25K Fantasy Draft 2024

2024 Draft
Day: 1
Event Info

25K Fantasy Draft 2024

Event Info
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$475,000
Entries
19
Players Left
19

Kristen Foxen ($11) First Woman Drafted; Mixed Game Specialist Adam Friedman Goes for $35

Kristen Foxen
Kristen Foxen

Kristen Foxen was the first female player up for auction in the $25K Fantasy Draft, and she ended up on Team NGNF for a steal at $11.

"She was awesome for us last year," said Jeff Platt as his team secured the three-time bracelet winner.

PlayerPrice
Chad Eveslage$75
Ren Lin$55
Dan Zack$50
Kristen Foxen$11
Adam Friedman
Adam Friedman

Team Sepiol landed their second draft pick in Adam Friedman, who sold for $35.

PlayerPrice
Alex Foxen$70
Adam Friedman$35
Player Chips Progress
Team Sepiol
Team Sepiol
95
-35
-35
Team NGNF
Team NGNF
9
-11
-11

Reigning WSOP Main Event Champ Dan Weinman Team Lucky 4 Life ($31); Anthony Zinno Selected for Same Price ($31)

Daniel Weinman Wins 2023 WSOP Main Event
Daniel Weinman Wins 2023 WSOP Main Event

The reigning WSOP Main Event champ Dan Weinman, who is in attendance at the $25K Fantasy Draft and a part of Team Lucky, was nominated and nearly sold for $2 before a last-minute bid came in.

That seemed to be the kick in the pants other teams needed and a flurry of dollar-by-dollar bids came in that ultimately saw him go for $31 to, you guessed it... Team Lucky!

Team Lucky

PlayerPrize
Dylan Linde$61
Adrian Mateos$45
Daniel Weinman$31

Next up was Anthony Zinno and a bidding war followed between Team Negreanu and Team Sepiol before Team Wilson swooped in with a winning bid of $31.

Team Wilson

PlayerPrice
Mike Gorodinsky$20
Landon Tice$10
Ike Haxton$15
Anthony Zinno$31
Player Chips Progress
Team Wilson
Team Wilson
124
-31
-31
Team Lucky
Team Lucky
63
-43
-43

Tags: Daniel Weinman

Isaac Haxton ($15) and Paul Volpe ($34) Get Snapped Up

Isaac Haxton
Isaac Haxton

Isaac Haxton, who crossed off his name as one of the best players without a bracelet list last summer, began at $1. His final price rose to $15, with Team Wilson having the winning bid.

Team Wilson Picks

PlayerPrice
Mike Gorodinsky$20
Landon Tice$10
Isaac Haxton$15
Paul Volpe
Paul Volpe

A bidding war broke out between several groups for Paul Volpe, who ended up in Team Kalas for $34.

Team Kalas Picks

PlayerPrice
Phillip Sternheimer$35
Paul Volpe$34
Player Chips Progress
Team Wilson
Team Wilson
155
-15
-15
Team Kalas
Team Kalas
131
-34
-34

Sean Winter Goes to Defending. Champs ($17); Ben Yu to Team Baker ($67); Only One Bid on Landon Tice ($10)

Ben Yu
Ben Yu

"$17 going once... $17 going twice... $17 sold," that is what PokerGO emcee Tim Duckworth said before closing out bidding on Sean Winter, who went to Team DPMC, the defending. champs. Winter joined Daniel Negreanu on the roster.

Ben Yu, a top-five point earner in the league, was nominated next and as expected several teams were interested. His final selling price wound up being $67 to Team Baker, joining Dylan Weisman on the roster.

Landon Tice was nominated by Team Wilson for $10 and that did the trick as no one else bid.

"Why do you always waste money like that when nobody else bids?" Negreanu chastised. "WTF are you in a rush for, you could've bid $1."

