3-Bet: Andy Seth, Maxim Lykov & Ian Steinman Win Major Live Titles!

From the polished felt of the Venetian in Las Vegas to the high-energy buzz of Commerce Casino and the local grind vibes of Northern California, this 3-Bet report captures three distinct journeys — a long-awaited comeback, a seasoned pro checking off a new milestone, and a regional crusher riding the hottest streak of his career. Let’s break it down.

First up, making headlines after a decade-long title drought, is Indo-American poker pro Anirudh “Andy” Seth (cover image – left). A regular name on the scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Seth has been quietly grinding since the pandemic, but hadn’t bagged a major title — until now. Playing the Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza II, he flipped the script with a run that saw him clinch two titles in two weeks and make three consecutive streamed final tables.

His comeback trail started on April 28 in an $800 No-Limit Hold’em event featuring a $300K guarantee. Seth bested a 442-entry field to claim $55,050 and his first live win since 2009. One week later, he struck again — this time in a $1,100 buy-in tournament with the same guarantee and 301 entries. Seth went the distance for $55,282 and a second trophy. He wasn’t done — on May 12, he came close to the hat-trick in another $800 NLH event (383 entries), bowing out in third for $28,935. In total, Seth racked up $139,267 in three events, announcing his return with authority.

Next up, Russia’s Maxim Lykov (cover image – right top), a former WSOP bracelet winner, added a long-missing piece to his collection. At the WSOP Circuit Commerce stop, Lykov overcame a steep chip deficit in Event #1: $600 NLH – The Housewarming to capture his first-ever WSOP Circuit ring and $99,399 in prize money. Hayk Grigoryan took home $66,778 for second place. A big moment for the veteran who’s been grinding live circuits for over a decade.

And finally, it’s Northern California’s own Ian Steinman (cover image – right bottom) who’s been on a heater. Just weeks after clinching the RGPS Reno Main Event, the WSOP bracelet winner went back-to-back — this time taking down the $800 Main Event at the RGPS Mission stop held at Graton Resort & Casino. Steinman added $67,540 to his bankroll, while Feiyue Wu finished second for $46,500. With two Main Event wins in a matter of weeks, Steinman’s run is shaping into one of the most consistent breakout stretches of the year.

Andy Seth Nearly Pulls Off a Rare Hat-Trick at The Venetian Las Vegas

After more than a decade away from the winner’s circle, Indo-American poker pro Anirudh “Andy” Seth has made a thunderous return. Best known online as ‘BKiCe,’ Seth was a familiar name on the tournament scene in the late 2000s and early 2010s. He came close to clinching some of poker’s biggest honors—finishing second in a $1,500 WSOP event back in 2009 and then repeating that result at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star in 2010.

Though he’s consistently cashed smaller scores post-COVID, a major live win had remained elusive. That changed at the Venetian DeepStack Extravaganza II, where Seth went on a heater that saw him lock up two wins in back-to-back weeks and come agonizingly close to a third.

Breakthrough Win in $800 NLH, $300K GTD

Seth’s comeback story began in an $800 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament that drew 442 entries. Held on April 28, the event featured a $300,000 guarantee, and Seth took it down for $55,050—his first live tournament victory since 2009.

Congratulations to Anirudh Seth (@bkice_) of Las Vegas, NV who was the outright winner in our DeepStack Extravaganza Event #41 $800 NLH UltimateStack $300,000 guarantee on 4.28.25

Anirudh takes home the DeepStack Extravaganza silver coin, the trophy, and $55,050 pic.twitter.com/4QESEsFClp

— Venetian Poker Room (@VenetianPoker) April 29, 2025

You can watch the final table live stream right here.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Andy Seth – $55,050
2. Brandon Sunshine – $39,600
3. Viacheslav Fentisov – $28,858
4. Simone Oddo – $21,305
5. Heroico Aguiluz – $15,938
6. Ted Possible – $12,082
7. Carl Oman – $9,285
8. Alexi Siebelcortopassi – $7,233
9. Brahm Moore – $5,713

Second Title in $1,100 NLH, $300K GTD

A week later, Seth jumped into another major at the Venetian, this time a $1,100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event, again carrying a $300K guarantee. The field drew 301 entries, and once again, it was Seth standing tall at the end. He earned $55,282 for the win, adding a second trophy in the span of seven days.

