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The 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event has reached its most intense and compelling stretch, with just 202 players remaining from an original field of 9,735.
Among those still chasing the dream is 2012 world champion Greg Merson, who continues his quest to become the first repeat Main Event winner in over two decades. The atmosphere at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas was electric on Day 5, with notable bust-outs, massive chip swings, and new contenders emerging for the $90.5 million prize pool’s top prize.
Greg Merson Still in the Hunt
Greg Merson is far from just a nostalgic name in the poker world. Thirteen years after lifting the Main Event bracelet, the former champ entered Day 5 of the 2025 edition with a renewed purpose. He survived the money bubble on Day 4 with 1,495,000 chips and added slightly to that total by the end of Day 5, bagging up 2,960,000.
Throughout the day, Merson showed the blend of poker patience and adaptability that defined his 2012 run. “It’s been nice, smooth sailing. I’ve been running super hot,” Merson said after Day 4. Despite losing nearly a million chips late in the day, he emphasized the importance of not getting too attached to a chip count: “Taking it one hand at a time is a bit of a cliché thing to say, but it’s very true.”
His journey hasn’t been without drama. On Day 4, he found himself seated at the feature table with the always-entertaining Will Kassouf, who took a sizable pot from Merson with pocket sevens against ace-high. Still, Merson held his composure and advanced through another chaotic day, one step closer to a historic second title.
Sebastian Schulze Soars to Day 5 Chip Lead
Day 5 belonged to Germany’s Sebastian Schulze, who went on a heater after the dinner break to end the night with a chip-leading stack of 12,745,000. Schulze scored big off Michael Hawker in back-to-back hands—first, winning with a better full house, then flopping a flush against Hawker’s turned straight.
Schulze wasn’t done. He added even more chips by busting Guy Leathley with ace-queen versus ace-jack and firmly cemented his position atop the leaderboard heading into Day 6.
Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 5:
- Sebastian Schulze – 12,745,000
- Chad Power – 9,540,000
- Braxton Dunaway – 8,600,000
- Sergio Veloso – 8,200,000
- Richard Buckingham – 7,625,000
- Albert Calderon – 7,365,000
- Muhamet Perati – 7,010,000
- Will Kassouf – 6,900,000
- Pedro Padilha – 6,835,000
- Michael Garner – 6,505,000
Will Kassouf Returns to Spotlight
Speaking of entertainment, Will Kassouf made his presence known throughout Day 5. Always a polarizing figure, Kassouf leaned into his table banter and played several high-profile hands, including a five-bet against David Swift, where he showed only the ace of hearts.
Kassouf ended the night with 6,900,000 chips, more than doubling the average stack and reinforcing his reputation as one of the most talked-about personalities in the poker world. Despite his controversial style, Merson had positive words about the Brit: “He didn’t slow the game down, and he was entertaining, so it was fun.”
Kassouf capped his night by eliminating Jonathan Azoulay with a trey-deuce suited, making a pair and rivering a straight.
Vincent Moscati Hits Jackpot Twice in Mystery Bounty
In a separate WSOP event, Vincent Moscati pulled off an astonishing feat by winning both $100,000 jackpot mystery bounties in Event #86: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha.
His first big sweat came around 3 p.m., and he repeated the magic again at 8 p.m. after eliminating two bracelet winners, Shawn Buchanan and Ryan Hoenig, in one hand.
Moscati scooped the pot with a flush and earned $201,500 in bounty prizes, surpassing his previous career-best live score of $157,929. At the time of the update, he was still in contention for the $329,890 first-place prize and ranked 14th in chips among 65 remaining players.
StakeKings CEO Tyler Hancock Makes Another Deep Run
Tyler Hancock, founder of the staking platform StakeKings, also made another deep Main Event run. The Arizona native was eliminated on Day 4 in 865th place for $20,000—his second time cashing deep in poker’s biggest tournament after finishing 63rd in 2016.
That earlier run in 2016 included a pivotal pot against eventual champion Qui Nguyen, where Hancock lost with ace-king to Nguyen’s pocket jacks after turning a straight but losing to a full house on the river.
This year, Hancock reflected on his improvement: “I got lucky in 2016; I didn’t know what I was doing compared to what I do now.” He credited his focus and limited tournament schedule for his performance: “I only play a few a year, so I’m probably trying harder than people who are playing hundreds.”
New Faces and Returning Names Still in Contention
Several notables remain in the field heading into Day 6. Among them:
- Kenny Hallaert: 5,745,000
- Michael Mizrachi: 4,025,000
- Eric Afriat: 4,250,000
- Rene-Charles Angelil (Celine Dion’s son): 3,165,000
- Leo Margets: 2,810,000
- Alex Lynskey: 1,575,000
- Zhen Cai: 1,475,000
Mizrachi, who recently captured his seventh WSOP bracelet and fourth in the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship, continues to bolster his Hall of Fame credentials.
Casualties and Controversies
As the field narrows, many big names have hit the rail. Day 5 saw the exits of former WSOP Europe champions Max Neugebauer and Alexandros Kolonias, as well as high-stakes regulars Viktor Blom, Stephen Chidwick, and Nate Silver.
Start-of-Day-4 chip leader Harold Lam was eliminated via a set-over-straight cooler. Poker vlogging pioneers Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme were also busted.
On a lighter note, 888poker ambassador Aaron Barone made headlines for both his deep run and his shirt. After entering the series with less than $10,000 in live earnings—and being teased for it—he wore a custom t-shirt with his Hendon Mob stats. He finished 326th for $45,000, more than tripling his career total.
Looking Ahead to Day 6
Only 202 players remain as Day 6 approaches, with blinds set to open at 30,000/60,000 and a 60,000 big blind ante. All players are now guaranteed at least $60,000, but the road ahead only gets tougher. Just three full days of play remain before the final table is set, and every hand could swing a life-changing fortune.
From past champions like Merson to rising stars like Schulze and Dunaway and personalities like Kassouf, the 2025 WSOP Main Event continues to deliver the drama and storylines that make it the most prestigious tournament in poker.
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