WSOP 2025 Day 23 Recap
Day 23 of the 2025 World Series of Poker delivered everything poker fans crave: bracelet victories, dramatic storylines, and the tantalizing possibility of witnessing history in the making. From the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, June 19th proved to be another unforgettable chapter in poker’s premier tournament series.
Monster Stack Finally Finds Its Champion
After running a day longer than scheduled, Event #37: $1,500 Monster Stack finally crowned its winner. Klemens Roiter emerged victorious from a field that began Day 4 with seven hopefuls, overcoming chip leader David Uvaydov to claim his first WSOP bracelet and a life-changing $1,204,457 payday.
The Monster Stack’s extended conclusion set the tone for a day where perseverance would be rewarded—a theme that would echo throughout the tournament rooms.
Brian Rast’s Date with Destiny Delayed
The biggest storyline of Day 23 centers around Event #50: $10,000 Razz Championship, where poker history hangs in the balance. Hall of Fame member Brian Rast finds himself just one victory away from joining an exclusive club of only 13 players who have captured seven WSOP bracelets.
Standing between Rast and this historic achievement is Andrew Yeh, who holds a commanding 3:1 chip lead as they prepare for an unscheduled Day 4. Yeh, already a bracelet winner, has dominated much of the tournament and sits with 6,095,000 chips (25 big bets) to Rast’s 1,940,000 (8 big bets).
Should Rast overcome this deficit, he’ll join an elite group that includes Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Erik Seidel, Johnny Moss, Billy Baxter, Benny Glaser, John Hennigan, Daniel Negreanu, Men Nguyen, Nick Schulman, and Scott Seiver. The heads-up battle resumes at 12:30 p.m. local time, with $306,644 and a place in poker immortality on the line.
Seniors Championship Sees Fetsch Take Command
In Event #48: $1,000 Senior’s No-Limit Hold’em Championship, Ron Fetsch has positioned himself perfectly for a deep run. The veteran player bagged 2,930,000 chips—equivalent to 117 big blinds—as 1,445 returning players were whittled down to just 202 survivors.
Fetsch, who cashed in both the Seniors and Super Seniors events last year, holds a substantial lead over second-placed Mansour Alipourfard (2,125,000). The field includes several accomplished players still in contention, including last year’s Super Seniors runner-up Yucel Eminoglu (2,070,000), Kevin Nathan (1,650,000), Mike Leah (890,000), and former bracelet winner Men Nguyen (402,000).
With Day 3 scheduled for another ten 60-minute levels, the final table should be within reach by day’s end.
High Roller Action Heats Up
The Event #51: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha has reached the business end with just 28 players remaining and a massive $2,292,155 first-place prize awaiting the champion. Australia’s Najeem Ajez commands the field with 7,845,000 chips (157 big blinds), holding a significant advantage over Spain’s Lautaro Guerra (6,444,000).
The surviving field reads like a who’s who of high-stakes poker: Bryn Kenney (3,965,000), Talal Shakerchi (3,850,000), Isaac Haxton (3,545,000), and Phil Ivey (785,000) all remain in contention. With play scheduled to continue until only five players survive, the eliminations will come fast and furious.
Freezeout Reaches Its Climax
Event #52: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em is down to its final 29 players, with Argentina’s Julio Belluscio leading the charge. The 2023 $2,500 Big Bet Mixed champion sits atop the leaderboard with 6,900,000 chips (138 big blinds), positioning himself well for a second bracelet.
Notable players still in contention include Asher Conniff (5,650,000), Stoyan Madanzhiev (3,955,000), and Bryan Piccioli (2,395,000). With the tournament scheduled to play to completion, one of these 29 hopefuls will wake up as a WSOP champion.
Millionaire Maker Mania Begins
The always-popular Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker kicked off with Day 1a drawing 1,777 entries. Germany’s Sascha Manns claimed the overnight chip lead with 776,000 chips (310 big blinds), followed closely by Dutch star Mateusz Moolhuizen (759,000).
