The stage is set in Las Vegas. After nearly two weeks of poker, the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event has reached its final chapter. Just nine players remain in the $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship, each one chasing the dream and the $10,000,000 first-place prize that comes with it.
Tonight, the finalists return to the felt at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas after a well-earned day of rest. Throughout the night, our resident strategy expert Aytan Eldarova will be breaking down the most interesting hands from the final table. Scroll below for live analysis and commentary as the biggest final table of the year unfolds.
Top Pair Trouble: Lee’s AQ Runs Into Wasnock’s Set at the WSOP Final Table
Blinds: 600k/1.6Mk (1.6M BB ante) Stacks: Lee (UTG1): 34.9M (~22BB), Wasnock (BB): 108.1M (~68BB). 9/ 9,735 players
Preflop action: Lee opens to 3.2M with A♠Q♣ from UTG1, Wasnock flats in the BB with 5s5c. Pot: 8.8M
Flop: Q♦5♥J♦ Wasnock flops middle set, Lee flops top pair, top kicker. Action: Wasnock checks, Lee continuation bets 3M, Wasnock check-raises to 6.5M, Lee shoves for 31.7M, Wasnock calls. Pot: 72.2M
Board runs out: Q♦5♥J♦10♥J♥
Wasnock’s flat with 5♠5♣ is solid. 3-betting here would be bloating the pot unnecessarily out of position against an early position raiser. Flatting to set mine is ideal given stack depths.
Lee flops TPTK, Wasnock flops a set of fives.
Wasnock check-raises to 6.5M over a 3M c-bet is a great value raise. The board is connected, but not super wet. This check-raise targets Qx, draws, and also traps overpairs if Lee had one. Ideal sizing too as it doesn’t scare off value hands.
Lee shoves for 31.7M over the raise. This is the most critical decision point. From Lee’s perspective he now has TPTK, only 22BB behind, and he interprets Wasnock’s raise as pressure on a connected board possible semi-bluff with KT or JT. He likely assumes his hand is best versus draws or Qx hands, and doesn’t want to face turn aggression with a vulnerable top pair. The problem here is that this is a final table with massive ICM pressure. flatting the check-raise is viable—he controls pot size and preserves his tournament life. Shoving isolates him against sets or two pair JQ, QT hands or strong combo draws, which dominates. The shove is too ambitious under final table ICM conditions. Lee risks elimination against a check-raise that polarises Wasnock’s range.
The board pairs on the river, giving Wasnock a full house with fives full of jacks, beating Lee’s pair of queens. We see our first elimination from the final table – Lee is eliminated in 9th place.
The Biggest Hand of the WSOP Final Table So Far!
Blinds: 1M/2M (2M BB ante) Stacks: Dunaway (CO): 85.1M (42.5 BB), Wasnock (BTN): 182M (91 BB), Mizrachi (BB): 71.7M (35.8 BB). 7/ 9,735 players
Preflop action: Dunaway opens from the CO to 4M with Q♦9♣, Wasnock on the BTN 3-bets to 10M with K♠K♣, Mizrachi in the BB 4-bets to 30M with A♠K♦. Dunaway folds, Wasnock shoves for 182M. Mizrachi calls. Pot: 151,400,000.
Board runs out: 9♥7♦J♠Q♣A♦
Dunaway’s open from the CO to 4M with Q♦9♣ is loose but defensible, especially if the table has tightened due to ICM. Still, Q♦9♣ is marginal, and with two aggressive stacks behind, it’s probably better to fold or tighten up in this FT spot.
Wasnock on the BTN 3-bets to 10M with K♠K♣ This is standard strong value 3-bet sizing with a premium hand, denying equity and setting up future stack-to-pot ratios. This encourages action without scaring off worse hands.
Mizrachi in BB 4-bets to 30M with A♠K♦. This is an excellent line given dynamics. A♠K♦ is a textbook 4-bet candidate here. Stack size (35.8 BB) is perfectly suited for a non-all-in 4-bet: He creates fold equity, invites lighter shoves or calls and sets up clean decision points.
Dunaway correctly folds – he is completely dominated and out of the way.
Wasnock shoves for 182M. With K♠K♣, this is a slam-dunk shove over a 4-bet. The cold 4-bet can be QQ, AK, sometimes bluffs or even traps—but KK is too strong to do anything but rip it in here.
Mizrachi calls off his remaining ~41.7M. Also correct, he is priced in, and AK suited or offsuit is considered a standard call here given the massive pot odds and equity against a shoving range that includes QQ+, AK.
Mizrachi hits top pair on the river with AK to beat Wasnock’s pocket kings. Pot: 151.4M and Mizrachi becomes the new chip leader.
Margets’ Historic WSOP Run Ends in a Rivered Flush
Blinds: 1M/2M (2M BB ante) Leo Margets (SB): 39.6M (~19.8 BB), Kenny Hallaert (BB): 100.3M (~50.1 BB). 7/ 9,735 players.
