The 2025 World Series of Poker is now past its 30th day since kick-off, and it continues to deliver massive drama, historic comebacks, and high-stakes action from the floors of Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
From Jesse Yaginuma’s unforgettable Millionaire Maker rally to Erick Lindgren’s resurgence in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, here’s your full recap of the biggest storylines from the last week of WSOP action.
Jesse Yaginuma Wins Millionaire Maker in Stunning Fashion
Event #53: $1,500 Millionaire Maker attracted a staggering 11,996 entries, generating a prize pool of nearly $16 million. But the name etched into poker history is Jesse Yaginuma. The Maryland pro, already the owner of three WSOP Online bracelets, captured his first live WSOP title and a career-best $1,255,180 payday after overcoming an epic heads-up deficit.
Yaginuma entered the final day second in chips and managed to stay patient through a stacked table that included Josh Reichard, Jonah Labranche, and eventual runner-up James Carroll. Despite trailing Carroll 9-to-1 in chips once heads-up play began—and even slipping further to a 16-to-1 disadvantage—Yaginuma mounted a calculated comeback that showcased his resilience, instincts, and fearlessness.
A few well-timed shoves, a gutsy check-raise bluff with six-high, and a key double-up with ace-four versus ace-nine helped shift momentum. In the final hand, Yaginuma’s queen-three cracked Carroll’s ace-ten after hitting a queen on the turn, sealing one of the most memorable victories of the 2025 WSOP.
Millionaire Maker Final Table Results
- Jesse Yaginuma (USA) – $1,255,180
- James Carroll (USA) – $1,012,320
- Josh Reichard (USA) – $702,360
- Jacques Ortega (Brazil) – $534,590
- Jeffrey Tanouye (USA) – $409,870
- Jonah Labranche (USA) – $316,190
- Alejandro Ganivet (Spain) – $245,430
- Bruno Fuentes (France) – $191,690
- Kaifan Wang (USA) – $150,660
Erick Lindgren Tops Day 2 of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Erick “E-Dog” Lindgren reminded the poker world of his pedigree by finishing Day 2 of the $50K Poker Players Championship with the chip lead. With 2,969,000 chips, Lindgren leads a field stacked with poker legends.
This marks a return to form for Lindgren, who hasn’t won a bracelet since 2013. He previously cashed in this event in 2008, back when it was the $50K H.O.R.S.E., finishing third. Now, more than a decade later, he’s eyeing a long-awaited return to the WSOP winner’s circle.
Lurking behind him are three-time PPC champion Michael Mizrachi (2,048,000) and recent bracelet winner Ali Eslami (1,757,000). Also in the top 10 are Phil Hellmuth, Chris Klodnicki, and Andrew Yeh.
Top 10 Chip Counts – $50K PPC After Day 2
- Erick Lindgren – 2,969,000
- Michael Mizrachi – 2,048,000
- Ali Eslami – 1,757,000
- Christopher Vitch – 1,739,000
- Andrew Yeh – 1,461,000
- Brian Yoon – 1,420,000
- Christian Roberts – 1,248,000
- Chris Klodnicki – 1,244,000
- Phil Hellmuth – 1,110,000
- 10. Jon Kyte – 1,086,000
Aaron Cummings Wins Second Bracelet in Limit 2-7 Triple Draw
Event #63: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw ended with a familiar face lifting the bracelet. Aaron Cummings, who won this very same event in 2024, went back-to-back with another impressive performance.
Cummings outlasted a final table of specialists to take home $157,172 and cement his place in WSOP history.
Matthew Zambanini Leads Final Five in $5K 6-Handed
In Event #62: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed, the field has been trimmed to just five players.
Delaware’s Matthew Zambanini leads the pack with 20.7 million chips, worth 83 big blinds. British pros Brandon Sheils and Niall Farrell trail behind, while Adrien Delmas and Andjelko Andrejevic round out the final table.
Super Seniors Spotlight: Marcel Luske Eyes First Bracelet
Event #64: $1,000 Super Seniors has reached Day 3 with Dutch poker icon Marcel Luske leading the final 134 players. Luske bagged 1.9 million chips and is looking to capture his elusive first WSOP bracelet.
He’ll be chased by American hopefuls John Myers and Thomas Ratkovich, as well as Australian Poker Hall of Famer Gary Benson.
Tag Team Event Narrows to 31 Duos
Event #65: $1,000 Tag Team is down to its final 31 teams. Team Heinz (Quirin Heinz and Felix Rabas) leads the field, followed by Team Ke and Team Lambrecht. Notably, Andrew and Kristy Moreno (Team Moreno) are still in contention with 1.45 million chips.
The event promises one of the more light-hearted but competitive atmospheres of the WSOP, and a bracelet win would be a meaningful moment for the couple.
Gladiators of Poker Kicks Off with Massive Turnout
Event #67: $300 Gladiators of Poker is already living up to its name. Day 1a saw 3,614 entrants whittled down to just 119 players. Chile’s Felix Barriga leads with 4.7 million in chips, followed by China’s Yang Zhang (3.1 million), who previously won a bracelet in 2023.
Zhang has been one of the most consistent performers this summer, cashing four times already.
Dan Sepiol Among Leaders in $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em
In Event #68, over 1,800 players took their shot at the $3,000 NLHE event. Day 1 trimmed that to 641 players, and Dan Sepiol sits in the top ten with 360,000 chips. Sepiol is gunning for bracelet number two, just one year after his breakout WPT win.
Romania’s Petre Ionescu holds the overall chip lead with over 700,000.
Kevin Choi Tops Stud Hi-Lo Leaderboard After Day 1
Event #69: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better began with 615 runners. After 15 levels, just 132 players remain, with Hong Kong’s Kevin Choi (376,500) on top.
Stud Hi-Lo specialists Mary Jones, Jeff Madsen, and Jared Koppel also bagged top-10 stacks, and the field is rich with past bracelet winners including Huck Seed, Andy Bloch, and Joe McKeehen.
Looking Ahead to Day 31 of the 2025 WSOP
As June 26 begins, the 2025 World Series of Poker rolls into Day 31 with several storylines to watch:
- Erick Lindgren looks to keep the momentum in the $50K PPC
- The Tag Team event will play down closer to a winner
- The Super Seniors field continues its march toward the final table
- More flights for Gladiators of Poker are set to begin
- Dan Sepiol and others will chase deeper runs in Event #68
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