Friday, June 2, 2023 6:10 PM Local Time
Tice Takes From Chidwick; Kono Bests Puustinen
Landon Tice bet 35,000 on a board of and Stephen Chidwick called in the big blind.
The river came the and Chidwick checked once more. Tice now checked behind and took down the pot with for two pair.
At the same time on another table, Reiji Kono was knocking out Henri Puustinen when he made two pair with on a board of .
Kono, who is being followed by a contingent of Japanese media who are filming his every move, stopped to take a picture of the board before racking up his chips for the next round.
| Reiji Kono | 600,000 | 65,000  |
| Stephen Chidwick | 310,000 | -105,000  |
| Landon Tice | 290,000 | 105,000 |
| Henri Puustinen | 0 | -65,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 6:00 PM Local Time
Richardson Gets Paid by Porter
A completed board of was spread across the felt with around 60,000 chips already in the middle. The action was on Daemon Richardson on the button who slid out a bet of 40,000.
Andrew Porter fanned out his time bank chips but opted not to use one as he flicked in a call before the time expired. Richardson turned over for trip sevens and Porter sent his cards to the muck.
| Daemon Richardson | 473,000 | 173,000 |
| Andrew Porter | 127,000 | -173,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:53 PM Local Time
Flush Over Flush Sends Out Brannan
Frank Brannan bet 40,000 on a board of before Isaac Kempton moved all in.
"You got it," Brannan asked before calling for his last 100,000 and showing for the flush.
Kempton did, indeed, have it as he turned over for a higher flush to win the pot and move on to the next round.
| Isaac Kempton | 600,000 | 182,000 |
| Frank Brannan | 0 | -182,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:53 PM Local Time
Phil Ivey, Doug Polk in Action at Epic WSOP $25k Heads-Up Tournament
Two GOATS in their own right, Doug Polk and Phil Ivey, have both officially made their 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) debuts in what is one of the most stacked tournaments of the summer.
Event #8: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship began at noon PT on Friday with 64 of the best and most popular players in the game, all just hoping to keep pace with the great John Smith, of course.
Read the Full Story Here
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:51 PM Local Time
Smith Takes Down the Pot with King High
John Smith raised the button to 4,000 and Chris Brewer in the big blind called. When the flop came the Brewer checked allowing Smith to take a stab for 6,000. Brewer, undeterred, called the bet.
For the remainder of the hand, both players checked to a showdown when the board came the on the turn and the on the river. Smith was the first to reveal his handing showing . Brewer mucked as king-high was enough to win this hand.
| Chris Brewer | 324,000 | 24,000 |
| John Smith | 276,000 | -24,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:47 PM Local Time
Kono, Kempton, Chidwick, and Perez Leading Their Matches
| Reiji Kono | 535,000 | 235,000 |
| Isaac Kempton | 418,000 | 118,000 |
| Stephen Chidwick | 415,000 | 55,000 |
| Roberto Perez | 402,000 | 70,000 |
| Daniel Negreanu | 198,000 | -70,000 |
| Landon Tice | 185,000 | -55,000 |
| Frank Brannan | 182,000 | -118,000 |
| Henri Puustinen | 65,000 | -235,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:42 PM Local Time
Winter Makes the Right Decision to Bust Ponakovs; Khun Also Through
Aleksejs Ponakovs bet 65,000 on a flop of and Sean Winter called.
The turn came the and Ponakovs led out for another 40,000. Winter again quickly called as the fell on the river.
Ponakovs now jammed all in for around 85,000 and sent Winter deep into the tank. "I mean, would you do this with ace-queen," Winter pondered to himself.
Winter eventually slammed in the chips to call and Ponakovs, sure enough, turned over . Winter, though, had and his king-kicker was enough to send him through to the next round.
Chanracy Khun joined him on another table after making short work of newly-crowned WSOP bracelet winner Alexandre Vuilleumier. According to Khun, he limped in, Vuilleumier raised to 5,600, and Khun moved all in.
Vuilleumier called off his short stack with but couldn't win a race against Khun's pocket threes.
| Chanracy Khun | 600,000 | 300,000 |
| Sean Winter | 600,000 | 224,000 |
| Alexandre Vuilleumier | 0 | -300,000 |
| Aleksejs Ponakovs | 0 | -224,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:35 PM Local Time
Chidwick Extracts Value from Tice
The pot stood at approximately 10,000 as the board read . Stephen Chidwick in the big blind checked the action over to Landon Tice who placed a bet of 6,000 into the middle.
After some deliberation, Chidwick check-raised to 18,000. Tice flicked in one chip to make the call. Chidwick tabled and claimed the pot as Tice knocked the table as he said "Nice hand".
| Stephen Chidwick | 360,000 | 60,000 |
| Landon Tice | 240,000 | -60,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:33 PM Local Time
Gaston Gets the Best of Pawar
Tyler Gaston held an early lead in his heads-up match with Ranjeet Pawar and the two players got all of their chips in the middle preflop. Gaston's hand was the only one left standing with his face up on the felt.
The board read and Gaston's top pair was enough to eliminate Pawar and advance to Round 3 tomorrow.
| Tyler Gaston | 600,000 | 250,000 |
| Ranjeet Pawar | 0 | -250,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:32 PM Local Time
Zinno Avoids Catastrophe Thanks to Lucky Runout
Anthony Zinno three-bet to 18,000 preflop before Jonathan Jaffe reraised to 50,000. Zinno used a time bank before he came back with a reraise to 120,000.
Jaffe used his own two time banks before. he called. The flop came and Zinno continued for 75,000. Jaffe then shoved all in and Zinno snap-called with a nearly identical stack.