Preflop action: Margets limps from the small blind withA♥10♥. Hallaert shoves all-in from the big blind with 6♠6♥. Margets calls and is all-in.
Margets limps from the small blind withA♥10♥ with a strong hand in this spot. Limping is a viable line with ATs, especially with under 20 BB and strong playability. Could also be raised which would be a standard line, but limping keeps the pot small and her range protected.
Hallaert shoves all-in from the big blind with 6♠6♥. This is a well-calculated shove. Margets has <20 BB. Limping from the SB can include weak holdings. 6♠6♥ plays well as a jam vs limp, applying maximum ICM pressure. Hallaert also denies equity to hands like Kx, Qx, or low suited connectors.
Margets calls and is all-in with A♥10♥ facing a shove from an aggressive BB, this is a standard call. She dominates a number of potential shoving hands like KQ, A5s, JTs, etc, and is flipping against pairs.
Pot: 81.2M
Board runs out: 7♠5♠J♥A♠9♠
The entire board runs out spades, which is dramatic – Margets has the A♥, Hallaert’s 6♠6♥ gives him a 6-high spade flush, good enough to win.
Leo Margets is eliminated in 7th, marking the first woman to reach the WSOP Main Event final table since 1985.
ICM Dynamics: Margets was 7th out of 7 players, and needed to double or bust. A♥10♥ is far too strong to fold, and she’s flipping at worst. Hallaert’s jam pressures Margets’ entire limp range, exploiting stacks with high ICM risk.
A brutal cooler: Margets pairs her Ace on the turn, seemingly ahead but the board makes a four-flush, and Hallaert wins with a 6♠. One of the most heartbreaking but clean eliminations — no misplay, just variance.
ICM Collision: Hendrix’s JJ Can’t Hold Against The Grinder
Blinds: 1M/2M (2M BB ante) Michael Mizrachi (UTG): 152.8M (~76 BB), Adam Hendrix (CO): 56.6M (~28 BB), 6/9,735 players.
Preflop action: Mizrachi raises to 4.3M UTG with A♥K♦. Hendrix 3-bets to 12M in the CO with J♦J♣. Mizrachi 4-bets to 56.6M effectively putting Hendrix all-in. Hendrix calls. Pot: 118,200,000.
Mizrachi’s open is standard with A♥K♦, this is a premium hand, especially from early position. Sizing is reasonable given the blinds.
Hendrix 3-bets to 12M in the CO with J♦J♣ is also pretty standard. JJ is a strong 3-bet candidate, especially with <30 BB and facing a UTG open. Sizing is solid being roughly 3x the open, which applies pressure.
Mizrachi 4-bets to 56.6M is a great line. AK is a premium 4-bet/jam hand in this exact dynamic. Hendrix is 3-betting from mid-position and his range likely includes QQ–77, AK, and possibly some AQ/KQ. Mizrachi uses his deep stack to apply maximum ICM pressure.
Hendrix correct calls, but let’s break this down. ICM is enormous now with only 6 players remain in the Main Event. JJ vs Mizrachi’s 4-bet range is often a flip vs AK or behind vs QQ+. However, Mizrachi is known to be aggressive and capable of applying pressure with AK/AQ in high-leverage spots.
Board runs out: Q♣4♦Q♥K♠3♣
Hendrix is eliminated in 6th place. Mizrachi wins.
Over the 300M Barrier: Mizrachi Dominates Final Table
Blinds: 1M/2M (2M BB ante) Michael Mizrachi (BTN): 274.3M (~137 BB), Kenny Hallaert (BB): 134.3M (~67 BB), 5/9,735 players.
Preflop action: Mizrachi raises to 4M on the button with Q♦J♥. Hallaert calls from the BB with K♥10♣. Pot: 10M.
Mizrachi’s bet is a standard open. With position and a deep stack, QJ offsuit is a solid raise on the BTN.
Hallaert’s call from the BB with K♥10♣ is also very standard. KT offsuit defends well with two broadway cards and blocker equity.
Flop:K♦J♦2♠. Hallaert flops top pair Kings and Mizrachi gets second pair Jacks as well as backdoor diamonds flush.
Action: Hallaert checks, Mizrachi bets 4.3M, Kenny calls. Pot: 18.6M
Hallaert’s check is standard here. Mizrachi’s small c-bet into 10M pot roughly 43% is rather typical c-betting range on a dynamic board considering positions. Hallaert’s call continues in a standard line with top pair and decent kicker.
Turn: brings 5♦. Now we have 3 diamonds on the board.
Action: Hallaert checks, Mizrachi bets 12M and Hallaert calls again. Pot: 44.8M
Mizrachi’s sizing up to ~65% pot. He continues the story he could be building a flush or representing strength. His Q♦ adds equity and bluffs as he now looks down at the Q-high flush draw, plus second pair. Hallaert calls is reasonable. He has top pair, but the board texture is getting dangerous. That said, folding here would be too tight unless he had a strong read.
