There Are 153 Players Returning for Day 2 of $600 NLH Opener
Welcome to Day 2 of the $600 NLH Opener, an day that sees the start of PokerNews live reporting here at the 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open.
There were seven starting flights, giving players plenty of opportunity to hop into the opening event of the series. All of the bubbles burst on the Day 1 flights, meaning all 153 returning players are in the money.
The event drew 1,508 runners for a massive prize pool, and that means 153 spots are paid with a minimum cash being worth $1,157. Meanwhile, a six-figure prize of $156,190 awaits the eventual champion.
Day 1d chip leader Matthew Mizel has a runaway lead with a stack of over one million, while other big stacks include Valentin Lita (905,000), Arash Asadabadi (851,000), Isaac Bolden (731,000) and Kyle Kishonsh (633,000).
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Mizel | United States | 1,091,000 |
| 2 | Valentin Lita | United States | 905,000 |
| 3 | Arash Asadabadi | United States | 851,000 |
| 4 | Isaac Bolden | United States | 731,000 |
| 5 | Kyle Kishonsh | United States | 633,000 |
| 6 | Justin Arnwine | United States | 594,000 |
| 7 | Johnathan Butler | United States | 577,000 |
| 8 | Michael Miralli | United States | 573,000 |
| 9 | David Martini | United States | 563,000 |
| 10 | Ryan McPherson | United States | 549,000 |
Action kicks off at 11 a.m. local time with blinds of 3,000/6,000/6,000. The event will play down to a winner, meaning we are just over a hundred eliminations away from the winner being crowned.
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Stay tuned as PokerNews is on-site and ready to provide live coverage of Day 2 of the $600 NLH Opener.