San Kim Leads Monster Main Event Field as Championship Race Heats Up
2025 WSOP Day 42
Day 42 of the 2025 World Series of Poker delivered another thrilling chapter in poker’s most prestigious tournament, with the Main Event continuing to captivate players and spectators alike. The day’s action saw massive fields, dramatic eliminations, and the emergence of new chip leaders across multiple events.
Main Event Day 2d: Record-Breaking Numbers
The centerpiece of Day 42 was Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 2d, which began with 3,776 returning players but swelled to an impressive 4,553 entries by the close of late registration. This surge pushed the total Main Event attendance to 9,735 players, making it the third-largest Main Event field in WSOP history.
After five grueling 120-minute levels, the field was more than halved, with 2,133 survivors earning their seats for Day 3. These players will join the 1,320 qualifiers from previous Day 2 flights, creating a combined field of 3,453 players still chasing the massive $10 million first-place prize.
San Kim Claims the Lead
San Kim claimed the Day 2d chip lead with 799,000 chips, positioning himself as the second-place overall contender behind Oleksii Kravchuk, who leads the tournament heading into Day 3. Kim’s commanding stack provides an excellent foundation for the crucial upcoming action, where dreams of poker immortality become increasingly tangible.
Following Kim on the leaderboard were Fernando Rodriguez with 749,000 chips and France’s Romain Locquet holding 673,500. The international flavor of the top contenders was further emphasized by Ukraine’s Nazar Buhaiov (633,500) and France’s Ibrahim Senoussi (625,000), who rounded out the top five.
Day 1d leader Riva Arthur continued his strong showing, bagging 607,000 chips to maintain his position among the tournament’s elite.
Champions Fall, One Survives
The poker gods showed little mercy to former Main Event champions on Day 2d. Multiple titleholders saw their dreams end as Joe McKeehen, Hossein Ensan, Huck Seed, Stoyan Madanzhiev, and Ryan Riess all fell victim to the unforgiving nature of tournament poker.
However, reigning champion Jonathan Tamayo defied the odds, punching his Day 3 ticket with 158,500 chips. While not among the chip leaders, Tamayo’s survival keeps alive the possibility of back-to-back championships.
Poker Elite Advance
Despite the carnage among former champions, numerous poker luminaries successfully navigated Day 2d. Josh Arieh bagged a healthy 448,500 chips, while Joseph Cheong (426,500) and popular content creator Brad Owen (397,000) also secured strong positions.
The survivor list reads like a who’s who of modern poker: Darren Elias (357,500), Isaac Haxton (317,500), Anthony Zinno (315,000), Brian Yoon (276,000), Dylan Linde (260,500), Chad Eveslage (252,500), Daniel Cates (231,500), Patrick Leonard (209,000), Brian Hastings (180,500), Kathy Liebert (175,000), David Oppenheim (149,500), Shannon Shorr (121,000), Dario Sammartino (119,000), Brian Rast (112,500), and Jennifer Harman (56,000).
Ultra Stack Action: Tom Hall Shines
Event #85: $600 Ultra Stack provided its own drama on Day 1b, attracting 4,339 players to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The marathon session required surviving 22 levels, with only 382 players achieving that demanding goal.
United Kingdom’s Tom Hall emerged as one of the day’s biggest winners, accumulating 1,985,000 chips to claim fourth place. Hall, who captured his first WSOP bracelet in 2023 by winning the $500 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack for $176,920, will enter Day 2 in seventh position overall among the 595 returning players.
Leading the Ultra Stack field is Justin Bassett with 2,785,000 chips, followed by Roei Simantov (2,340,000) and Daniel Vandyke (2,010,000). The deep structure of this event promises extended play and strategic maneuvering as players vie for bracelet glory.
Notable survivors include South Africa’s Sean Bloom (1,590,000), Johnnie Moreno (1,385,000), Bradley Gafford (1,160,000), Gregory Kolo (1,160,000), 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson (945,000), Owais Ahmed (850,000), Kevin Martin (745,000), Barry Shulman (700,000), Maria Konnikova (665,000), Ian Steinman (610,000), Joe Cada (530,000), and Alex Livingston (385,000).
Looking Ahead: Day 43 Promises More Excitement
Day 43 of the 2025 WSOP promises to deliver even more compelling action across multiple fronts. The Main Event takes center stage as 3,453 players return at noon local time, now led by overall chip leader Oleksii Kravchuk. The scheduled five 120-minute levels, punctuated by 20-minute breaks and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 13, could potentially see the money bubble burst with 1,461 spots paid and minimum cashes worth $15,000.
The Ultra Stack event continues its Day 2 journey at 1:00 p.m. local time, with 595 players returning to complete 17 levels or play down to just five survivors. This format ensures rapid progression and mounting pressure as the field narrows dramatically.
Fresh tournament action begins with Event #86: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha at 10:00 a.m. local time. This unique format combines the excitement of bounty hunting with the strategic complexity of PLO.
The schedule also features Event #87: $5,000 Super Turbo Bounty starting at 2:00 p.m. local time. This high-stakes, fast-paced event is designed to crown its champion within a single day, featuring 20-minute levels that guarantee non-stop action, dramatic all-ins, and potentially crushing bad beats.
As the 2025 WSOP continues its relentless march toward crowning new champions, Day 42 has set the stage for even more thrilling poker action. With massive fields, elite competition, and life-changing prize pools at stake, the coming days promise to deliver the drama and excitement that make the World Series of Poker the pinnacle of tournament poker. GGPoker, the official partner of the WSOP, continues to bring fans closer to all the action as poker’s most prestigious series unfolds.
