San Kim bags big lead, four champs down as Main Event marches on to Day 3

It's been another manic Monday at the 2025 World Series of Poker. 

In the Main Event, the action from Day 2D came to a close, and, with that, the window for registration has officially ended. While many events at the summer series have seen an increase in field size compared to the previous year, the Main Event failed to follow suit. 

With the final influx of players joining the fray as late registrants on Day 2D, the official count rose to 9,735 entrants – making it the third-largest Main Event field in the tournament's history and generating a total prize pool of $92,598,870. 

1,461 players will secure the minimum cash of $15,000 while the final nine players will all go home with at least $1,000,000 – with the eventual winner taking $10,000,000. 

The 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event stands as the third-largest field in the tournament's history.

2025 Main Event final table payouts

• 1st: $10,000,000
• 2nd: $6,000,000
• 3rd: $4,000,000
• 4th: $3,000,000
• 5th: $2,400,000
• 6th: $1,900,000
• 7th: $1,500,000
• 8th: $1,250,000
• 9th: $1,000,000

Day 2D big stacks and busts

San Kim finished the day with the largest stack and will return for Day 3 with 799K to work with, followed closely by Fernando Rodriguez with 749K. 

Romain Locquet made headlines on Day 1 when he played a six-bet pot against Jared Bleznick. With more than a starting stack in the middle before the flop, Locquet's improved to quads to eliminate Bleznick. 

Romain Locquet has piles headed into Day 3 of the 2025 Main Event.

Omar Sader

Locquet put Bleznick's chips to good use on Day 2D as he continued to accumulate, and the Frenchman will return for Day 3 with 673.5K. 

Alexandros Theologis, perhaps better known by his online moniker 'Pwndidi,' bagged up a top ten stack with 472.5K in his arsenal. Two-time WSOP bracelet winner David Jackson finished Day 2D tenth in the chip counts with 444K. 

2024 Main Event Champion Jonathan Tamayo is still in the mix to go back-to-back. He bagged a decent stack of 158.5K for Day 3. 

There were a number of notable names unable to extend their runs in the Main Event – chief among them Kristen Foxen whose Day 2D elimination stands in stark contrast to her 13th place finish in 2024. Foxen got her chips in good with , but had to flip against her opponent's and a king-high flop ended her run. 

Kristen Foxen exited the 2025 Main Event on Day 2D.

Omar Sader

Ryan Reiss, Joe McKeehen, Hossein Ensan and Huck Seed formed a gaggle of former Main Event Champions headed to the rail before Day 3. 

ACR Pro Jeff 'Boski' Sluzinski and Alexander 'Wolfgang' Seibt were in the field representing the poker vlogging community – yet neither will have a Main Event Day 3 episode for their viewers. 

Sluzinski's fellow ACR Pro Rob Kuhn hit the rail as well, as did 888poker Pro Vivian Saliba. It didn't go any better for a select few of the high rollers in the field as Seth Davies, Jans Arends, and David Peters were all sent packing. 

Seth Davies has had a blockbuster year on the felt, but a Main Event victory is now out of reach.

Alan Keating threw his hat in the Main Event ring – despite his well-established distaste for tournament poker. While a Main Event elimination is never something to celebrate, we're sure Keating will happily return to his usual fare of nosebleed cash games.

Scottish professional Niall Farrell hit the rail as well, joined by poker royalty Todd Brunson. 

Day 2D notable stacks

• San Kim — 799,000
• Romain Locquet — 673,500
• Riva Arthur — 607,000
• Alexandros Theologis — 472,500
• Josh Arieh — 448,500
• Joseph Cheong — 426,500
• Terrance Reid — 399,500
• Brad Owen — 397,000
• Ike Haxton — 317,500
• Anthony Zinno — 315,000
• Chance Kornuth — 313,500
• Landon Tice – 288,000
• Phil Laak — 212,000 
• Esther Taylor — 209,000
• Patrick Leonard — 209,000
• Jonathan Tamayo— 158,500
• Liv Boeree — 103,000
• Gus Hansen — 129,000

Deeb well out in front for Player of the Year 

The WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard updated today and – surprise, surprise – Shaun Deeb currently leads the pack. With major scores in Event #79: $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller and Event #84: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em, Deeb has fully embraced the grind – to great effect. 

Deeb now sits well out in front of his nearest competitors, Benny Glaser, Scott Bohlman, and Martin Kabrhel. While all three players remain within striking distance of the top spot, their opportunities to score additional points are quickly vanishing with each passing day.  

Shaun Deeb won his 7th World Series of Poker bracelet earlier in the series in Event #79: $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller.

Jess Beck

Deeb, Glaser, and Kabrhel entered the one other bracelet event running today, Event #85: $600 Ultra Stack, but none of the three advanced on to Day 2 play. 

Player of the Year Leaderboard