The Muck · WSOP Daily Brief
Day 25
Marco Johnson wins his third bracelet in a No-Limit Hold'em event for the first time in his career, denying Chino Rheem a maiden title in a heads-up battle that came down to A-5 vs. A-4. Alex Foxen's run at bracelet five ended in seventh place when Eelis Parssinen flopped a set and turned a nut flush in the biggest pot of the $25K PLO. Shaun Deeb now carries more than twice the chips of his nearest competitor into the Nine Game Mix finale -- and Stephen Hubbard, who led the event after Day 1, busted before the money. The WSOP Colossus was won on the wrong hand due to a dealer error. Farzad Bonyadi picked up a one-round penalty for saying 'f*** you' in the Seniors Championship. And Phil Hellmuth is betting $14,000 against up to $10 million that his son will cash in the Main Event. Day 25 of the 2026 WSOP.
Story 01 of 5
Marco Johnson defeated Chino Rheem heads-up to win Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em for $513,885, claiming his third WSOP bracelet and his first in No-Limit Hold'em. He previously won in H.O.R.S.E. and Limit Hold'em. The single-entry event drew 1,561 runners and a $3,473,225 prize pool. Johnson entered the final day as one of the top stacks and took a definitive chip lead when his pocket kings held against Sebastian Schulze's ace-king with nine players remaining. The final hand: Johnson held A-5 against Rheem's A-4 all-in preflop. He flopped a wheel to win. Faraz Jaka, who had started the day as chip leader, was eliminated in fourth for $180,210. Final table results: Johnson ($513,885), Rheem ($341,970), Kenzo Ishida ($246,800), Jaka ($180,210), Srivinay Irrinki ($133,170), Vamerdino Magsakay ($99,590), Elliot Smith ($75,390), Pyeongkang Kim ($57,780), Sebastian Schulze ($44,840).
Why it mattersJohnson had not won a WSOP bracelet in a decade and had accumulated a string of near-misses over the past five years. The win validates the post-COVID shift he made back to No-Limit Hold'em, a game he said he 'actually might love the most.' Chino Rheem, one of the better closers in the game, took a tough loss in a heads-up match that lasted long enough to matter. Jaka's fourth-place finish leaves him without a bracelet since 2018 -- the run at the first title since then ended just short. Johnson told PokerNews he plans to give a bracelet to his son: 'My last bracelet was when my wife was pregnant with my first son. I finally got him one.'
Story 02 of 5
Eelis Parssinen ended Day 3 of Event #47: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha as the overwhelming chip leader after eliminating POY frontrunner Alex Foxen in seventh place for $267,993. In the decisive hand, both players got all their chips in preflop holding two aces each. Parssinen connected with a set of sevens on the flop and the nut flush on the turn to scoop the massive pot and take control. Foxen, who had entered the day as chip leader among 31 returning players, was eliminated in seventh. He also knocked out Daniel Negreanu (26th) and Chance Kornuth (22nd) before his exit. Five players return Friday at 2pm PT to play for the bracelet and $2,161,056. End-of-day chip counts: Parssinen (35,225,000), Levon Khachatryan (20,100,000), Aaron Mermelstein (5,300,000), Sergio Martinez Gonzalez (4,225,000), Jeremy Druckman (2,850,000). Total prize pool: $10,598,500.
Why it mattersParssinen is hunting his second WSOP bracelet in one of the highest-variance PLO structures on the schedule. He holds more than 1.75 times the chips of the second stack heading into a five-handed finale. Foxen's seventh-place exit still earns POY points for a deep run in a $25,000 event, but the bracelet goes to someone else. The runout -- both players have aces, one player hits a set on the flop and the nut flush on the turn -- is exactly the kind of PLO variance that makes the format what it is. Biao Ding (China, $22.8 million in career earnings) also busted the event in 12th place after misreading his PLO hand and celebrating a double-up that hadn't happened, falling victim to the Omaha rule that both hole cards must play.
Story 03 of 5
Shaun Deeb bagged 3,500,000 in chips after Day 2 of Event #52: $3,000 Nine Game Mix, more than double the stack of second-place David Williams (1,742,000). Only 21 of the original 472 entries remain. The $1,260,240 prize pool guarantees each surviving player at least $9,040, with first place at $254,470. Stephen Hubbard, who led the event after Day 1 with 366,500 chips, was eliminated before the money. Hubbard had won the $1,500 2-7 Lowball Draw bracelet earlier this summer. Also advancing: Richard Freitas (1,565,000), Antonios Onoufriou (1,474,000), Danny Noam (1,323,000), Eli Elezra (901,000), and five-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen. David Williams, the 2004 Main Event runner-up, is in second -- his first cash of the series. The event plays to a winner on Friday.
Why it mattersDeeb at 3,500,000 with 21 players is the kind of lead that wins nine-game events. He can absorb variance across disciplines without gambling, pressure short stacks in the games where he has an edge, and still have enough chips to survive a bad session. A win here is bracelet number nine and a significant POY points haul. He was eighth in POY heading into today with 1,606 points -- a title changes that meaningfully. Williams in second means the 'runner-up in 2004 still hunting bracelet number two' storyline lives another day. Hubbard going out before the money after chip-leading Day 1 is the kind of reversal that summarizes nine-game poker.
