WSOP 2025 Day 4 Recap: David Shmuel Grabs Gold, Alex Foxen Among Final 16 in $25K heads-Up Championship

The fourth day of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) saw another bracelet handed out with David Shmuel taking the win in the Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. The day also saw another flight in the $1,000 Mystery Millions and the final 16 reached in the $25,000 Heads-up Championship. Here’s a quick look at the fourth day of action at the Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris casinos.

David Shmuel Wins Omaha Hi-Lo Title

Florida’s David Shmuel won his first bracelet on Friday in Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. The victory brought a career-best cash of $205,333 after defeating Joe Long in heads-up play. Long picked up $95,253 for runner-up. Shmuel moved his career winnings to more than $1.4 million after finishing Day 1 as chip leader and then the second-highest stack after two days of play.

“Omaha Hi-Lo is my favorite game,” Shmuel said after the victory. “It’s the game I actually started playing back in 1994. It’s a more relaxing game than hold’em and more fun to play. Two cards can get a little boring. Don’t get me wrong, hold’em is a great game, but I think mixed games are more fun.”

The Omaha Hi-Lo action brought in 910 entries for a $1.2 million prize pool. England’s Darren Taylor took third for $95,253 and Missouri’s Gregory Wood finished fourth for $67,392. Joseph Bertrand ended as Day 2 chip leader, but ultimately bowed out in eighth for $20,001.

WSOP Event #4 $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Results Final Results

Final 16 Reached in $25K Heads-Up Championship

Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship brings plenty of prestige among high-stakes pros and began Day 1 with the capped limit of 64 players. After the first two rounds of play, that field has been whittled down to 16 vying for the bracelet and $500,000 top prize. Among those returning is three-time bracelet winner Alex Foxen, who topped Stoyan Madanzhiev and poker legend  Phil Ivey. Four-time bracelet winner Chance Kornuth also returns for Day 2, after dispatching John Smith and Edward Sebesta in the first two rounds.

Day 2 brings some interesting matchups with Martin Zamani taking on bracelet winner Patrick Leonard, Artur Martirosian battling Kevin Rabichow, and Foxen against Thomas Eychenne. All players return with 600,000 in chips.

WSOP Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship

First Livestreamed Final Table Set

After 10 hours of play, Day 3 of Event #3: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em came to a close with Venezuela’s Christian Roberts leading the remaining five players. The day began with 25 left in the field and Roberts returns with 10,075,000 in chips. The event is an international affair with the final players hailing from five different countries. The others remaining include: Antonio Galiana, 8,430,000; Renji Mao, 6,340,000; Gaetan Balleur, 5,160,000; Frederic Normand, 4,675,000.

The final day’s action included several bracelet winners. Greece’s Georgios Sotiropoulos was seeking bracelet No. 5, but ultimately finished eighth for $57,051. Justin Liberto was seeking his second, but took seventh for $75,263, while Michael “Texas Mike” Moncek finished ninth for $44,018. Other bracelet winners included: Bradley Gafford, 11th for $34,578; Raj Vohra, 14th for $27,666; Ethan “Rampage” Yau, 17th for $22,552; Joshua Remitio, 21st for $22,552; Sam Soverel, 22nd for $22,552; and Francis Anderson, 23rd for $22,552.

WSOP Event #3: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Set

Martin Kabrhel, Aaron Mermelstein Among Chip Leaders in $5K PLO

Just 11 players remain in Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha with Greece’s Roussos Koliakoudakis returning as the chip leader with 4,510,000. A few other notables still in the field include three-time bracelet winner Martin Kabrhel, sitting second with 4,510,000, and two-time World Poker Tour champion Aaron Mermelstein in seventh with 2,100,050.

The event produced a field of 757 entries for a $3.6 million prize pool. The winner will ultimately take home a first-place prize of $620,696. Some others who ran deep, but came up short of the third day of action included: three-time bracelet winner Chad Eveslage, 19th for $24,173; eight-time bracelet winner Nick Schulman, 24th for $20,070; Michael Wang, 27th for $20,070; and Ren Lin, 28th for $20,070.

WSOP Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 2 Chip Counts

Dan Heimiller Returns as Chip Leader in $1,500 Seven Stud

Just six players remain in Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud with Dan Heimiller leading the pack with 2,885,000 in chips and hoping for his third bracelet. One of his two bracelets featured this poker variant, a mixed NLHE/Seven Card Stud won in 2002 for $108,300. Finland’s Jyri Merivirta sits second with 2,555,000 and two-time bracelet winner David Bach is in third with 1,440,000.

The event attracted 377 entries for a $500,467 prize pool, with the winner taking home $106,840. Some other players who found deep runs included: three-time bracelet winner Greg Mueller, eighth for $9,490; bracelet winner Joey Couden, 10th for $5,919; bracelet winner Ryutaro Suzuki, 12th for $4,864; and four-time bracelet winner Max Pescatori, 14th for $4,864.

WSOP Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Day 2 Chip Counts

John Hennigan Advances in $1K Mystery Millions

The bounty-hunting action continued on Friday with the fourth starting flight in Event #1: $1,000 Mystery Millions. The tournament now moves on to flight E on Saturday with Day 2 set for Sunday. Day 1D saw 5,314 players and that is likely to increase on Saturday. Just 287 of those players remain with bracelet winner Clark Merritt leading the field with 4,595,000

Some of the other names who advanced on Day 1D included seven-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer John Hennigan (1,800,000), two-time bracelet winner Daniel Strelitz (1,835,000), bracelet winner Dan Matsuzuki (1,510,000).

WSOP Event #1 $1,000 Mystery Millions Day 1 Combined Chip Counts

Matthew Schreiber Leads Pack in $1,500 Dealers Choice

The first day of action in Event #8: $1,500 Dealers Choice brought in 597 players for an $823,412 prize pool. The winner scores a payout of $150,245. Matthew Schreiber returns as chip leader with 463,500 and three-time bracelet winner Christopher Vitch sits in third with 388,000.

Some other players returning include: bracelet winner Allan Le (360,000); Ben Ludlow (232,000); Dylan Smith (221,000); bracelet winner Justin Liberto (211,500); three-time bracelet winner Daniel Zack (209,500); two-time bracelet winner Eric Baldwin (205,000); five-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser (175,500); four-time bracelet and 1996 main event winner Huck Seed (92,500). Just 124 players move on to Day 2.

WSOP Event #8: $1,500 Dealers Choice Day 1 Chip Counts

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