet and folded out Bleznick.

James Tilton: XxXx / A♥9♥A♠
Josh Arieh: XxXx / 4♠Xx - folded on fourth street
Maksim Pisarenko: XxXx / J♣9♣2♣ - folded on fifth street

Maksim Pisarenko completed the hand after, and picked up calls from James Tilton and Josh Arieh, who was the bring-in.

Tilton bet on fourth street and only Pisarenko called. Like Arieh, Tilton made open aces on fifth street and folded out his opponent with a bet.

The very next hand, Josh Arieh called a raise from the short stacked Renan Bruschi. Bruschi check-called a bet on fourth street before a series of raises saw Bruschi all-in and at risk on fifth street.

The cards ran out, and Arieh made a pair of queens, which bested Bruschi's pair of jacks.

Tags: James Tilton Jared Bleznick Josh Arieh Maksim Pisarenko Renan Bruschi

3 days 5 hours ago

Smith Crashes Out Against Miki

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 11

Limit Flop/Draw: 8,000-15,000 Blinds, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Stud Games: 4,000 Ante, 5,000 Bring-In, 15,000 Completion, 15,000-30,000 Limits
Pot-Limit & No-Limit: 8,000/12,000 Ante, 4,000-8,000 Blinds

No-Limit Hold’em

In a duel of small blind versus button, Dan Smith bet the K♥5♣4♠3♥ turn for 90,000 and Yosuke Miki called. Smith then left one single T-1,000 chip behind on the Q♥ river when he bet 392,000. Miki nodded and moved forward 300,000 in chips for all of his green chips.

There was brief confusion whether Miki had raised or just called, but he was actually covered by Smith's bet to double for 357,000.

In the next hand, Miki raised to 20,000 and Smith checked the game plaques to see which game variant was up next - which happened to be Seven Card Stud. Smith got the last 36,000 in and Miki called.

Dan Smith: J♠10♦ All in
Yosuke Miki: A♥3♠

The A♠K♠3♦K♣3♣ runout gave Miki a full house and he finished the job he had started one hand earlier.

Tags: Dan Smith Yosuke Miki