Andy Seth Goes Back-to-Back! 🏆

Winner of the DeepStack Extravaganza $1,100 UltimateStack for $60,282!

🔗 https://t.co/7RHGxxsNrb pic.twitter.com/b2o76eMvOt

— Venetian Poker Room (@VenetianPoker) May 6, 2025

Congratulations to Anirudh Seth (@bkice_) of Las Vegas, NV who was the outright winner in our DeepStack Extravaganza Event #55 $1,100 NLH UltimateStack $300,000 guarantee on 5.05.25

Anirudh takes home the DeepStack Extravaganza gold coin, the trophy, and $55,282 pic.twitter.com/EdxWbX6sU1

— Venetian Poker Room (@VenetianPoker) May 6, 2025

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Andy Seth – $55,282
2. Ekrem Bozkurt – $42,688
3. Sen Mu – $35,754
4. Darren Rabinowitz – $22,544
5. Michael Holtz – $16,821
6. Thomas Morio – $12,779
7. Philip Brocoum – $9,888
8. Scott Eskenazi – $7,795
9. Lyle Diamond – $6,263

A Near-Miss in Third Attempt

On May 12, Seth once again found himself in the thick of it—this time in another $800 buy-in, $300K GTD NLH event with 383 entries. He returned to the streamed final table for the third consecutive time, starting second in chips.

Well fam we’re going for some history tomorrow. 1/442 in the Venetian 800/300k two weeks ago. 1/301 in the Venetian 1100/300k last week. Now 2/7 going into the Venetian 800/300k ft tomorrow with a cast of legends

— andy (@bkice_) May 12, 2025

He wasted no time making moves. Seth drew first blood by eliminating David Yokoyama in seventh place. His pocket jacks held against pocket sixes, despite a tense moment when Yokoyama flopped an open-ended straight draw. That knockout gave Seth the chip lead.

His momentum took a hit during six-handed play when he ran Ace-seven (suited) into the pocket Aces of bracelet winner Nicholas Seward. Despite the setback, he survived long enough to see Taylor Black (6th) and Myles Mullaly (5th) hit the rail.

Seth then found a timely double-up through Seward when his pocket Aces bested Seward’s Ace-nine (suited). Shortly after, Seward’s run ended in fourth place when his Ace-deuce (suited) was outkicked by Darren Rabinowitz’s Ace-Queen (suited).

Andy Seth’s final hand came when he moved all-in from the button with , only to be called by Rabinowitz holding . The better hand held, and Seth finished third for $28,935—bringing his total haul over the three events to nearly $140,000.

Well fam we’re going for some history tomorrow. 1/442 in the Venetian 800/300k two weeks ago. 1/301 in the Venetian 1100/300k last week. Now 2/7 going into the Venetian 800/300k ft tomorrow with a cast of legends

— andy (@bkice_) May 12, 2025

Darren Rabinowitz entered heads-up play with 9,825,000 to 5,525,000 of James Morris and was able to extend his lead ahead of the final hand of the event. The chips went in with Rabinowitz holding against of Morris. The board came down , securing the pot and the title for Rabinowitz. He walked away with $56,513 as the champion, while Morris settled for $40,125.

Congratulations to Darren Rabinowitz (@DarrenRabbi) of Las Vegas, NV who was the outright winner in our DeepStack Extravaganza Event #67 $800 NLH UltimateStack $300,000 guarantee on 5.12.25

Darren takes home the DeepStack Extravaganza silver coin, the trophy, and $56,513 pic.twitter.com/iMtfjyM7Jm

— Venetian Poker Room (@VenetianPoker) May 13, 2025

With this win, Rabinowitz pushed his lifetime earnings past the $4.30 Million mark.

