A few years ago, Michael Addamo was arguably the most dominant and feared player in poker. His remarkable run in 2021 took nearly two months to bank close to $9.5 million, including two WSOP bracelets, and solidified his status as the ultimate crusher of the game. Though he largely stepped out of the spotlight in recent years, Addamo is showing he still has what it takes to dominate the felt.
On Day 3 of the WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event, Addamo delivered a performance that felt like a blast from the past. The defining moment of the day came during a massive three-way all-in. Holding the nut flush on a flop, Addamo faced Tom-Aksel Bedell’s top set of aces in a clash that resulted in the largest pot of the night.
Addamo’s hand held strong, and he was sent to the top of the chip counts with an imposing 85,350,000 chips—more than 25,000,000 ahead of his closest competitor.
Marcelo Aziz entered the final days with great momentum, collecting crucial eliminations and ending the day with 60,000,000 chips, good for second place. Pablo Melogno (54,325,000) and Christopher Nguyen (49,350,000) also kept their stacks strong, which will surely make for a thrilling Day 4. Poker’s legendary names are still in the running, including 2003 Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker (34,000,000), Ren Lin (37,850,000), and Justin Bonomo (22,450,000).
Day 3 started with 297 players, including 90 online qualifiers.
The day was action-packed and also heartbreaking for many poker legends. Alejandro Lococo, Daniel Negreanu, and Kristen Foxen were some of the stars that got eliminated before the money bubble burst. Kristen had a very early exit as her top pair was exposed by Pascal Lefrancois’ two pair.
Alex Foxen, Kristen’s husband, was eliminated in 135th place after running pocket aces. Other notable exits included Erik Seidel (161st), Adrian Mateos (103rd), and Alexandra Botez (187th), whose tournament ended in dramatic fashion when her opponent made quad aces. The remaining 36 players are now guaranteed $140,900, but everyone has their eyes on the ultimate prize: the $6,000,000 winner’s payday and the coveted WSOP Main Event gold bracelet.
The blinds will resume at 400,000/800,000 with an 800,000 big blind ante, promising high-stakes drama and intense action as the field narrows to the final table. With Addamo now dominant, fans and competitors all want to know whether the momentum will carry him across and see him regain the peak poker spot. Will Day 4 continue the resurgence of Addamo, or will one of the other heavyweights at the table step up to challenge the leadership?
Stay tuned as WSOP Paradise $25,000 Super Main Event goes on to its most crucial stage!