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WSOP MAIN EVENT 2025 : Mizrachi blazes in Vegas and Hellmuth puts on a show for DAY 1B!
2025-07-04 - RICHARD Fabien
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A wind of history and madness is blowing through the world's biggest poker tournament, and from Mizrachi to Hellmuth, they've set DAY 1B alight !

When legends answer the call, when modern heroes rise from the felt, and when the magic of Las Vegas ignites the chips, the Main Event becomes more than just a tournament: it turns into a true sporting epic.

 

A Grinder at the Top, Hellmuth on Fire and a Field Ablaze

 

 

Day 1B of the 2025 Main Event delivered a true recital. In a buzzing Horseshoe and an electric Paris Las Vegas ballroom, 1,096 players entered the second round of what is shaping up to be a historic marathon. While every table offered its share of drama, one name stood tall with the steadiness of a metronome and the power of a bulldozer: Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

Already a four-time winner of the prestigious Poker Players Championship, Mizrachi topped the chip counts with 297,000, reigniting a trajectory we hadn't seen since his unforgettable summer of 2010. A relentless grinder and a true intensity machine, he looks determined to etch his name forever in poker history.

Behind him, Dakota Baggett (270,400) and Raoul Kanme (270,000) answered the call, as did Juliet Hegedus, Ladies Event finalist, who continues to shine in the Main Event with 267,000 chips bagged.

But while Mizrachi conducts the orchestra, Phil Hellmuth once again played the rockstar role. Donning a glam-rock wig and making his entrance at the feature table at 5 p.m. sharp to a wild remix of “Highway to Hell” renamed “Highway to Hellmuth,” he brought the full Hellmuth experience. The result? A trademark late reg and 85,000 chips sealed for Day 2. The show is his. So is the genius instinct—sometimes.

Different tone, same presence: Daniel Negreanu honored his tradition by taking his seat on the very first hand, as he has every year since 1998. True to his discipline, the Canadian ended the day with 122,500 chips, a solid warm-up for a competitor on a mission.

Behind them, the pack stretches out but lacks no punch: Espen Sandvik (240,000), Nick Marchington (217,300), and Max Neugebauer (193,300) — all lurking. Sharpened players ready to pounce like sprinters exiting a turn.

And as in every legendary tournament, the roll call of champions gives chills. Three former winners returned to action: Qui Nguyen (94,500), Johnny Chan (57,800), and Greg Merson (51,600). None have said their last word yet.

Behind the spotlight, other circuit stars played their hands. Yuri Dzivielevski, Jason Mercier, Nick Rigby, and Eric Baldwin all made Day 2, though some will face an uphill battle from the start. As for Mike Matusow, he came out firing and closed the day with 158,200 chips, proving once again he didn’t come just to play around.

But poker can be cruel to those who fall too early. Last year’s Day 1B chip leader, George Dolofan, was this time the first one out. A cracked set, a turned straight—and the dream vanished. Same fate for Niklas Astedt, the unlucky hero of a kings vs. aces cooler in the final moments of the day.

With 2,019 total entries across the first two flights (compared to 831 at the same stage last year), this 2025 edition is rocketing toward record heights. And two starting days are still to come…

Today, Day 1C will gather a fresh wave of hopefuls and dreamers under the Vegas lights. All with the same goal: joining the legend.

 

Top 10 Chip Counts – Day 1B of the 2025 WSOP Main Event:

Michael Mizrachi (United States) – 297,000

Dakota Baggett (United States) – 270,400

Raoul Kanme (Netherlands) – 270,000

Juliet Hegedus (United States) – 267,000

Joseph Ozimok (United States) – 265,000

Eric Thompkins (United States) – 264,000

Adrien Guyader (France) – 259,700

Michael Hager (United States) – 254,800

Kestutis Jungevicius (Lithuania) – 248,600

Brian Tolley (United States) – 247,400

 

On the French side, strong performances came from Adrien Guyader (7th in chips with 259,700), Stéphane Guelpa with 143,600 chips, and Nicolas Maniable with 120,000 chips. Our three best-placed musketeers so far.

 

French Chip Counts – Day 1B:

Adrien Guyader 259,700

Stephane Guelpa 143,600

Nicolas Maniable 120,000

Jérémy Surinach 119,100

Sami Bechahed 114,900

Julien Loire 113,500

Julian "JF27" Milliard 105,000

Fabrice Maltez 95,800

Jalil Mekouane 90,900

Robin Gérard 90,300

Benjamin Ane 86,100

Pierre Erbland 81,000

Ivan aka Young IV 80,300

David Fhima 72,400

Selim Oulmekki 71,700

Jean-Patrick Delorme 71,700

Arnaud Fabre 56,600

Edouard Mignot 48,000

Jeremie Dray 45,900

Sonny Franco 45,000

Julien Veyssiere 45,100

Benjamin Souriau 32,500

Cédric Schwaederle 28,000

 

(Photo Credit: PokerNews)

All live chipcounts and results available on the Google Play app HERE or the App Store HERE

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