WSOP Day 30: Ivey's Quest for Twelfth Bracelet, Garza Eyes Title Defense

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Glaser Aims for $50K PPC Title

The most prestigious mixed game tournament, Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship, has revealed its final six from an initial field of 108 players after four grueling days.

Competing for the top prize of $1,343,764 and the Chip Reese Trophy are star-studded names with a combined total of 32 bracelets. Legendary Phil Ivey is targeting his twelfth. However, leading the pack is British specialist Benny Glaser, seeking his ninth bracelet.

Phil Hellmuth's dream of reaching an 18th bracelet was halted when Glaser eliminated him in 14th place during the 2-7 Triple Draw. The spotlight was also on 82-year-old Roy Thung, who became the oldest player to cash in this tournament, finishing in 13th place.

Jason Mercier fell on the final table bubble in seventh place, eliminated by the surging Glaser in Seven Card Stud.

Final Table Lineup of Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship

Rank

Player

Country

Stack

1.

Benny Glaser

United Kingdom

8,610,000

2.

Maxx Coleman

USA

5,565,000

3.

Josh Arieh

USA

5,265,000

4.

Kristopher Tong

USA

5,180,000

5.

Phil Ivey

USA

5,135,000

6.

Paul Volpe

USA

2,725,000

Helppi and Garza Lead the Charge

The second day of the exclusive $25K High Roller in NLH and PLO saw late registration boost entries to a total of 214, inflating the prizepool to $5,029,000.

Only 14 players remain in the hunt for the bracelet and $1,172,296. The Finnish veteran, Juha Helppi, has maintained the chipleader position through both initial days.

Close behind is Lou Garza, the reigning champion of this event, who has a unique chance to reclaim last year’s title.

Fan favorite Daniel Negreanu is also in contention, though he’s at the bottom of the leaderboard, hoping for a miraculous comeback on the final day.

Top 10 Stacks after Day 2 – Event #64: $25,000 High Roller PLO/NLH Mixed

Rank

Player

Country

Stack

1.

Juha Helppi

Finland

6,370,000

2.

Lou Garza

USA

5,365,000

3.

Sergio Martinez Gonzalez

Spain

2,755,000

4.

Edward Leonard

USA

2,690,000

5.

Eelis Parssinen

Finland

2,425,000

6.

Sean Winter

USA

2,410,000

7.

Yang Wang

China

2,150,000

8.

Dylan Weisman

USA

1,705,000

9.

Dylan Linde

USA

1,530,000

10.

Dominykas Karmazinas

Lithuania

975,000

Joseph Liberta Wins After 13-Year Journey

Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker reached its grand conclusion after five days of play. Out of a massive field of 11,769 entries, American Joseph Liberta emerged as the new millionaire, taking home $1,250,000 and his first gold bracelet.

Liberta showcased impressive progress over 13 years, gradually improving his cash finishes and finally reaching the pinnacle this year.

The final table was all American, featuring only one bracelet holder (Bradley Gafford - 3rd place). In the final heads-up, Liberta faced Michael Monroig.

The decisive moment came when Liberta hit trips fives on the flop with 8-5, sealing his opponent's fate. Michael Monroig took home a cool million dollars for second place, calling it a poker dream come true since he was 14.

Final Table Results of Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker

Place

Player

Country

Winnings

1.

Joseph Liberta

USA

$1,250,000

2.

Michael Monroig

USA

$1,000,000

3.

Bradley Gafford

USA

$750,000

4.

Halford Fairchild

USA

$530,000

5.

Joseph Baghdadlian

USA

$410,000

6.

Alex Kim

USA

$315,000

7.

Jacob Gagnon

USA

$245,000

8.

Garry Gurevich

USA

$190,000

9.

Yifu He

USA

$150,068

Josh Reichard Finally Reaches the Top

After years of near misses, American professional Josh Reichard finally claimed his first gold bracelet. Overcoming 1,736 entries, he triumphed and collected $555,198 along with the prestigious jewelry. Reichard, with 17 WSOP Circuit rings, confessed that a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The final atmosphere was electric, with Reichard's rowdy fan rail celebrating every hand he won. Upon victory, he called his father, who humorously replied, “About time!”

Victory wasn’t handed easily. Entering heads-up play, Reichard was behind against Caleb Harris and had to mount a comeback. The crucial hand came when Harris inadvertently helped Reichard by going all-in as a bluff while Reichard held a completed straight.

