2025 World Series of Poker
Level: 20
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
The remaining 87 players have been sent on the first 15-minute break of the day and will return to blinds at 8,000/16,000 with a 16,000 big blind ante.
Forrest Blackwelder began the day as the chip leader, then didn't arrive to the tournament until after the first level was completed.
On the last hand of the second level, Blackwelder bet his last 1,083,000 chips on the flop of 10♣A♦4♣. Eshaan Bhalla made a snap call.
Forrest Blackwelder: A♥J♣
Eshaan Bhalla: A♣Q♦
Bhalla's hand stood the turn and river 9♣10♥ and Blackwelder was out in 88th place.
There were roughly 180,000 chips in the pot on the flop of 10♠J♣10♥, Toan Nguyen who was under the gun checked to Uri Reichenstein in the hijack, and he bet 32,000. Nguyen called.
Action went check-check when the 10♣ hit the turn, and Nguyen put Reichenstein all in for 320,000 when the 7♠ fell on the river. Reichenstein was clearly in the blender as he said out loud, "this might be a slow roll," and called.
Nguyen tabled K♥Q♣ for a stone-bluff, and Reichenstein tabled J♦J♠ for top full house. Reichenstein caught some heat from his tablemates.
Charles Thomas raised from late position to 25,000, and Simon Britton three-bet to 75,000 from the button.
Uri Reichenstein then decided to four bet all in from the small blind for 182,000. Thomas folded, and Britton snap-called.
Uri Reichenstein: A♠A♣
Simon Britton: 10♠10♦
Reichenstein needed to dodge a ten for a full double up and more.
The 9♥8♣4♣8♦2♠ board duly obliged, and 25k Fantasy Player Reichenstein was sent the pot.
Chad Layne moved all in from the big blind with his 129,000-chip stack. Dani Genov made the call.
Chad Layne: A♣7♠
Dani Genov: K♦Q♥
Layne quickly jumped ahead from the flop and held through the board of A♥5♦2♣3♦2♠ to double his chips.
Forrest Blackwelder limped on the button and Aubrey Williams made it 52,000 to go in the small blind.
"I'll dance with you," said Blackwelder as he made the call.
The flop came 7♠10♥6♣ and Williams check-raised to 255,000 over Blackwelder's bet of 100,000. Blackwelder then moved all in for 472,000 to put himself at risk and Williams quickly called.
Forrest Blackwelder: 7♦5♦
Aubrey Williams: K♥K♦
Blackwelder spiked a seven on the 7♥ turn, improving to trips. The J♥ landed on the river, earning him the big double up.
With more than 100,000 already in the middle and four players seeing a flop of 3♥9♠2♥, action checked around to Pablo Mariz on the button. He fired for 36,000, but Joel Vazquez in the big blind came in with a raise to 120,000.
That’s when Shundan Xiao moved all in, forcing quick folds from both Guilherme Pessoa and Mariz. Vazquez asked for a count, and once the dealer confirmed 336,000 total, he made the call to take it to showdown.
Shundan Xiao: K♣K♠
Joel Vazquez: 10♥5♥
Xiao was ahead with an overpair, but Vazquez had plenty of outs with a flush draw and some backdoor straight possibilities. The 6♣ on the turn added to the drama but didn’t change much.
When the river brought the J♠, Xiao’s kings held strong, and she let out a sigh of relief as she raked in a massive double-up.