Zinno opened up , but found out the bad news when Jaffe showed . At risk of decimation early in the match, Zinno saw the fall on the turn, followed by the on the river to put a straight on the board and chop the pot.
"It's only fair. Aces versus kings fairly deep in a heads-up match," Jaffe said with a smile as he was denied the massive pot.
Jaffe is sitting right underneath a big screen inside the Paris Ballroom that is showing an old episode from the 2013 Main Event where he was seated at the feature table. "It doesn't go well," he said while watching himself from a decade ago.
| Anthony Zinno | 310,000 | 10,000 |
| Jonathan Jaffe | 290,000 | -10,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:31 PM Local Time
Polk Jumps Out to a Lead
Doug Polk opened to 4,200 on the button and Thomas Eychenne three-bet to 17,600 in the big blind. Polk countered with a four-bet to 52,400 and Eychenne just called.
The flop came and Eychenne checked to Polk who slid out a bet and Eychenne promptly mucked his cards.
| Doug Polk | 406,000 | 106,000 |
| Thomas Eychenne | 194,000 | -106,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:21 PM Local Time
Szabo Gives Up on the River
There was already 60,000 in the pot as Gabor Szabo and Conor Beresford saw a flop of . Beresford bet 17,500 and Szabo called.
Both players checked the turn before Szabo led out for 6,000 on the river.
Beresford now came back with a raise to 37,000 and Szabo used a time bank before mucking.
| Conor Beresford | 345,000 | 45,000 |
| Gabor Szabo | 255,000 | -45,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:21 PM Local Time
Perez's Rivered Jack Does the Job
Daniel Negreanu and opponent Roberto Perez were both facing a board of . Perez checked to Negreanu who bet 2,000. Perez quickly raised to 7,000 and both players went to the turn.
The slowed down proceedings as Perez checked and Negreanu checked behind.
The had a repeat of the action and Perez tabled making a pair on the river to take down this hand. Negreanu mucked.
| Roberto Perez | 332,000 | 32,000 |
| Daniel Negreanu | 268,000 | -32,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:18 PM Local Time
Hellmuth Resting
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:12 PM Local Time
Wasserson and Mateos Play a Big One
Eric Wasserson raised to 3,000 on the button and Adrian Mateos reraised to 14,000 out of the big blind. Wasserson called and the flop came . Mateos continued with a bet of 14,000 and Wasserson looked back at his cards before calling.
The turn brought the and Mateos sized up a bet of 40,000. Wasserson still called and the landed on the river. Mateos announced a bet of 110,000 this time and Wasserson jammed all in which prompted a fold from Mateos.
| Eric Wasserson | 469,000 | 169,000 |
| Adrian Mateos | 131,000 | -169,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:07 PM Local Time
Gaston Puts in Big River Raise to Take Early Lead
With around 40,000 in the middle on a board of , Ranjeet Pawar bet 31,500.
Tyler Gaston then grabbed a pile of chips and tossed them into the middle for a raise, and Pawar snap-folded as Gaston took down an early big pot in this second-round match.
| Tyler Gaston | 350,000 | 350,000 |
| Ranjeet Pawar | 250,000 | -50,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 4:58 PM Local Time
Rabichow Fills Up to Advance
Second Round: Blinds 2,000-4,000
Kevin Rabichow moved all in and Kane Kalas called for around 30,000.
Kane Kalas:
Kevin Rabichow:
The came in the window to give Kalas a pair, but it was followed by the as Rabichow made two pair. The fell on the turn and Rabichow made a full house.
The river came the and Rabichow joined Chance Kornuth as the first players through to tomorrow's Round of 16.
| Kevin Rabichow | 600,000 | 39,000 |
| Kane Kalas | 0 | -39,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 4:58 PM Local Time
Winter Rips on Ponakovs
Blinds 800/1,600
Aleksejs Ponakovs raised to 4,000 on the button and Sean Winter made it 14,000 from the big blind. Ponakovs clicked it back to 42,000 and Winter five-bet ripped all in. Ponakovs was forced to give up his hand and Winter jumped out front in their heads-up match.
The rest of the second round matches are about to get underway with each player starting with 300,000 chips and the blinds at 600/1,200.
| Sean Winter | 376,000 | 36,000 |
| Aleksejs Ponakovs | 224,000 | -36,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 4:52 PM Local Time
Rabichow Gets Paid on the River, Kalas in the Danger Zone
Second Round: Blinds 2,000-4,000
Kevin Rabichow and Kane Kalas built a pot of 23,000 heading to the turn on a board of . Both players checked as the fell on the river.
Rabichow now bet out 23,000 and Kalas went into his time banks before flicking in a green 25,000 chip to call. Rabichow turned over for two pair and Kalas mucked his hand to drop down to less than 10 big blinds.
| Kevin Rabichow | 561,000 | 31,000 |
| Kane Kalas | 39,000 | -31,000 |
Friday, June 2, 2023 4:44 PM Local Time
Kalas Takes Two on the River
Second Round; Blinds 1,500-3,000
Kevin Rabichow bet 9,500 on a flop of and Kane Kalas called. Both players checked the turn.
The river came the and Kalas used a time bank before leading out for 17,200. Rabichow gave it some thought before mucking.
"Kane, Kane, Kane. He's got the voice of an angel," Chance Kornuth began chanting from the rail.
The next hand, Rabichow bet 3,000 on a flop and Kalas called.
The turn was again checked through before Kalas bet 10,000 on the river. Rabichow once more gave up his hand.
| Kevin Rabichow | 530,000 | -5,300 |
| Kane Kalas | 70,000 | 5,300 |