Final Table Results of Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em

Place

Player

Country

Winnings

1.

Josh Reichard

USA

$555,198

2.

Caleb Harris

USA

$370,073

3.

Spyridon Apartoglou

Greece

$267,938

4.

Orson Young

USA

$196,225

5.

Myles Mullaly

USA

$145,365

6.

John Ciccarelli

USA

$108,946

7.

Maher Achour

Tunisia

$82,616

8.

Robbie Bull

United Kingdom

$63,399

9.

Corentin Soulier

France

$49,241

Rubin Dominates Final Table

Harry Rubin claimed victory in Event #57: $1K PLO, triumphing over a field of 3,763 entries to win his debut bracelet and $390,300.

Rubin led the final table with a commanding chip lead and clinched victory in a single hand of heads-up play against Romanian Nedelcu.

The most emotional moment was celebrating with his father Burton, who taught him poker years ago. Rubin humorously noted that he had to reschedule his flight home due to advancing to the finals, but he was more than happy with the change.

Final Table Results of Event #57: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha

Place

Player

Country

Winnings

1.

Harry Rubin

USA

$390,300

2.

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu

Romania

$260,220

3.

Toby Joyce

Ireland

$191,500

4.

James Sedlacek

USA

$142,140

5.

Roussos Koliakoudakis

Greece

$106,430

6.

Francois Scapula

France

$80,390

7.

Dechang Zhang

USA

$61,260

8.

Tony Cousineau

USA

$47,100

9.

Sasha Guerin

USA

$36,542

Greg Raymer Eyes Second Bracelet

In the seniors' tournament for those over 60, only 15 players remain, led by Timothy Garner. However, the focus is on 2004 Main Event champion Greg Raymer, currently standing in fifth place.

Raymer is known for giving an actual fossil as a card protector to anyone who knocks him out. However, he revealed a special clause where a rude or douchey opponent won't receive one.

Sitting on his table is a 330-million-year-old Moroccan fossil, which he hopes to take home alongside his second career bracelet.

Top 10 Stacks after Day 3 – Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors (Before Final Day):

Rank

Player

Country

Stack

1.

Timothy Garner

USA

8,015,000

2.

Glen Clementi

USA

7,165,000

3.

Micheal Dokell

USA

6,525,000

4.

Paul McMullin

USA

6,050,000

5.

Greg Raymer

USA

5,410,000

6.

Kevin Song

South Korea

5,055,000

7.

Lionel Barracano

France

4,405,000

8.

Donald Briggs

USA

4,210,000

9.

Istvan Toro

Hungary

4,070,000

10.

Alexander Dovzhenko

Ukraine

3,890,000

Batman Bubbles Out

The second day of the $1,500 NLH Freezeout started with drama as players looked for the bubble boy. One of the last players who busted before making the money was Brandon Sunshine, who unwittingly became the day's tragic hero while dressed as Batman.

In the final day, 33 players will compete, led by France's Valentin Oberhauser with a significant chip lead. Former Main Event champion from 2014, Martin Jacobson, is also in contention for his second bracelet, ending the day in 23rd place.

Top 10 Stacks after Day 2 – Event #65: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em

Rank

Player

Country

Stack

1.

Valentin Oberhauser

France

5,500,000

2.

Kyle Lin

USA

4,845,000

3.

Jan Sanchez

USA

4,175,000

4.

Ciro Gonzalez

Mexico

3,420,000

5.

Brandon Hamlet

USA

3,310,000

6.

Micheal O'Neill

Ireland

3,150,000

7.

Leonardo Alves

Brazil

3,120,000

8.

Juan Vecino

Spain

3,080,000

9.

Ryan Julius

USA

3,070,000

10.

Julian Eibel

Germany

2,625,000

Tag Teams in Action

The 30th day also saw the start of the fan-favorite $1K Tag Team event, drawing 1,375 teams. Only 269 teams remain in the chase for $184,769 after Day 1.

The current leaders are the family Team Chen (Andy and Jie Chen). Various teams captured attention by donning matching costumes, adding a touch of fun to the format.

Simon Higgins Tops Flight 1b in Mystery Millions

The popular $1K Mystery Millions (Event #63) continued with its second starting day 1b, attracting 2,278 entries. Of these, 125 players secured a spot in Day 2.

The standout performer was the UK’s Simon Higgins, one of only two players to surpass two million chips. Among the advancing are recognizable names like Leo Margets and Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo.


Sources: WSOP, WSOP Live, X