The field includes a stellar mix of pros and amateurs, with last year’s Millionaire Maker champion Franco Spitale (183,500) already positioning for another deep run. Other notables who survived Day 1a include David “ODB” Baker (132,500), Adam Owen (122,500), Joe McKeehen (101,000), and Maria Konnikova (74,000).
Day 1b promises another large turnout as players chase their slice of the millionaire-making prize pool.
PLO Action Gets Underway
Event #54: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha completed its marathon Day 1, with 1,564 entrants reduced to just 114 survivors after 17 levels of 40-minute play. Germany’s Giuseppe Pantaleo leads the pack with 1,105,000 chips, putting him in prime position to add to his 2019 bracelet collection.
The field includes several accomplished PLO specialists and bracelet winners, including Bruno Furth (761,000), Robert Nehorayan (696,000), Bryce Yockey (593,000), and Sean Troha (318,000). With two more days of scheduled play, expect the action to intensify as players battle for PLO supremacy.
H.O.R.S.E. Championship Attracts Elite Field
The prestigious Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship drew 176 entries for Day 1, with 91 players surviving to Day 2. Poker Hall of Famer and seven-time bracelet winner John Hennigan leads the way with 350,500 chips, holding a razor-thin advantage over Christopher Vitch (342,500).
True to form, this event has attracted poker’s elite, with Day 2 featuring an all-star cast including Marco Johnson (274,000), Mike Matusow (208,000), Scott Seiver (206,500), Huck Seed (190,000), Todd Brunson (189,000), Shaun Deeb (140,500), Benny Glaser (138,000), and John Monnette (110,000).
Looking Ahead: Day 24 Promises Fireworks
June 19th brings six events closer to crowning their champions, headlined by the dramatic conclusion of the Razz Championship. The anticipation surrounding Brian Rast’s quest for a seventh bracelet will undoubtedly draw poker fans from around the world.
The Seniors Championship continues its march toward a final table, while the high-stakes PLO action promises explosive moments as the field narrows to just five players. The Freezeout reaches its conclusion, guaranteeing at least one new bracelet winner by day’s end.
Meanwhile, the Millionaire Maker’s Day 1b flight expects another massive turnout, and both the PLO and H.O.R.S.E. Championships will see their fields significantly reduced.
The Big Picture: Seth Davies’ Record-Breaking Victory
While Day 23 focused on ongoing events, it’s worth noting that earlier in the series, Seth Davies captured the biggest victory of the 2025 WSOP to date. His triumph in Event #46: $250,000 Super High Roller netted him an astounding $4,752,551 and his first WSOP bracelet.
Davies defeated Alex Foxen in a dramatic heads-up finale that lasted just two hands. The victory has positioned Davies among the top tournament earners for 2025.
The final table showcased poker’s elite, with Thomas Boivin (3rd – $2,057,430), Bryn Kenney (4th – $1,446,929), and Chris Brewer (5th – $1,066,731) among the casualties. Davies’ victory marked one of the most compelling storylines of the series, with the American overcoming a challenging field of 63 entries to claim poker’s ultimate prize.
The Road Ahead
As the 2025 WSOP continues its relentless pace, the combination of established champions seeking additional glory and newcomers chasing their first taste of bracelet gold creates an intoxicating atmosphere. Whether it’s Brian Rast’s historic pursuit, the emergence of new champions, or the continuing saga of high-stakes drama, the World Series of Poker remains the pinnacle of tournament poker.
With the Main Event still on the horizon and dozens of bracelets yet to be awarded, the 2025 WSOP continues to deliver the moments that define careers and create legends. Day 23 has set the stage for even more memorable moments to come.
Chip counts and player standings based on Day 23 reporting. Stay tuned to GGPoker for continued coverage of the 2025 World Series of Poker, where dreams are made and legends are born.