Second Chance on Tap in PokerStars Open Philadelphia $1,100 Main Event
The 2026 PokerStars Open Philadelphia series rolls on at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia, where players will get another chance to earn their way into the money of the featured event of the week.
The opening flight of the $1,100 Main Event drew 125 entries, with 16 survivors bagged up for a shot at the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool this coming weekend. The second of four starting flights kicks off today at 11:15 a.m. local time, as Day 1b welcomes a new set of players to the tables to battle for a bag.
The chip leader from Day 1a is Abel Gebeyehu, who set the pace to start the week by amassing 992,000 chips. That represents a solid lead over the field thus far, and the benchmark to catch for the remaining flights.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abel Gebeyehu | United States | 992,000 | 165 |
| 2 | Angel Lopez | United States | 651,000 | 109 |
| 3 | Aaron Shapiro | United States | 470,000 | 78 |
| 4 | Casey Hatmaker | United States | 433,000 | 72 |
| 5 | Joseph Grodowski | United States | 382,000 | 64 |
| 6 | John Machen | United States | 329,000 | 55 |
| 7 | Donald Himpele Jr | United States | 255,000 | 43 |
| 8 | Alberto Sabogali | United States | 247,000 | 41 |
| 9 | Steven Christopher | United States | 227,000 | 38 |
| 10 | Percy Abraham | United States | 200,000 | 33 |
The opening day concluded late in Level 16, after several hands on the direct money bubble. The second flight follows the same structure, as players will once again sit down with 40,000 chips in their starting stacks.
The tournament begins with blinds of 100/100 and a 100 big blind ante, and levels are 40 minutes in duration for the entire event. Breaks are scheduled following every two hours of action, with a dinner break pausing the action for 40 minutes at the end of Level 9.
Players may enter all flights as many times as they like, with late registration available through the first 12 levels of each day. Day 1b will finish when just 12.5% of the field remains, who will join the survivors from the opening flight to battle for the money on Sunday, March 22.
$1,100 Main Event Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mar. 19 | Day 1b | 11:15 a.m. |
| Mar. 20 | Day 1c | 11:15 a.m. |
| Mar. 21 | Day 1d | 10:15 a.m. |
| Mar. 22 | Day 2 | 11:15 a.m. |
The PokerNews live reporting team is on site in Philadelphia, so be sure to stay tuned all week for the exciting action from the PokerStars Open Main Event.