Ryan Biermann vaulted out of his chair and was ready to leave when his A♣Q♣ was up against the 9♦9♣ of Grant Wang. On the 8♣6♠5♦ flop and 10♦ turn, things were rather dire but Biermann spiked the Q♥ on the river to double his short stack of 28,500.
Gregor Sverko raised to 6,500 in the hijack. Zachary Schwartz three-bet to 18,000 on the button, and Sverko called to the K♥5♣3♥ flop.
Once Sverko had checked, Schwartz continued for 18,000. Sverko then raised to 30,500, which quickly got Schwartz out of the pot.
At the same table, Arturas Astrauskas had mountains of chips in front of him, on the verge of becoming the first player to crack 1,000,000 in chips.
There were approximately 100,000 in the middle on a board that read 2♠4♣6♣5♥ when this hand was picked up.
Jason Elwood chose to go all-in for 45,500 from the big blind to put his tournament at risk.
Kevin Javier gave it some consideration, but decided on a fold as Elwood won a healthy pot to chip up during the second level on Day 3.
Yoann Nigro opened to 7,500 from under the gun, and Hendrik Terner three-bet to 23,000 from middle position. Lukasz Golczyk was in the big blind and moved all in for his last 49,500, and only Terner made the call.
Lukasz Golczyk: 9♣9♠
Hendrik Terner: A♦J♥
Golczyk's lead didn't last long as the A♥K♠2♦ flop saw Terner pick up an ace. The 3♦ turn and 10♣ river saw to his elimination early in Day 3, and he swiftly stood from the table and left the tournament area.
After the action had ended, the players were discussing whether they thought the hands should have played out the way they did.
Terner remarked, "He was shaking a little bit."
Another player said, "He was tilted, that's why the nines."
A three-way pot for hundreds of big blinds took place during the first level on Day 3 in the 2026 WSOP Main Event, and one player made a wise fold despite having committed a large chunk of his stack to the pot.
The session kicked off at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, with over 3,000 remaining players, all hoping to reach the money bubble, which is expected to burst early on Day 4. One player — Matthew Radcliffe — appeared to be in solid position to work his way towards cashing in poker's biggest event. He had a decent stack entering the third session, but one cooler sent him home before the first break.
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi opened to 7,000 in the hijack to see Brian Smith call in the big blind.
The flop rolled out Q♠9♥9♦, and both players checked to the turn 6♥, where Mizrachi bet 3,000 after being checked to, prompting Smith to raise to 12,000.
Mizrachi matched the bet, and Smith moved all in for 31,500 on the river 7♥ to see Mizrachi snap-call.
Brian Smith: Q♣9♣
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi: 7♠7♦
Smith had flopped nines-full, with Mizrachi having rivered an inferior sevens-full. Smith raked in the pot at the expense of the defending champion.
Julien Veyssiere raised to 6,000 in early position and faced a three-bet to 26,000 from Cody Brinn in the small blind. Veyssiere responded by four-bet shoving, having the stack of Veyssiere covered. Veyssiere set his chips out in front of him to take stock, a total of 126,000, and then sat back to think it through. After less than a minute had passed, he put them into the middle.
Cody Brinn: A♦K♣
Julien Veyssiere: A♠K♠
As it happened, both players had the same hand, and both made the nuts on the Q♦3♠10♦J♥9♣ board, seeing them split the big blind and the ante.
Action was picked up on the turn in a 40,000-chip pot contested between middle position Abbas Hadizadeh and cutoff David Peters. Hadizadeh checked over to his opponent, who slid forward a bet of 24,000, which was called by Hadizadeh.
The river 4♣ completed the board, and Hadizadeh checked for a second time. He was then bet out of the pot, as he folded to the 54,000 bet by Peters.
Hadizadeh was eliminated from the tournament shortly after.
Christopher Savage opened to 6,000 from early position. Peter De Best, in middle position, three-bet all in for 39,500, and Savage called.
Peter De Best: K♥Q♣
Christopher Savage: A♦A♥
Savage flopped a set on 3♥8♣A♣4♦9♠, leaving no chance for De Best, who was eliminated.
button in Safari
