2025 World Series of Poker

Ian Pelz is the Last Gladiator Standing in Event #67; Wins 1st Ever Bracelet

Ian Pelz is the official champion of Event #67: $300 Gladiators of Poker. Pelz had a third place finish earlier this summer in Event #60: $3,000 Limit Hold'em and was thrilled to close this one out for the gold.

Sang Sim Elimimated in 2nd Place ($300,160)

Ian Pelz raised to 8♣5♣ to 20,000,000 from the small blind and Sang Sim decided to raise the Q♦J♦ to 60,000,000. Pelz made the call.

The wheel spun, A♥4♣8♠ and Sim continued for 15,000,000. Pelz called again.

The turn clubbed up the 10♣ and Sim slowed down with a check. Pelz fired 60,000,000 and Sim took an inventory of his chips before calling.

The river completed with the 9♣, making Sim a straight, he went all in and was quickly called by the flush of Pelz, ending the tournament and having Sim bow out in second place.

Pelz Takes the Chip Lead

Sang Sim limped from the button with K♣8♠, Ian Pelz in the big blind raised to 28,000,000 with K♥9♥ and Sam made the call. Pelz continued for 25,000,000 and Sim folded.

On the next hand, Pelz found A♠K♦ on the button and raised to 20,000,000. Sim called, but folded to Pelz's continuation bet on 10♣2♥Q♣.

Thanks to these two small pots, Pelz is now the new chip leader.

Sneaky Aces for Pelz

Sang Sim raised to 17,000,000 holding K♣10♥ and Ian Pelz woke up with A♦A♣, opting to just flat, laying a trap.

Pelz checked the K♠7♠2♠board and faced a bet of 11,000,000 from Sim. Pelz responded with a raise to 55,000,000.

Sim pushed his hand into the muck and Pelz collected the pot.

All-in On First Hand

The heads-up play started with Sang Sim on the button raising to 17,000,000 with J♥10♥.

Ian Pelz in the big blind went into the tank with A♠7♣and moved all in for 192,000,000. Sim quickly folded.

Jesus Rodriguez in the small blind shoved for 30,000,000 and was called by Sang Sim in the big blind.

Jesus Rodriguez: K♠4♣ All in
Sang Sim: K♣Q♥

Sim flopped top pair on Q♠2♠J♥, leaving almost no chance for Rodriguez. The A♥ turn and the 4♠ river sealed Rodriguez's fate, and he left in fourth place for $167,730.

MTTM69_LLC - Great run all!! Please take the time to follow my IG for videos and pictures of this event and others! Pleasure playing with you all ands looking forward to playing with others in the future

Manuel Reyes opened to 17,000,000 from the cutoff and faced Sang Sim who defended from the big blind.

Both players checked the flop of 10♦J♦J♥ leading to the A♦ turn that they checked again.

The Q♦ river landed on the felt and Sim bet 15,000,000 with K♣J♠ for a straight. Reyes called with K♠9♠ for the same straight, so they split the pot.

Sang Sim raised to 10,000,000 with A♥A♣and Roland Israelashvili made the call with 7♦7♣. Joseph Butler put on the squeeze with an all in for 125,000,000 holding A♦9♦. Sim called and Israelashvili folded.

The flop was a dramatic one as the J♦7♥8♦ scrolled across on a board that would have given Israelashvili set and had Butler plenty live to win a massive pot.

The turn brought the 2♥ and anticipation built as the 6♣ completed the board and eliminated Butler. Sim cheered in victory as Butler came to terms with his exit.

Santiago Trujillo in the cutoff shoved for 15,000,000. Jesus Rodriguez raised all-in for 21,000,000 from the small blind and the big blind folded.

Santiago Trujillo: K♦10♠ All in
Jesus Rodriguez: A♠A♦

Once again, Trujillo ran into aces, and despite a king on the flop of J♣K♠8♣, he was eliminated after the 2♦ turn and the 9♥river completed the board.

Sang Sim in middle position and Yuanzhi Cao in the big blind checked all the way through a board of 3♠3♣3♦10♠10♥.

Once on the river, Cao checked and Sim bet 20,000,000. With a full house on the board, Cao seemed to have no choice but to call.

He put chips in front of him but Sim immediately flipped over A♥10♦ for the best full house possible. Cao's cards went into the muck.

Yuanzhi Cao: 51,000,000

Ian Pelz jammed from the small blind when it folded to him and the short-stacked Moises quickly called.

Santiago Moises: A♦10♦ All in
Ian Pelz: K♦6♣

Moises breathed a sigh of relief when the A♠8♥9♦ scrolled across and he pushed his stack forward to be doubled when the 9♥snapped off.

"Cien por ciento...", he whispered to himself before the 9♣ completed the board.

Pelz was left to do the accounting and shrugged off the blind vs blind confrontation.

Sang Sim opened from under the gun and was called by both players in the blinds.

The dealer fanned a flop of 9♠2♦6♥ and Sim continued for 6,500,000. Roland Israelashvili in the small blind called, and so did Joseph Butler in the big blind.

Sim fired a second barrel of 9,500,000 on the K♣ turn. This time however, Israelashvili quickly folded. Butler folded too and the pot was for Sim.

Manuel Reyes in middle position opened to 7,500,000. Joseph Butler in the small blind three-bet to 20,000,000, but Reyes quickly four-bet all-in for 89,500,000.

Butler went deep into the tank but folded.

Santiago Moises had misunderstood the tournament director and thought they would be having a short break at the start of the final but that was not the case, as tournament director had gone as far as saying, "This is NOT a break!".

As a result, Moises was seen sprinting back to the tournament area to arrive in time to play a couple hands before his big blind.

Sang Sim opened the button to 6,000,000 and Moises defended his big blind.

Heads up, they saw a flop of K♦J♦5♦. Moises check-called a bet of 4,000,000.

Both players checked the turned Q♣.

When the 8♣ completed the board, Moises took the initiative and bet 8,000,000. Sim made a measured all in and Moises quickly launched his hand in the muck, surrendering the pot.