WSOP main contenders
A great way to develop your own poker skills is to watch the pros in action and there is no better place to learn from the experts than at the 2025 World Series of Poker.
Later this month thousands of pros will travel to Nevada's Rio Casino to try their hands at winning one of 62 bracelets on offer and the standard is high with buy-ins as large as $10,000.
Fans of the WSOP 2025 can expect to find their heroes grace the tables, with top contenders Phil Hellmuth, Men Nguyen, Daniel Negreanu and defending champion Greg Merson all tipped to perform.
Merson himself has the added pressure of returning to the casino where he won the World Championship and a further bracelet last year, yet should also pose a threat in another $10,000 entry game: the No Limit Hold'em Six Handed.
The 25-year-old is new to the professional scene yet his power of reading the strength of opponents' hands is one of the best in the business. Like Hellmuth, Merson is not afraid to go big when he needs to but is always capable of reserving his play and waiting for others to blunder.
Another great player 2025 WSOP fans should watch is nine-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey, who comes into the tournament as Asia Pacific Mixed Event champion. Ivey spotted the potential of winning a WSOP bracelet in Australia and last month took it with ease.
He is a far more personable character than either Hellmuth or Merson and is likely to bet high stakes just to force his opponent's hand. A likeable bully means his technique is one all poker players should watch this summer.
For Omaha fans, there are few better players than Scotty Nguyen, the '98 WSOP World Champion and five-time bracelet holder. His readiness to gamble in Omaha high-low makes him a rare breed in poker and should he make headways in the Main Event this June certainly has the potential to finish in the top five.