The third day of the $10,400 WPT World Championship at Wynn started with 241 players, brimming with the anticipation familiar to tournament regulars: only 233 would cash, marking the onset of tension-filled hand-for-hand play.
The resolution came swiftly—Robert Noel, who was ultra short-stacked, was forced into an all-in with his last 5,000 (a third of a blind), isolated by Joshua Ladines from the cutoff. Noel revealed Q2, Ladines held JJ, and the board offered no miracles. A collective sigh filled the room as the min-cash of $19,600 became a reality for those still in the game.
Once the bubble popped, eliminations picked up pace. Big names and former champions exited swiftly: Gus Hansen fell to Tom Kunz in a dramatic hand—Hansen’s aces remained strong on a two-suited flop, but the turn and river sealed a flush for Kunz.
As the day closed, two-time WPT champion Mohsin Charania was also knocked out, joining others like Patrick Leonard and Brian Hastings who cashed after the bubble burst. Perhaps the most striking exit was Phil Ivey, whose top pair couldn’t withstand Xi Chen’s runner-runner nut flush, marking a career-highlight elimination for Chen.
🤯 @philivey's opponent BACKDOORS A FLUSH and JAMS ON THE RIVER on Day 3 of the $10,400 @WPT World Championship @WynnLasVegas pic.twitter.com/0T9l96LjQ6
— World Poker Tour (@WPT) December 18, 2025
Konstantin Held Carries Massive Lead into Day 4
While familiar faces were leaving, a different story was unfolding. WPT Champions Club member Konstantin Held seized the chip lead early on and maintained it throughout. He closed Day 3 with a commanding stack of 10,060,000 (168 bb), far ahead of second-place Soheb Porbandarwala's 6,360,000.
Current Top 10:
| # | Player | Country | Chip Count |
| 1 | Konstantin Held | Germany | 10,060,000 |
| 2 | Soheb Porbandarwala | USA | 6,360,000 |
| 3 | Brian Battistone | USA | 6,200,000 |
| 4 | Eshaan Bhalla | USA | 6,170,000 |
| 5 | Hassan El Hakim | Lebanon | 6,000,020 |
| 6 | David Pelosi | USA | 5,820,000 |
| 7 | Graeme Newman | England | 5,605,000 |
| 8 | Jakub Štěrba | Czech Republic | 5,430,000 |
| 9 | Jeremy Brown | USA | 5,000,000 |
| 10 | Umang Dattani | Canada | 4,460,000 |
From the original 241 players, only 64 remain after six 90-minute levels, each assured of at least $42,000. Among the notable names still in play are John Hennigan, Jared Jaffee, Jeremy Becker, Ian Matakis, and Eugene Katchalov.
Day 4 is scheduled for Thursday, starting at 12:00 PM local time (PST), with another six 90-minute levels to be played. At the top of the payout list is $2,528,200 for the winner—who will keep the dream alive after tonight?
Sources – WorldPokerTour, Flickr, X