You can watch the final table live stream right here.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Darren Rabinowitz – $56,513
2. James Morris – $40,125
3. Andy Seth – $28,935
4. Nicholas Seward – $21,195
5. Myles Mullaly – $15,773
6. Taylor Black – $11,929
7. David Yokoyama – $9,171

Maxim Lykov Pulls Off Gritty Comeback to Win First WSOPC Ring at Commerce for $99K

Maxim Lykov knows a thing or two about grinding his way to the top. A former WSOP bracelet winner and seasoned pro, the Russian put all his experience to work at the WSOP Circuit Commerce stop, rallying back from a massive chip deficit to win Event #1: $600 No-Limit Hold’em – The Housewarming for $99,399 and his first-ever WSOPC gold ring.

Catching up with Maxim Lykov, winner of the Housewarming Event https://t.co/GojmshxRCC

— The Commerce Casino & Hotel (@CommerceCasino) May 12, 2025

Held at the iconic Commerce Casino and Hotel, the opening event saw a packed field and a tough final table filled with poker talent—including four WSOP bracelet holders. But it was Lykov who came out on top, earning a coveted seat into the Tournament of Champions scheduled for May 15.

Final Table: Aggression, Drama & A Slow Burn Comeback

Ten players returned for the final showdown, and Hayk Grigoryan held the most chips—just under 25% of the total in play. Rachel Gardner followed in second, while Lykov came in near the bottom of the pack with just 1.8 Million in chips.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Hayk Grigoryan – 8,100,000
2. Rachel Gardner – 6,100,000
3. Jeffrey Proctor – 4,550,000
4. Phil Laak – 3,525,000
5. John Padilla – 3,400,000
6. Mika Hilaire – 2,400,000
7. Maxim Lykov – 1,825,000
8. Frank Lin – 1,800,000
9. Tri Dinh – 1,600,000
10. Kevin Song – 850,000

You can watch the complete final-table replay on Bally Live Poker’ YouTube channel below.

Final Table Recap

Starting out with the shortest stack, Kevin Song was the first player to be eliminated in 10th place.

It didn’t take long for Grigoryan to start swinging. Two huge pots against Rachel Gardner gave him a massive cushion. First, he flopped top pair with ace-queen against her ace-king to win a nearly 2 Million chip pot. Then, just one hand later, he found pocket queens and called off two all-ins—one from short-stacked Proctor and another from Gardner, once again holding ace-king. The board ran out a jack-high straight, giving Grigoryan and Proctor a chop of the main pot, but it was the end of the road for Gardner, who busted in ninth place. That hand left Grigoryan holding nearly half the chips at the table.

Jeffrey Proctor was sent to the rail in eighth place, followed by John Padilla (7th) and Phil Laak (6th).

Next up was Mika Hilaire, who looked good to double when her pocket eights were well ahead of Grigoryan’s fives. But after a safe flop, he turned a gutshot and spiked the straight on the river to knock her out in fifth place—a brutal beat after she’d done everything right.

Meanwhile, Lykov remained patient. “The table played very aggressively,” he said. “I focused on finding the right spots—some players didn’t seem to understand ICM, so I was waiting for my moment.”

That patience paid off four-handed. Lykov picked up enough momentum to bust Frank Lin in fourth place, collecting a crucial pot that brought him back into contention.

Grigoryan eliminated Tri “George” Dinh in third to set up the heads-up match, entering with a commanding chip lead—more than five times what Lykov had.

If Hayk Grigoryan felt confident with his lead, Lykov knew better than to fold under pressure. “He told me it was his first deep run in a live tournament and first time playing heads-up. That’s when I knew I had a real edge,” Lykov revealed afterward. “I’ve played a lot of heads-up—cash and tournaments. I was ready for it.”

Two early double-ups flipped the dynamic completely. With the momentum firmly behind him, Lykov closed it out in clinical fashion, sealing the win and taking home the $99,399 top prize.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Maxim Lykov – $99,399
2. Hayk Grigoryan – $66,778
3. Tri ” George” Dinh – $48,542
4. Frank Lin – $35,712
5. Mika Hilaire – $26,594
6. Phil Laak – $20,049
7. John Padilla – $15,304
8. Jeffrey Proctor – $11,830
9. Rachel Gardner – $9,262

Ian Steinman Completes the Double: Wins Back-to-Back RunGood Main Events With Bay Area Triumph for $67,540

Ian Steinman couldn’t have scripted it better. The WSOP bracelet winner returned to his poker roots in Northern California and left with another trophy—and a sweet $67,540 payday. Just weeks after taking down the RGPS Reno Main Event, Steinman made it two-for-two by conquering the $800 Main Event at the RGPS’ Mission stop at Graton Resort and Casino.

