Epic Comebacks and Championship Dreams as Main Event Looms
WSOP Day 36
The dust storms that swept through Las Vegas on Day 36 of the 2025 World Series of Poker couldn’t dampen the electric atmosphere at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. While Mother Nature raged outside, poker’s greatest stories were being written inside, with miraculous comebacks, crushing defeats, and the tantalizing promise of poker immortality hanging in the air.
The Comeback of the Century
Michael Wang’s triumph in Event #74: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship delivered one of the summer’s most dramatic storylines. After doubling up Erik Seidel, Wang found himself staring at virtual elimination with just two-thirds of a big blind remaining. In most scenarios, this would be the moment to shake hands and walk away. Instead, Wang embarked on an impressive comeback that saw him fight his way back to victory.
The mathematics were brutal. The odds astronomical. Yet Wang clawed his way back from the brink, chip by chip, hand by hand, until he stood victorious with $1,394,579 and his third WSOP bracelet. This wasn’t just a victory; it was a testament to perseverance in poker’s most challenging moments. Wang’s performance demonstrates that with skill and determination, even the most dire situations can be overcome.
Negreanu’s Near Miss in Mixed Big Bet
Event #76: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet provided its own share of drama, with GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu making his fifth final table appearance of the series. The Canadian legend was hunting his eighth bracelet, adding another chapter to his already legendary WSOP career. However, the poker gods had other plans.
Negreanu’s journey ended in fourth place, leaving him to watch as Aaron Kupin captured his maiden bracelet and the $206,982 first-place prize.
The Hellmuth Hunt Continues
Perhaps no storyline carries more weight than Phil Hellmuth’s relentless pursuit of his 18th WSOP bracelet. The “Poker Brat” finds himself in familiar territory, sitting fourth in chips with 906,000 in Event #77: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship as just 15 players remain.
Hellmuth’s summer statistics paint the picture of a player still operating at the highest level: nine cashes and two final tables demonstrate his enduring excellence. Now, with the finish line in sight, only 14 opponents stand between him and history. While Qinghai Pan leads the pack with 1,581,000 chips, followed by Jordan Siegel (1,245,000) and Andrey Zhigalov (1,135,000), Hellmuth remains perfectly positioned to make his move.
The supporting cast reads like a murderer’s row of talent: Luke Schwartz, Viktor Blom, Alex Livingston, Tomasz Gluszko, and Christopher Claasen all harbor championship ambitions. The $411,051 top prize awaits, but for Hellmuth, the real treasure would be bracelet number 18.
Mini Main Event’s Final Five
The tension is palpable in Event #75: $1,000 Mini Main Event, where just five players remain in contention for the $843,140 top prize. Alexander Yen holds the chip lead with 189,500,000, while Czech star Martin Kabrhel sits in second position with 166,500,000 chips as he pursues his fourth WSOP bracelet.
Kabrhel’s resume speaks for itself: three bracelets and nearly $15.2 million in live tournament earnings establish him as the most accomplished player at the final table. However, Alexander Yen holds the chip lead with his 189,500,000 stack, setting up what promises to be an competitive finale.
The international flavor continues with Belarusian Vadzim Lipauka (156,000,000) in third, fresh off his eighth-place finish in December’s $25,000 WSOP Paradise Main Event. Hungary’s John Ishak (85,000,000) and Poland’s Bartlomiej Swieboda (50,500,000) complete the final five, each dreaming of their breakthrough moment.
PokerNews Deepstack Delivers Record Numbers
The $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship proved once again why it remains one of the summer’s most popular events, attracting 5,667 entrants and generating a massive $2,856,168 prize pool. The 9.8% increase over last year’s field demonstrates the continued growth and appeal of accessible, well-structured tournaments.
When the dust settled on Day 1, only 635 players remained, with Prasad Vemulapalli (1,542,000) leading the charge as one of just three seven-figure stacks. The survival list reads like a bracelet winner’s convention, with 20 former champions including Qiang Xu, Konstantin Puchkov, and Kathy Liebert all advancing to Day 2.
High Roller Action Heats Up
The poker elite descended upon Event #79: $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, where Arthur Morris (4,055,000) seized the early advantage. From an initial field of 88 entrants, just 36 survived the opening day’s ten levels, with late registration remaining open to boost the prize pool further.
The surviving players represent poker’s upper echelon: Maxi Lehmanski (2,945,000), Daniel Negreanu (2,800,000), James Chen (2,270,000), and a constellation of stars including John Hennigan, Alex Foxen, Jason Koon, and Isaac Haxton. With such talent concentrated at the felt, every decision carries enormous weight.
The Main Event Arrives
Day 37 brings the moment the poker world has been waiting for: the launch of Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship. The first of four starting flights begins at noon, local time, kicking off poker’s most prestigious tournament with its trademark excellent structure featuring five 120-minute levels.
Last year’s Main Event attracted 10,112 players across four flights, with Jonathan Tamayo ultimately claiming the title and $10 million first prize. This year’s field promises to be equally spectacular, as players from around the globe converge on Las Vegas with dreams of poker immortality.
What’s Next
Day 37’s schedule is packed with championship-deciding action. The Mini Main Event final five will crown their champion, while Hellmuth and company battle for Stud Hi-Lo supremacy. The PokerNews Deepstack continues its march toward a conclusion, and the high-stakes PLO action intensifies.
New events joining the fray include the $800 Summer Celebration and the $10,000 Eight-Game Mixed Championship, ensuring that players of all bankrolls and preferences have opportunities to chase WSOP glory.
As the 2025 WSOP enters its final stretch, the stage is set for unforgettable drama. Whether it’s Hellmuth’s historic 18th bracelet, the crowning of new champions, or the beginning of another Main Event journey, one thing is certain: the best is yet to come.
