Kenny Hallaert has reached the top 125 of the World Series of Poker main event on four separate occasions. Now, for the second time in his career, Hallaert has cracked the top 50 with a chance for a serious run at the title.
Hallaert bagged the overnight chip lead with 57 players left heading into day 7 of the 2015 WSOP main event. Two days of poker separate Hallaert from a second career main event final table.
The last time the 43-year-old Belgian was this deep in the WSOP main event was in 2016. Hallaert got down to the final six that year. Then he ran A♣Q♣ into the A♦A♠ of eventual champion Qui Nguyen, and it was over.
“I’ve seen it all happen in the past,” Hallaert said. “I’ve been there multiple times in a tournament, where you have all the chips and all of a sudden, you’re out. It can happen in this tournament as well. People have started in this position as a chip leader and not made it to the final three tables.”
Hallaert’s Been Here Before
Kenny Hallaert at the 2016 WSOP main event final table.
It’s safe to say that Hallaert has a deep well of knowledge to pull from as he looks to build upon a big stack in the WSOP main event on day 7 and beyond. His sixth-place finish landed in the middle of an impressive three-year stretch.
In 2015, Hallaert finished 123rd out of 6,420. In 2016, 6th among a field of 6,737. And the following year, in 2017, Hallaert finished 64th out of 7,221.
He’s been playing the WSOP main event for almost half of his life, and the majority of his poker career. And between those three runs, every other year he’s played this tournament and all of the events he’s participated in around the world, it’s safe to say that Hallaert has distilled a lot of crucial information.
But sometimes it really is as simple as reminding himself of the core skills he’s built as a poker player.
“This is the 17th time that I’m playing this event,” said Hallaert. “Patience is, I think, the key word. Trying to get reads, knowing what certain types of players are doing, and trying to maximize the hands you play against them. Knowing how they will anticipate in certain situations. I guess that’s a lot that I have learned over almost two decades of playing the main event.”
Claiming the WSOP Main Event Chip Lead
His run thus far in the 2025 WSOP main event is the strongest position Hallaert’s been at in this stage. He got to this point via a massive pot late on day 6. After flat-calling a 20 big blind shove with pocket aces, Hallaert got the dream scenario when a third player cold three-bet shoved pocket queens over the top.
While aces are no sure thing, Hallaert was cool, calm and collected as one of the most important hands of poker he might ever be involved in played out.
Gasoline meets FIRE! 🔥 Aces vs. Queens vs. Jacks sends @SpaceyFCB soaring into the chip lead.
Watch LIVE on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG pic.twitter.com/SkhsDRaTwc
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) July 12, 2025
He also knows, from personal experience, how quickly things might turn in the opposite direction. With the experience Hallaert carries into this tournament, he’s equipped to handle the pressure and chaos of being chip leader.
“It’s obviously better here to have the most chips than to have the least chips,” Hallaert said. “It gives me, theoretically, the best chance to make it the farthest. But I’ll just be playing one hand at a time tomorrow, as I did for the past six days. I’ll see what comes, and I’m very grateful that I can be in this position so that I can [continue to] play this event.”
For The Love Of The Game
No matter where the tournament goes from here, Hallaert has positioned himself well for whatever may come next. Beyond the action at the table, Hallaert’s served in many different roles in the poker world over the last 20 years. Hallaert’s been an accomplished tournament director, a sponsored ambassador with PokerStars, and a player at the WSOP main event final table.
Hallaert’s love for the game of poker runs so deep that he spends many hours each year building out a master schedule for every tournament available at every casino in Las Vegas for the entirety of the summer. He may finish 35th, or break through for the victory in 2025. Either way, Hallaert will happily take any opportunity to continue to play the game he loves.
“The experience that I have, of course, being in this situation, definitely helps you get excited, but it’s still a long way to go. I’m always looking forward to play poker, whether it’s the WSOP main event or the PokerStars Open. I don’t care. I love the game. I’m always excited if I can sit at the table with a few chips and two cards.”
Photo credit: PokerGO / Miguel Cortes.
