WSOP Paradise Super Main Event Day 3

The 2025 WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event is getting serious.

Day 3 wrapped up in the Bahamas with only 24 players remaining, and the tournament is now down to its final three tables. Every player left has locked up at least $335,000, but nobody is thinking only about the min-cash anymore.

There is a WSOP bracelet waiting.

There is a massive $10 million first-place prize waiting.

And with just 24 players left, every decision now carries huge pressure.

At the top of the leaderboard is Canada’s Pascal LeFrancois, who finished Day 3 with 126,400,000 chips, good for 63 big blinds. Close behind is fellow Canadian William Blais with 123,300,000, followed by Daniel Reijmer with 115,400,000 and Jean-Noel Thorel with 101,200,000.

The stacks are still deep enough for real poker, but the payout jumps are now massive enough to change everything.

Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 3

The final 24 are led by several big stacks, including experienced pros, high-stakes regulars, and major tournament threats.

The top 10 chip counts are:

1. Pascal LeFrancois — Canada — 126,400,000

2. William Blais — Canada — 123,300,000

3. Daniel Reijmer — Netherlands — 115,400,000

4. Jean-Noel Thorel — France — 101,200,000

5. Charles Hook — United States — 94,200,000

6. Bernhard Binder — Austria — 89,500,000

7. Natasha Mercier — Lebanon — 88,000,000

8. Belarmino De Souza — Brazil — 86,500,000

9. Leonard Maue — Germany — 70,000,000

10. Faraz Jaka — United States — 63,300,000

That is a strong lineup.

LeFrancois has the lead, but there are several players close enough to apply pressure. With blinds set to resume at 1,000,000/2,000,000 with a 2,000,000 big blind ante, many of the top stacks still have enough room to maneuver, but one cooler or failed bluff could completely change the standings.

Canada at the Top

One of the biggest storylines after Day 3 is Canada holding the top two spots.

Pascal LeFrancois leads the field, while William Blais sits right behind him. Blais earned his place near the top after winning one of the biggest pots of the tournament in dramatic fashion.

He ran pocket kings into Alex Kulev’s pocket aces, which is usually a nightmare spot. But the flop brought a king, giving Blais a set and allowing him to crack aces in a massive pot.

That kind of hand is tournament poker at its most brutal.

For Kulev, it was the kind of cooler that can define an entire event.

For Blais, it was the kind of swing that can create a path to $10 million.

Big Names Still Alive

This event is not just about chip counts. The remaining field still has plenty of star power and dangerous opponents.

Eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Benny Glaser is still in contention.

Faraz Jaka, one of poker’s most recognizable coaches and tournament players, is still alive.

GGPoker ambassador Felipe Ramos remains in the hunt.

Natasha Mercier is sitting inside the top 10.

High-stakes pros Eric Wasserson and Leonard Maue are still battling.

Charles Hook, who recently won the $50,000 PLO High Roller, is also near the top of the leaderboard.

That makes the final three tables especially interesting. There are big stacks, proven winners, online crushers, live pros, and players who understand how to handle pressure.

Nobody is going to coast to the title.

Martin Kabrhel’s Run Ends

Martin Kabrhel entered Day 3 with plenty of attention on him.

Kabrhel is one of poker’s most polarizing figures. He brings table talk, unpredictability, and a reputation for creating chaos. With the chip lead earlier in the event, there was always going to be extra drama around his run.

On Day 3, Kabrhel delivered some of the showmanship people expected. He spent time on feature tables and the main floor, talked it up, and even tried out a new catchphrase.

But the run eventually ended when Eric Wasserson eliminated him.

Whether fans love him or dislike him, Kabrhel always creates conversation. His elimination removed one of the biggest personalities from the tournament, but the field still has plenty of storylines left.

Jesse Lonis and the Player of the Year Race

Another major storyline was Jesse Lonis.

According to the report, Lonis needed to finish 61st or better to retake the GPI Player of the Year lead over Punnat Punsri. He did exactly that, finishing in 55th place.

That finish mattered beyond just the prize money.

Lonis was also involved in one of the more interesting hands of the day, folding a set of kings after a bold bluff from Ryuta Nakai. That is the kind of hand poker players will debate because folding a set is never easy, especially in a massive event.

