button in Safari74 Return to Decide First-Ever NorCal Poker Championship Main Event
Day 2 is set as the final 74 players will return to Graton Casino Resort in Rohnet Park, California, to decide the first-ever champion in the $1,100 NorCal Poker Championship Main Event. The event hosted a total of 582 entries across its four starting flights to create a prize pool of $567,450.
Overall chip leader Sevag Shirinian (1,032,000) will enter as the stack to beat after their performance on Day 1b led to their ascension to the top of the chip counts. Shirinian is the only player to enter Day 2 with a seven-figure stack. Day 1d chip leader Ryan Tuttle (862,000) enters the final day with the second most chips. Antonio Ma (792,000) led Day 1c to secure the third most chips as players return on Day 2.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sevag Shirinian | United States | 1,032,000 | 103 |
| 2 | Ryan Tuttle | United States | 862,000 | 86 |
| 3 | Antonio Ma | United States | 792,000 | 79 |
| 4 | Eric Estrellado | United States | 743,000 | 74 |
| 5 | Kelly Mayhugh | United States | 700,000 | 70 |
| 6 | Walid Fahmy | United States | 699,000 | 70 |
| 7 | David Carey | United States | 685,000 | 69 |
| 8 | Angel Uriel Sanabria | United States | 680,000 | 68 |
| 9 | Jason Beahm | United States | 665,000 | 67 |
| 10 | Ken Huynh | United States | 645,000 | 65 |
Shirinian’s biggest cash of his career came earlier this summer at the World Series of Poker with a cash of just over $13,000, per his The Hendon Mob profile. Entering with the largest stack in the room, Shirinian will have the opportunity to top that with a deep run here at Graton Casino Resort.
Tuttle has two cashes to his name at Graton, according to his The Hendon Mob profile, but this is his first cash at this venue in 2026. Tuttle’s biggest cash of his career came in 2025 at Graton in the WSOPC Big 30K Kickoff for just over $6,000. Tuttle can cement himself in Graton poker lore with a top finish to become the first-ever NorCal Poker Championship winner.
Ma is perhaps the most experienced of the top three stacks entering Day 2. Ma has amassed over $500,000 in career earnings, according to his The Hendon Mob profile. His biggest cash came at the 2025 WSOPC when he took sixth for $27,116. Ma is no doubt in a great position to add to his tally as he steps into the room on Day 2.
Notable Henri Perez Lopez (495,000) is just a little over one month removed from winning The Hendon Mob Championship and is looking to make a big splash by adding another title to his resume here at the NorCal Poker Championship Main Event.
Jaime Haletky (470,000) has plenty of experience with nearly $850,000 in live career earnings per The Hendon Mob. Despite that, a title at Graton has eluded the seasoned Haletky.
Other notables to advance to Day 2 include Michael Persky (296,000), Victor Paredes (277,000), Julie Cornelius (236,000), Zachary Smyth (226,000), Daniel Hughes (212,000), Phillip Hellmuth (192,000), and Charles Himes (162,000).
Day 2 is set to begin at 12 p.m. local time. Blind levels are set for 40 minutes on the final day of play. Play will continue until a tournament winner is crowned.
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Stay tuned here atPokerNews for complete coverage of Day 2 as the action continues until a new winner is decided in the $1,100 NorCal Poker Championship Main Event held at Graton Casino Resort.