Story 04 of 5
Video review of the final hand of Event #34: $500 Colossus -- won by Justin Smith for $550,000 against Myles German -- revealed that the dealer distributed cards incorrectly in heads-up play. In heads-up poker, the button receives the last card during the deal, not the first. The dealer reportedly dealt the first card to the button, meaning Smith and German each received the cards that belonged to the other player. As a result, Smith held A-K and German held pocket eights. With correct dealing, the hands would have been reversed. The same board ran out (including a river flush that Smith hit), and under correct dealing, German would have held A-K and doubled up instead of finishing in second for $367,000. The result was not reversed; action had been accepted. The incident was flagged publicly by David Lappin on X and has sparked debate about dealer responsibility and floor presence at WSOP final tables. The WSOP has not issued a public statement.
Why it mattersThis is not a theoretical concern. On the final hand of a 16,269-entry field, the dealer may have dealt both players the wrong cards, and the outcome may have been different under correct procedure. The 'action accepted' rule exists for legitimate reasons -- the game cannot be unwound every time a procedural error is identified after the fact -- but its application here produces a result where the second-place finisher has a reasonable argument that the bracelet and $183,000 in additional prize money were affected by the error. The question of whether there should be a floor supervisor physically present at WSOP final tables to catch this in real time is a legitimate policy question that the incident has now surfaced.
Story 05 of 5
Phil Hellmuth announced a wager with Shaun Deeb and Jason Mo after Deeb questioned the 1.4 markup Phillip Hellmuth III is charging on WSOP Main Event action. Hellmuth Sr. posted on X: 'If you think it's unfair, then put your money where your mouth is. I'll put up $14K on my son: you post $10M (1st place).' Deeb found Mo willing to take the other side. After Hellmuth requested a $1 million personal guarantee from Deeb to ensure timely payment, the bet was finalized. Terms: Hellmuth risks $14,000. Deeb and Mo collectively risk whatever Phillip III cashes in the Main Event -- up to $10 million if he wins. If Hellmuth III busts before the money, Deeb and Mo collect $14,000. If he cashes, they pay that cash amount. Hellmuth III has a Day 2 appearance in the 2025 Main Event and a 10th-place Circuit finish to his credit. Deeb's response on X: 'This bet will be my second cash of the summer thanks Phil.' The Main Event fires July 2.
Why it mattersThe markup debate hits every summer and the community splits every summer. Hellmuth III is young, untested at scale, and has a famous last name. Whether that combination justifies 1.4 is genuinely debatable. Hellmuth Sr.'s answer -- bet money on it -- is not an argument, it's a challenge. Deeb took it. The bet structure is wildly asymmetric: Hellmuth risks $14,000 to win potentially $10 million; Deeb and Mo risk up to $10 million to win $14,000. If Hellmuth III makes a deep run, this side bet will become one of the most-discussed financial arrangements in Main Event history.
One bracelet confirmed awarded on Day 24 (June 19 reporting): Marco Johnson in Event #49 $2,500 Freezeout. The $25K PLO High Roller and Nine Game Mix remain unfinished -- both play to a winner on June 20. Running total not confirmed from today's sources; estimate 47+ through Day 24.
Third career bracelet, first in No-Limit Hold'em. Defeated Chino Rheem ($341,970) heads-up. 1,561 entries, $3,473,225 prize pool. His previous bracelets were in H.O.R.S.E. and Limit Hold'em. Last bracelet was 10 years ago. Johnson said he plans to give one to his son.
Chip counts from end of Day 24 play (June 18-19). All figures confirmed via PokerNews and SpadePoker.
Notable exits from Day 24 events. Foxen's PLO exit is the headliner.
Entered Day 3 as chip leader among 31 remaining players. Eliminated when Eelis Parssinen flopped a set of sevens and turned the nut flush in an AA-vs-AA preflop all-in. Also eliminated Daniel Negreanu (26th) and Chance Kornuth (22nd) before his own exit. Still leads the POY race.
Entered the final day as chip leader. Eliminated in fourth by eventual winner Marco Johnson. His last bracelet was 2018.
Led the event after Day 1 at 366,500 chips. Busted before the money on Day 2. Already won the $1,500 2-7 Lowball Draw bracelet this summer.
Busted after misreading his PLO hand and celebrating a double-up that wasn't. Held top pair on a J-4-5 flop but forgot that in Omaha both hole cards must play. The table corrected him. Ding has $22.8 million in career live earnings.
Eliminated by Alex Foxen during Day 3. Had returned on a second bullet after a difficult Day 1 run.
Foxen entered Day 3 as chip leader in the $25K PLO and was eliminated in seventh by Parssinen's set-and-flush over double aces. He will receive POY points for the 7th-place finish in a $25,000 event. His pre-Day-24 total was 2,237 points. Updated standings not confirmed. He is still the presumptive leader heading into the weekend but did not win the bracelet he was positioned for.
Deeb had a dry Las Vegas summer before this event. He now leads the Nine Game Mix finale with 3,500,000 chips and 21 players remaining. A win is bracelet number nine and a significant point haul. He is also on record betting against Hellmuth Jr. cashing in the Main Event, which means he has side action on the July series as well.
Confirmed to have advanced to Day 2 of the $10K H.O.R.S.E. Championship. Already won the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. bracelet this summer. The $10K is the format he knows best and a deep run here could narrow the gap with Foxen.
Bonyadi is 10th in chips (5,775,000) among 25 remaining players in the Seniors Championship heading into Saturday's finale. He received a one-round penalty after telling Buck Bucceri 'f*** you' during a heated table confrontation -- both players were penalized after Bucceri responded by touching Bonyadi's shoulder and calling him 'pussy.' Both are still in the tournament.