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After the first two starting flights of the $25,000 Super Main Event at the World Series of Poker Paradise were completed, 419 players returned for Day 2a at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. With late registration still open for the first three levels of play, an additional 303 entries joined the field, bringing the total number of entries from the first two flights to 1,550. With two starting flights and Day 2b still to come, players still have multiple opportunities to enter the event.
Of the 722 total entries that took to the felt on Day 2a, only 233 players reached the money, each locking up a minimum payout of $50,000, but only 109 players advancing to Day 3.
When the dust finally settled, it was Martin Kabrhel who stood atop the leaderboard. In true Kabrhel fashion, the day was filled with his trademark table talk, a heated confrontation, and most importantly, plenty of high-level poker, as he emerged as the chip leader of Day 2a heading into the next stage of the tournament.
$25,000 Super Main Event Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Martin Kabrhel | Czechia | 22,675,000 | 113 |
| 2 | Tomas Kubaliak | Slovakia | 19,100,000 | 96 |
| 3 | Evgenii Akimov | Russian Federation | 18,450,000 | 92 |
| 4 | Ali Abdulzahra | United Kingdom | 17,675,000 | 88 |
| 5 | Leonardo Song-Carrillo | Canada | 16,300,000 | 82 |
| 6 | Julian Pineda Lozano | Colombia | 16,125,000 | 81 |
| 7 | Alexandros Theologis | Greece | 15,800,000 | 79 |
| 8 | Leonard Maue | Germany | 13,900,000 | 70 |
| 9 | Daniel Rezaei | Austria | 13,850,000 | 69 |
| 10 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | 13,775,000 | 69 |
It’s Kabrhel’s World and Were All Just Living in It
Martin Kabrhel turned heads on Day 2a of the $25,000 Super Main Event with a mix of strong poker and his trademark table antics. From the start, he was lively, joking, chatting, and keeping the atmosphere charged while steadily building his stack. By the end of the day, he was at the top of the leaderboard.
The highlight of his day came when Mustapha Kanit faced a three-bet from Kabrhel for his tournament life. A heated dispute over time banks erupted, involving multiple floor rulings and finally an intervention from tournament director Andy Tillman. Amid the chaos, Kanit called, shouting “LETS DANCE, MARTIN!” before doubling through Kabrhel.
Despite the drama and Kanit initially getting the better of Kabrhel, he kept his composure and later got the last laugh—eliminating Kanit with aces. This hand not only settled the score but also sparked his run to the top of the chip counts, proving that even with theatrics and tension, his poker remained razor sharp.
Some other notable players who bagged up for Day 2 include Alex Foxen (10,425,000), Adrian Mateos (8,225,000), Joe Cada (7,550,000), Chris Moneymaker (5,550,000), and the defending champion from the 2024 WSOPP Super Main Event Yinan Zhou (11,500,000).
Cooler on the Stone Bubble
After over 120 players max late-registered, the bubble still approached quickly with players busting left and right. Notably, Daniel Negreanu, who fired his eighth bullet of the Super Main Event already, still managed to fall short of the money, and will have to try again during the remaining flights. Rising pro Nick Palma also saw his tournament hopes crushed when he shoved ace-king off suit against another ace-king off suit, only for his opponent to complete flush and bust him.
Other notable names to miss the cash included Shaun Deeb, Benny Glaser, Michael Moncek, [B]Espen Jørstad[/B], and Jesse Lonis.
The 233 players who made the money did after a brutal blind-on-blind cooler on the stone bubble. Manuel Pochat, sitting with a healthy stack, ran hisace-king into pocket kings and found no help on the board, making him the unfortunate bubble boy and allowing the remaining players to earn a min-cash of $50,000.
Some players who made the money on Day 2 but failed to bag for Day 3 include Kristen Foxen, Patrik Antonius, Juan Pardo, and Stephen Chidwick.
Most prominently, reigning WSOP Main Event Champion and recently inducted Hall of Famer Michael Mizrachi looked poised to find a bag for Day 3, until his opponent hit a two outer late in the night, ending his run just before Day 2a came to a close.
Action continues tomorrow as Day 1c kicks off at 12:00 p.m. local time, followed by Day 1d on Sunday. Day 2b will take place on Monday, with both Day 2 fields combining for Day 3 on Tuesday. Once Day 3 concludes, the field will be set for the high-stakes action leading to the final table, where the champion of the $25,000 Super Main Event will emerge.
Be sure to follow PokerNews for full coverage, chip counts, and live updates from the World Series of Poker Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event.