Event #1: €1,200 No-Limit Hold'em Bounty Hunter Opener | 2025 WSOP Europe

Sep 19, 2025

Melchers Stacks Salerno

Kai Cocklin

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

Elia Salerno opened from under the gun to 13,000 and Dorian Melchers three-bet to 40,000 from middle position. When the action got back on Salerno, he shoved for around 220,000, and Melchers quickly called.

Elia Salerno: J♠J♥ All in
Dorian Melchers: Q♦Q♣

Salerno was at risk with his pocket jacks and needed to improve to stay alive. A flop of K♥6♦9♠ didn't offer him much in the form of assistance, and the 7♥ turn left him with just one shot at two outs. Neither of those outs appeared on the 8♠ river, and Salerno was eliminated.

Tags: Dorian Melchers Elia Salerno

Sep 19, 2025

Vizi Finds and Ace to Double Through Kabrhel

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Tim Baker

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

From the cutoff, Robert Vizi jammed for 66,000. When it folded to Martin Kabrhel in the big blind, he looked at his cards, stood up, took Vizi's bounty chip and placed it in his pocket before making the call while saying "Casino Royale!"

Robert Vizi: A♠3♥ All in
Martin Kabrhel: K♣K♠

Vizi and the rest of the table found it very amusing as Kabrhel revealed pocket kings.

However, the 7♦7♣A♦ flop propelled Vizi into the lead with a pair of aces. The 8♦ turn and 10♦ river didn't help Kabrhel, and he had to return Vizi's bounty chip with an additional 66,000 chips on top.

Tags: Martin Kabrhel Robert Vizi

Sep 19, 2025

Pignataro Commits Most of It, Zizka Protests

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David Salituro

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

Zdenek Zizka raised to 12,000 in the hijack and Stylianos Karadaglis called on the button. Luigi Pignataro then three-bet to 61,000 in the big blind, and only Zizka called.

The flop came A♠9♥2♦ and Pignataro led out for 44,000. Zizka then min-raised to 88,000 and Pignataro called.

Both players checked the J♥ turn. Pignataro then announced a bet of 131,000 on the A♥ river. Zizka asked for a count and protested that he couldn't see Pignataro's stack behind the action clock.

"You can count with your eyes," Pignataro told him as Zizka asked the dealer to stop the clock. He eventually folded and Pignataro took the pot.

Tags: Luigi Pignataro Stylianos Karadaglis Zdenek Zizka

Sep 19, 2025

Barbaranelli's Cowboys Eliminate Xu

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Tim Baker

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

Mo Xu got his last 80,000 chips into the middle preflop from the button, with Alexandre Barbaranelli trying to send him for an early shower out of the big blind.

Mo Xu: A♠Q♦ All in
Alexandre Barbaranelli: K♥K♣

Xu was behind the cowboys of Barbaranelli and needed to find an ace to remain seated in the event. However, a low clean runout of 3♥4♠7♦2♦6♦ provided no help for Xu, and he headed to the rail to collect his payout.

Tags: Alexandre Barbaranelli Mo Xu

Sep 19, 2025

Ju's Short-Stack Masterclass Starts Well

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Kai Cocklin

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

Alexander Hepting made it 13,000 to go from the cutoff and short-stacked Samuel Ju shoved 23,000 in from the button after just telling his table he was going to show them a 'short-stack masterclass'. Once the blinds folded, Hepting called,

Samuel Ju: 10♥10♦ All in
Alexander Hepting: 9♠9♥

Ju was ahead, and remained in the lead through the J♦8♦2♣7♥K♣ runout, which earned him a double-up in the opening level.

Tags: Alexander Hepting Samuel Ju

Sep 19, 2025

Tian Runs Into Drusca's Aces

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David Salituro

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

More than 100,000 was already in the pot as Stefan Drusca and Mengshi Tian went heads-up to a flop of 9♦3♦6♠. Drusca then bet 30,000 from under the gun and Tian called in early position.

The turn was the 5♥ and Drusca moved all in. Tian took about 30 seconds before committing his last 180,00, turning over A♣9♣ for top pair, but Drusca showed A♦A♠.

The river was the 8♠ and Drusca took the big pot to send Tian to the rail.

Tags: Mengshi Tian Stefan Drusca

Sep 19, 2025

Raffetseder Wants it All

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Kai Cocklin

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

Patrick Raffetseder opened to 12,000 from the button and Makarios Avramidis put in a small three-bet from the small blind to 25,000. When it got back to Raffetseder, he called.

The flop came 10♦5♦8♥ and Avramidis threw out a 25,000-chip continuation-bet, leaving himself around 90,000 behind. Raffetseder eyed up the stack of his opponent, and the bounty plaque, before he ripped his stack in.

Avramidis then rechecked his cards and around 10 seconds later, let his cards go.

Tags: Makarios Avramidis Patrick Raffetseder

Sep 19, 2025

Heinrichs Takes a Small Pot from Kabrhel

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Tim Baker

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

Pascal Heinrichs made it 13,000 from middle position with only Martin Kabrhel calling out of the small blind.

Kabrhel knuckled the action over to Heinrichs on the 7♣6♠7♦ flop, and Heinrichs continued with a bet of 16,000. Kabrhel flicked in the call.

A A♣ rolled off on the turn and Kabrhel opted to check-fold after Heinrichs fired a second barrel of 25,000.

Tags: Martin Kabrhel Pascal Heinrichs

Sep 19, 2025

Lekkakos Survives an Early Flip

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David Salituro

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

On the first hand of the day, action folded to Sasa Maksic in the small blind who moved all in. Georgios Lekkakos committed his last 110,000 in the big blind.

Georgios Lekkakos: A♠K♠ All in
Sasa Maksic: 9♦9♠

The flop came K♥6♣8♥ as Lekkakos took the lead with a pair of kings. The turn was the 2♣, while the 3♣ fell on the river to earn him an early double up.