Stud Games: 5,000-20,000, 20,000-40,000, 5,000 Ante
Another exciting mixed game day has come and gone at the 2025 World Series of Poker, where the last 16 players are left standing in Event #55: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship.
The day began at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas with late registration still open. Fifteen percent of the final field were fresh stacks, as 31 players joined for a total of 207 entries, creating a prize pool of $1,925,100.
The final level of the night saw Maximilian Schindler take over the chip lead, gaining a slight advantage to pace the field heading into Day 3 with 1,815,000. This marks Schindler's deepest run of the summer so far, after a pair of cashes to back up three others at the 2024 WSOP.
Sitting close behind is Kristopher Tong, who went on a sun run earlier in the day to vault up the leadboard and finish with 1,785,000.
Lurking in third spot is seven-time bracelet winner and reigning WSOP Player of the Year Scott Seiver, holding 1,580,000 chips. The top three players are the only ones who bagged more than a million chips.
End of Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maximilian Schindler | United States | 1,815,000 | 72 |
| 2 | Kristopher Tong | United States | 1,785,000 | 71 |
| 3 | Scott Seiver | United States | 1,580,000 | 63 |
| 4 | Jason Mercier | United States | 910,000 | 36 |
| 5 | Cary Katz | United States | 895,000 | 36 |
| 6 | John Hennigan | United States | 855,000 | 34 |
| 7 | Walter Chambers | United States | 830,000 | 33 |
| 8 | Simeon Tsonev | Bulgaria | 715,000 | 29 |
| 9 | PJ Cha | United States | 600,000 | 24 |
| 10 | Dylan Smith | United States | 595,000 | 24 |
Day 2 Action
Plenty of late registrants to start the day helped raise the number of spots in the money to 32. Action was fast and furious, as the field was down to the final 40 by the dinner break.
It did not take much longer for the bubble to burst, as Noah Bronstein was knocked out in 33rd place to leave the rest of the players with $20,000 locked up.
Among the notables to fall early in the day were Dario Sammartino, Chino Rheem, Benny Glaser, Philip Sternheimer, and Phil Hellmuth.
Another player to watch was Daniel Negreanu, who peeled a low on the river to stay alive but was also sent to the rail prior to dinner.
The final 16 contenders include a total of eight WSOP bracelet winners, along with numerous 25K Fantasy sweats heading into Day 3. Jason Mercier saw his stack steadily rise throughout the day, finishing in fourth spot with 910,000. That leads Cary Katz (895,000) and John Hennigan (855,000) in the next group of accomplished contenders.
All of the remaining players have earned at least $20,999, sitting one spot away from a pay jump. All eyes will be on the top prize of $452,689, along with the shiny WSOP gold bracelet.
Remaing Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $452,689 | 7 | $57,766 |
| 2 | $301,786 | 8 | $44,703 |
| 3 | $206,747 | 9 | $35,515 |
| 4 | $144,965 | 10-11 | $28,986 |
| 5 | $104,089 | 12-15 | $24,323 |
| 6 | $76,581 | 16 | $20,999 |
Day 3 will begin at 1 p.m. local time on Level 19, with limits of 25,000/50,000. Players will continue to navigate 90-minute levels, with 15-minute breaks after each level.
Be sure to stay tuned, as the final 16 mixed game specialists battle for this prestigious WSOP championship and the PokerNews live reporting team will have all of the action covered from Las Vegas.
