WATCH: Poker GOAT Phil Ivey Busts on Day 1 of WSOP Main Event

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Jul 05, 2025 2 min read

Phil Ivey will not be the 2025 World Series of Poker Main Event champion. The 11-time WSOP bracelet winner saw his tournament come to an end at the halfway point of Day 1d after losing a battle of the blinds to fellow poker pro Joseph Cheong.

While Ivey has achieved nearly everything the game has to offer, poker's World Championship continues to evade him. His deepest run came in 2009, when he finished seventh at the Main Event final table.

But 2025 won’t be the year he adds the most coveted title in poker to his résumé.

Ivey Busts in Battle of the Blinds

Having already lost more than half his stack, Ivey's final hand came against Cheong, the 2010 WSOP Main Event third-place finisher.

PokerNews reporter David Salituro caught up with Cheong to confirm the action.

Ivey limped from the small blind, Cheong checked his option, and the two saw a Q♥J♠2♦ flop. Ivey led for 1,000 and Cheong called.

The 7♣ fell on the turn, Ivey bet 2,500, and Cheong called again.

On the 4♦ river, Ivey moved all in for around 11,000. Cheong called, showing Q♠7♦ for two pair. Ivey tabled Q♣2♣ for a lower two pair, ending his 2025 Main Event.

Ivey's 2025 WSOP So Far

Despite the Main Event elimination, Ivey has enjoyed another strong showing at the 2025 WSOP, collecting nearly $1.4 million in winnings so far.

His biggest cash came in the $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, where he finished fifth for $715,614, marking his deepest run of the series. His first result of the summer was a ninth-place finish in the $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller, good for $247,130. Ivey also reached the final table of the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller, finishing sixth for $378,296.

In addition, Ivey notched two smaller cashes, earning $20,999 for 81st place in the $10,000 PLO Championship and $7,343 for finishing 161st in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em.

The Poker Hall of Famer's last bracelet win was just over a year ago, when he took down the $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw Championship after defeating Jason Mercier and Danny Wong on the final day.

2025 WSOP Main Event Live Updates

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game. Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

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