From the $1,500 HORSE to the $100,000 High Roller, the action at the World Series of Poker on Thursday ran the gamut of games and buy-ins. Huge names were at the tables and records were set to be broken, while most of the noise seemed to be coming from a rowdy rail of Brazilians over in the Horseshoe.
It was the final table of the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout, and the bulk of the crowd was there to support Dennys Ramos. The man from Brazil has notched up big results right across the globe over the past eight years, including not one but two high roller titles at last year’s Brazilian Series of Poker in Sao Paulo.
One of the noisiest and most boisterous rails of the WSOP so far, the delegation from Brazil supported their man all the way through a final table with a decidedly international flavor. Players from Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Russia, the UK, USA and Ukraine made up the final eight, alongside Brazil’s Ramos.
After a hard-fought heads-up battle which could have easily gone either way it would be Renat Bohdanov of Ukraine who defeated Ramos to win the last hand of the tourney. Both players hit the 
flop, though Bohdenov’s 
was trailing Ramos’ 
. The 
on the turn changed nothing, Ramos managed to get his stack in while in front, and got called. Bohdenov needed a jack to split, or a nine to win. The 
on the river delivered the straight, and with it the victory.
$451,600 and a second WSOP bracelet went to Bohdenov. $300,830 went to runner-up Ramos, who hopefully treated his hard-working cheer squad to a few mojitos for their troubles.
Phil Ivey gets off the mark in the $100K
If you’re going to make your first cash of the WSOP, there are worse places to do it than in the $100,000 High Roller.
Phil Ivey’s 11 WSOP bracelets to date — not to mention a career at the top of the game — show he knows exactly what it takes to bring home the hardware. It’s one of the reasons Ivey was drafted 65 times in the PokerOrg Fantasy Freeroll, but so far this series he’s been slow to get started. That changed with a run to 9th in the $100K, good for a $247,130 payout.
Eight remain in contention for what will be the largest payday of the 2025 WSOP so far. The final three will each score over a million, with the winner banking $2,649,158.
Aram Oganyan is in pole position with a stack of around 80 big blinds, Joao Vieira has around 50, and the chasing pack all have around 20. They include the likes of Isaac Haxton, Ben Heath and $50K runner-up Andrew Lichtenberger, who could end the week up to the tune of almost $4M if he brings this one home.
See here for more on the $100K High Roller.
Deeb goes close in PLO8
The fact that Shaun Deeb doesn’t take many days off during the WSOP, coupled with his capacity for high-level play, always makes him a prime choice for a fantasy poker team.
Deeb came close to a 7th bracelet on Thursday in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, reaching the final three alongside Philip Sternheimer and Caleb ‘Bruno’ Furth, but was knocked out late to set up a final day of heads-up play, Friday from 1pm.
Sternheimer (below), of London, UK, will return with the chip lead and is seeking a first bracelet, having already racked up five cashes this series including 3rd place in the $10K Dealers Choice. Furth is looking for his second of the summer, having already won the $5K PLO. $763,087 awaits the winner.
Most cashes ever?
Finally, is PokerOrg Player Advisory Board member Ari Engel (below) a record-breaker? Well, yes, but he might have yet another accolade on the way.
The grinder of all grinders is in the money in the $1,500 HORSE, and is one of 18 returning for the final day’s play on Friday. Engel already holds the joint record for most WSOP Circuit rings, and might have just equalled the late ‘Miami’ John Cernuto’s record for most recorded cashes of all time.
There’s an awful lot of numbers to crunch to make sure, but it’s looking like Engel could shortly be adding another feather to his already stuffed cap.
We'll bring you more on this shortly, as well as everything else from the WSOP in Las Vegas, so stay tuned to PokerOrg.
Additional image courtesy of the WSOP.