River: 7♦ bringing forth diamond and completing Mizrachi’s flush draw.
Action: Hallaert checks. Mizrachi overbets 50M into 44.8M and takes it down, propelling into a dominating position.
River Play: Mizrachi’s 50M over bet shove is an ICM-leveraged, polarising bet.
From Hallaert’s perspective – he has K♥10♣, no diamond. He does block some top-pair hands but doesn’t block any diamond flushes. Mizrachi can credibly have: Flushes: Q♦, A♦, 10♦, suited connectors with a diamond like 9♦8♦.
Mizrachi Steamrolls Into Chip Lead, Holding 72% of Final Table Stack
Blinds: 1M/2M (2M BB ante) Michael Mizrachi (CO): 324.7M (~162 BB), Kenny Hallaert (SB): 115.4M (~57.7 BB), Braxton Dunaway (BB): 37.3M (~18.7 BB), 5/9,735 players.
Preflop action: Mizrachi opens to 4M in the CO with Q♠10♥. Hallaert flat calls in the SB with K♠J♠. Dunaway defends BB with 9♠7♣.
Mizrachi standard opens with QT offsuit – this is a playable hand from late-middle position, especially as chip leader applying pressure.
Hallaert flat calls in the SB with with a strong suited broadway hand that plays well post flop. He avoids bloating the pot out of position.
Dunaway defines is fine with pot odds and a connected hand, flatting is standard, though his short stack means many players would fold to preserve chips.
Flop: K♦J♦2♠. Mizrachi flops second pair T with backdoor straight potential. Hallaert flops top pair K with J kicker and Dunaway misses.
Action: Hallaert checks, Dunaway checks, Mizrachi c-bets 5.5M, Hallaert calls and Dunaway folds. Pot: 25M
Hallaert’s check is either a slowly or pot control, Dunaway checks due to missed board. Mizrachi places a small c-bets 5.5M into 13M keeping range wide; he can rep overcards, flushes and pairs here. Hallaert call is smart, there is no need to raise and scare off bluffs or worse holdings.
Turn: Q♣. Board: K♦10♣2♠Q♣. Mizrachi improves to two pair Q,T. Hallaert still has top pair K adding a gutshot to Broadway – needs A.
Action: Hallaert checks, Mizrachi c-bets 21.5M, Hallaert calls.. Pot: 68M.
Mizrachi is now betting for value, holding two pair, but his hand is still vulnerable to KQ, KJ, and better two-pair combos. His good sizing targets top-pair calls and draws.
River: 4♠. Board: K♦10♣2♠Q♣4♠. No straights or flushes complete. Mizrachi still has two pair Q,T. Hallaert is remains behind with K,J.
Action: Hallaert checks, Mizrachi bets 60M, Hallaert calls. Pot: 188,000,000.
Mizrachi bet of 60M after Hallaert’s check is a strong value sizing. Polarising it is just under a full pot. He targets exactly the kind of hand Hallaert has – top pair, good kicker. Hallaert calls – this is where the leak occurs as he beats no value. Mizrachi is never triple-barreling with worse (e.g., QJ or K9). Mizrachi has every strong two-pair combo in range. Hallaert doesn’t block Q,T, and he doesn’t beat any of Mizrachi’s value hands.
Day Ends in Drama: Wasnock’s AJ Cracks Bojovic’s AK
Blinds: 1M/2M (2M BB ante) Luka Bojovic (CO): 16.5M (~8.25 BB), John Wasnock (BB): 90.5M (~45 BB), 5/9,735 players.
Preflop action: Bojovic shoves all-in for 16.5M from the cutoff with A♥K♠. Wasnock calls in the big blind with A♣J♠. Pot: 36M
Bojovic’s shove here is correct and standard. At ~8 BBs and with a premium hand, this is a must-jam spot. AK is top-tier in any short-stack shoving range.
Wasnock calls is borderline While AJ offsuit is a strong hand in isolation, it is often dominated by better Ax in this exact ICM spot. Bojovic is shoving from the cutoff, meaning his range can include worse hands, but will still be weighted toward strong Ax, pairs, and broadway combos. Calling off 16.5M into a 22.5M pot getting ~1.36:1 gives Wasnock ~42% equity needed to call — which he barely has with AJo vs Bojovic’s shoving range. It is a marginal but defensible call given stack depths and Wasnock’s chip lead, but slightly risky under ICM pressure.
Board runs out: 3♣4♣2♣J♥6♠. Wasnock pairs his jack on the turn and Bojovic misses entirely, despite being ahead preflop. Wasnock wins with a pair of jacks.
Play will resume tomorrow with the final four players battling for the 2025 WSOP Main Event title: Michael Mizrachi, John Wasnock, Kenny Hallaert, and Dunaway.
* Images and hands courtesy of PokerGO.com
