Another 4,589 Players Buy Into the $300 Gladiators of Poker
Event #67: $300 Gladiators of Poker here at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is shaping up to have a massive attendance after another 4,589 players bought in on Day 1b. Vast sections of the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas were dedicated to this event, although the players dropped like flies, with only 147 surviving the 22 intense levels.
According to The Hendon Mob Database, chip leader Jonathan Kirch (5,110,000) has no previous in-the-money finishes, but that will change after this tournament as he heads into Day 2 with a substantial stack and his first recorded live cash in tow.
Peter Bigelow (3,310,000), the fourth-place finisher in the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Super Turbo in 2024, bagged up the second-largest stack, with Pablo Alvarez (2,500,000).
Event #67: $300 Gladiators of Poker Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Kirch | United States | 5,110,000 | 102 |
| 2 | Peter Bigelow | United States | 3,310,000 | 66 |
| 3 | Pablo Alvarez | Spain | 2,500,000 | 50 |
| 4 | Caleb Mitson | United States | 2,470,000 | 49 |
| 5 | David Gelley | United States | 2,145,000 | 43 |
| 6 | David Boals | United States | 2,070,000 | 41 |
| 7 | Gary Girotti | Canada | 2,070,000 | 41 |
| 8 | Carlos Perez | France | 2,070,000 | 41 |
| 9 | Jeffrey Mermelstein | United States | 1,985,000 | 40 |
| 10 | Carl Feathers | United States | 1,960,000 | 39 |
Among the Day 1b survivors were the likes of Terrance Reid (1,750,000), bracelet winner Ernest Bennett (1,005,000), British pro Dan Charlton (555,000), Poker Hall of Famer Barry Greenstein (545,000), Henrieto Acain (440,000), Satoshi Tanaka (365,000), and Andrey Zaichenko (100,000).
Day 1c starts at 10 a.m. local time on June 27, and will see the bumper crowd attempt to survive 22 levels. PokerNews' traditional coverage of this event begins on Day 2 at 11 a.m. on June 29.