After a quiet start to this year's World Series of Poker, Phil Ivey is officially back in the mix, and back in a big way.
The 11-time bracelet winner notched his first cash of the summer and is now sitting comfortably among the top chip stacks in Event #38: the $100,000 High Roller, with just 15 players still chasing the gold. Fellow crushers Thomas Boivin and Ben Heath are also in the hunt, all eyeing the massive $2,649,158 first-place prize.
From Slow Start to Strong Surge
Ivey, second only to Phil Hellmuth's 17 bracelets won, hadn't made much noise through the early stretch of the series, aside from a quirky hand that drew the floor for a ruling on a suspect bet. But the Poker Hall of Famer is now doing what he's known for - running deep in tough major tournaments.
With blinds at 50,000/100,000, Ivey bagged 6.6 million chips, having secured at least $203,960 after Taylor von Kriegenbergh busted on the money bubble. That marks Ivey's 97th career WSOP cash, extending a career that spans more than 25 years. His live tournament earnings have surpassed $50.6 million, and many still regard him as the GOAT of the game.
Last summer, Ivey turned back the clock with 14 cashes and snapped a decade-long bracelet drought by winning the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship. With six weeks left in this year's series, he's got ground to cover, but a deep run in the High Roller could be just the momentum shift he needs.
Hunichen Joins the Comeback Crew
Ivey's not the only name player shaking off a slow start. Chris "Big Huni" Hunichen, the reigning champ in this event, also secured a cash after surviving a sweat-inducing bubble. At one point one of the shortest stacks, he scored a key double-up through Adrian Mateos to keep his title hopes alive. Though still near the bottom of the leaderboard, Hunichen's comeback effort is well underway.
Poker fans can follow the rest of this heavyweight battle live on PokerGO or through live updates on PokerNews as the field plays down to a new High Roller champion.
Update: Phil Ivey's first in-the-money run at the 2025 WSOP ends with a ninth-place finish in the $100,000 High Roller for $247,130.
Source: https://www.pokernews.com/news/2025/06/phil-ivey-first-2025-wsop-cash-48817.htm
