This is part of our regular WSOP Diaries — raw, honest accounts from players in the heart of the Las Vegas poker storm.
Spending $25,000 wasn’t in the plan
It’s been a wild ride so far — I’m not going to lie.
I originally planned a modest schedule of $1,000 to $3,000 buy-in events at the WSOP. But by the end of the first week, I found myself in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
Many players claim that the WSOP $25,000 heads-up event is the most skillful in the entire series. It didn't go well for me, but the experience and just being there meant a lot. I’m sure I'll be back.
I played the $1K Mystery Millions and had a Day 2 run. I knocked out the legend Phil Laak and picked up a small minimum bounty, but my run ended early on Day 2.
The $1,500 shootout event was awesome. I knocked out every single player. I feel like I’m playing my best right now. But then I was heads-up, and I lost, holding a 2-to-1 chip lead, to bubble the event.
I’m currently in the $2,500 NLH event and near the top of the chip counts early on Day 1.
Frank Cucchiara playing the $2,500 NLH event at the 2025 WSOP.
My son is my joy
My son Tony just started school recently. I'll take him over there in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon. Then I get him ready for bed and then play. That’s why I've been late regging almost all my tournaments.
Tony's an absolute blessing. When I get knocked out early, I come home and see this sweet, innocent, gentle, and happy kid. It makes me forget every bad beat or misstep that happened during the day.
Damn. Sugar Sean lost
Last night, I watched Sugar Sean O'Malley fight for the UFC belt again. He’s my friend now; we're close. But watching your friend fight is different from every other UFC match I've ever seen.
Unfortunately, it was a bad fight for him. It didn't look great from the get-go. He had some slips early on, and watching a friend fight is nothing like watching any other UFC match.
He texted me the next morning, and his spirits seemed high. I'm sure he's going to get back in the action soon.
My All-In Brownie
I launched a new company called the All-In Protein Brownie. It's a product I’ve been working on behind the scenes for the past eight months.
I celebrated the launch of the brownies and invited all my friends, as well as a group of content creators, to a party last week at the Venetian.
The All-In Brownie is a protein-packed snack designed with poker players in mind. The brownie is 270 calories and has 25g of protein.
It's the best snack to have when you're playing long hours at the WSOP. You won’t have to resort to hot dogs. I’m very excited to share this product with players and fans.
Week one and two done
I’ve met many new friends and seen numerous friendly faces here at the series this year. I feel lucky to be here. Well, that’s it. Weeks one and two are in the books. LFG! On to week three.
Follow Frankie C on X and YouTube. Check out the All-In Brownie here.