But tournament poker is not just about hand strength. It is about ranges, pressure, bet sizing, and what story the opponent is telling.

Lonis may not have made the final 24, but his deep run still had major implications for the Player of the Year race.

Natasha Mercier Makes a Major Push

Natasha Mercier also became one of the major stories of Day 3.

She doubled through reigning GPI Player of the Year David Coleman, then later eliminated him in a double-knockout hand that also involved Ivan Stokes.

That kind of swing can define a tournament day.

Mercier finished inside the top 10 chip counts with 88,000,000, putting her in a strong position heading into the next day.

With 44 big blinds, she has enough chips to pressure shorter stacks, play real postflop poker, and avoid being forced into desperation spots.

In a tournament with this much money at stake, that stack gives her options.

Double Knockouts and Huge Pots

As the field got smaller, the pots got bigger.

With more than a billion chips in play, eight-figure pots became common. Every all-in carried huge consequences, and several double knockouts helped speed the tournament toward its final three tables.

Daniel Reijmer ended the day with a major double knockout, picking up pocket queens to eliminate Tomas Kubaliak and Lautaro Guerra. That pot helped move Reijmer into third place overall with 115,400,000 chips.

These are the hands that shape the final stretch of a tournament.

One strong pair.

One big hold.

Two players gone.

A stack suddenly becomes a real threat to win the whole thing.

Notable Eliminations

Day 3 also saw several major names fall before the final 24.

Ari Engel, who has 20 WSOP Circuit rings, finished in 33rd place for $270,000.

Alejandro Lococo finished 86th.

Kayhan Mokri, a recent Triton Invitational winner, finished 88th.

Defending champion Yinan Zhou finished 94th.

Joe Cada, the last Main Event champion standing, finished 103rd.

Every one of those eliminations shows how tough this field is. In a tournament this big, even elite players and proven champions can disappear before the final stretch.

The Super Main Event does not care about reputation. It only rewards the decisions, cards, and pressure points in front of you.

Remaining Payouts

The money left on the table is enormous.

The remaining payouts are:

1st — $10,000,000
2nd — $6,000,000
3rd — $4,000,000
4th — $3,000,000
5th — $2,350,000
6th — $1,800,000
7th — $1,400,000
8th — $1,100,000
9th — $850,000
10th–11th — $665,875
12th–15th — $520,000
16th–23rd — $415,000
24th — $335,000

These payout jumps are massive.

That means ICM pressure is now a huge part of the game. Players cannot just think in terms of chips. They also have to think about survival, stack leverage, risk, and the value of each ladder.

A bad call can cost millions.

A well-timed shove can change everything.

A big stack can punish players who are trying to move up.

A medium stack can get trapped between wanting to win and needing to survive.

This is where tournament poker becomes more than just playing good hands.

What Players Can Learn From Day 3

There are several important lessons from Day 3 of the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event.

First, big stacks have power. LeFrancois, Blais, Reijmer, Thorel, Hook, Binder, Mercier, and De Souza all have enough chips to pressure opponents and control the table.

Second, no hand is safe until the board is complete. Blais cracking aces with kings is a reminder that even the best preflop hand can lose in the biggest moment.

Third, tournament life changes decision-making. With the payouts now jumping dramatically, players must think carefully before risking their stacks.

Fourth, pressure creates mistakes. Whether it is a bluff, a hero call, or a big fold, players are being forced into uncomfortable decisions.

Fifth, deep runs are about survival and timing. Some players built huge stacks through aggression. Others survived long enough to ladder. The best players know when to do both.

Final Thoughts

Day 3 of the WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event gave poker fans exactly what they want from a massive championship event: huge pots, famous names, painful eliminations, big bluffs, brutal coolers, and a final 24 chasing life-changing money.

Pascal LeFrancois leads the way, but this tournament is far from over.

William Blais is right behind him.

Daniel Reijmer has a dangerous stack.

Jean-Noel Thorel is still in position.

Natasha Mercier is making a serious run.

Benny Glaser, Faraz Jaka, Felipe Ramos, Charles Hook, Eric Wasserson, and Leonard Maue are all still alive.

The $10 million first-place prize is getting closer.

The pressure is getting heavier.

And from here on out, every decision matters.