Player Chips Progress
Team Wilson
Team Wilson
170
-10
-10
Team Baker
Team Baker
74
-67
-67
Team DPMC
Team DPMC
51
-17
-17

Tags: Ben YuSean WinterLandon Tice

Phillip Sternheimer ($35) Heads to Team Kalas; Yuri Dzivielevski ($90) Picked by Lady Gaga

Philip Sternheimer
Philip Sternheimer

Team Kalas was the only team to be playerless until Phillip Sternheimer was up for auction. He ended up in the team led by Kane Kalas for $35.

Yuri Dzivielevski
Yuri Dzivielevski

Yuri Dzivielevski, a wizard in various poker formats, was another player who teams fiercely competed for. The Brazilian looked like he was heading to Team Lucky, but Ren Lin's Lady Gaga made it $90, which Team Lucky refused to best.

Lady Gaga is left with $6 for their six remaining picks.

Team Lady Gaga Picks

PlayerPrice
Shaun Deeb$104
Yuri Dzivielevski$90
Player Chips Progress
Team Kalas
Team Kalas
165
-35
-35
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga
6
-90
-90

Reigning WSOP POY Ian Matakis Goes Low ($22); Chris Vitch ($41) & Poker Hall of Famer Brian Rast ($37) Off the Board

2023 WSOP POY Ian Matakis
2023 WSOP POY Ian Matakis

The reigning WSOP Player of the Year Ian Matakis was the next player nominated and bidding went from $1-$2-$3-$4-$8-$9-$12-$13-$14-$15-$16-$1 (Team NGNF bowed out)-$18-$20-$21-$22 ultimately selling to Team Lang, becoming the second player on the roster behind Alex Livingston.

Chris Vitch then went for $41 to Team Sternheimer for $41, joining Benny Glaser on the roster, while last year's Poker Hall of Famer Brian Rast went to The Dinkers for for $37.

The Dinkers

PlayerPrice
Chris Brewer$60
John Racener$36
Brian Rast$37
Player Chips Progress
Team Sternheimer
Team Sternheimer
83
-41
-41
Team Lang
Team Lang
68
-22
-22
The Dinkers
The Dinkers
67
-37
-37

Justin Liberto ($78) is Team Chinga's Third Pick

Justin Liberto
Justin Liberto

Team DPMC were keen to get Justin Liberto, but Team Chingas was even more determined to land the bracelet and four-time WSOP ring winner.

Liberto ended up in the hands of Team Chingas after the $25K Draft reigning champions conceded defeat.

PlayerPrice
Brian Yoon$47
Dylan Smith$33
Justin Liberto$78
Player Chips Progress
Team Chingas
Team Chingas
42
-78
-78

Team Noori Splash Out for Joao Vieira ($84); Dylan Smith ($33) Drafted by Team Chingas

Joao Vieira
Joao Vieira

After breaking the bank for Jeremy Ausmus ($81), Team Noori kept the vault open and spent most of their balance on Portuguese maestro Joao Vieira for $84.

Dylan Smith
Dylan Smith

Team Chingas also got their second draft pick, securing Dylan Smith for $33.

Team Chingas Picks

PlayerPrice
Brian Yoon$47
Dylan Smith$33
Player Chips Progress
Team Chingas
Team Chingas
120
-33
-33
Team Noori
Team Noori
35
-84
-84

Tags: Brian YoonDylan SmithJeremy AusmusJoao Vieira

Jeremy Ausmus a Hot Commodity ($81)

Jeremy Ausmus
Jeremy Ausmus

Jeremy Ausmus proved a hot player several teams were waiting on as a bidding saw him go to Team Noori, their first pick, for $81, more than the likes of Phil Hellmuth ($72) and Josh Arieh ($73).

In fact, Ausmus became the 4th-highest bid of the draft thus far behind Daniel Negreanu ($132), Alex Livingston ($110), and Shaun Deeb ($104).

Player Chips Progress
Team Noori
Team Noori
119
-81
-81

Tags: Jeremy Ausmus