THAT’S TWO MISSION RUNGOOD MAIN EVENT TITLES. ✌️🚀

Ian Steinman tops the RunGood Main Event with @GratonPoker at @playgraton for a $67,540 uptick and additional Main Event Ring.

Recap via @PokerNews here: https://t.co/6ecRQEOvcr pic.twitter.com/weRhKYuOGb

— RunGoodGear.com (@RunGoodGear) May 13, 2025

For the Napa native, this wasn’t just another win. It was personal. “It’s pretty special,” he said after clinching the title. “I grew up playing poker in the Bay Area, and to win here with friends watching—it means a lot.”

The event pulled in 643 entries, building a prize pool north of $400,000. By Day 2, 82 players were still in contention, including several familiar names from the poker circuit. WSOP bracelet winner Max Steinberg cashed out in 53rd place for $2,240. RunGood ambassadors Jamie Kerstetter (39th for $3,160) and Nikki Limo (33rd for $3,160) also made deep runs, while defending champ Jonathan Wang finished 27th for $3,780.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Michael Lin – 4,500,000
2. Feiyue Wu – 3,010,000
3. Hrishikesh Kulkarni – 2,770,000
4. Noel Rodriguez – 2,205,000
5. Denis Lee – 1,880,000
6. Sasha Guerin – 1,400,000
7. Curtis Kowalk – 1,130,000
8. Ian Steinman – 680,000
9. Scott Sanders – 500,000

Final Table Recap

Steinman arrived at the final table with one of the shortest stacks, but that didn’t last long. He found early and got into a massive pot against Denis Lee, whose couldn’t catch up. A few hands later, Steinman doubled again—this time through Michael Lin, once again holding against Lin’s . The board stayed clean, and suddenly, Steinman was back in the mix.

Denis Lee was the first casualty of the night, jamming into Feiyue Wu’s . The call came fast, and the board gave Lee no favors, ending his run in ninth.

Not long after, Scott Sanders made his move with , hoping to find a lifeline. Instead, he ran straight into a buzzsaw—Steinman snap-called with , and with no help on the board, Sanders was out in eighth.

Curtis Kowalk was next to take his shot. He shoved , but Wu was waiting with . The board ran out , giving Kowalk a glimmer of hope on the flop, but nothing more. Seventh place.

Hrishikesh Kulkarni tried to shake things up six-handed. He jammed over two limps, but Sasha Guerin quickly called with . The flop gave Kulkarni no help, and by the turn and river , Guerin’s tens were still in front. Kulkarni exited in sixth.

In fifth place, it was Noel Rodriguez—fresh off a massive seven-figure score last summer—who took his final stand. He moved in from the small blind with , and Steinman called him down with . The board ran , and just like that, Rodriguez was done for the night.

Sasha Guerin’s impressive run ended in fourth. He shoved with , but Michael Lin woke up with and made the call. The board didn’t change a thing, and Guerin hit the rail.

With three left, Steinman took control. He shoved the button holding , and Michael Lin made the call with . The board fell , sending Lin out in third.

Heads-up didn’t last long. In the final hand, Steinman limped in with , and Feiyue Wu went for it all with . Steinman snap-called and the board ran , giving Steinman a flush and the win—his second RunGood Main Event title in just a matter of weeks.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Ian Steinman – $67,540
2. Feiyue Wu – $46,500
3. Michael Lin – $34,500
4. Sasha Guerin – $26,000
5. Noel Rodriguez – $19,500
6. Hrishikesh Kulkarni – $14,900
7. Curtis Kowalk $11,400
8. Scott Sanders – $8,900
9. Denis Lee – $7,000

Content & Images Courtesy: CardPlayer, PokerNews & WSOP