button in SafariMichel Molenaar Leads the Final Day of the $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Event
Day 3 of Event #13: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em will see 9 players return to the stage inside the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, each looking to secure a place at the final table and position themselves for a run at the coveted WSOP bracelet.
Leading the way is the only 25K Fantasy Draft player remaining in the tournament, Michel Molenaar, who bagged 11,380,000 at the end of Day 2. On his way to the top, he showed fellow 25K Fantasy pick Chris Hunichen the exit doors, in the last level of the day. Molenaar will return just narrowly ahead of Justin Arnwine who brings through 11,135,000 chips. There is a significant gap between the top two stacks and the rest of the players, with Harlan Karnofsky (5,230,000) rounding out the top three, set to return with just over 52 big blinds.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michel Molenaar | Netherlands | 11,380,000 | 114 |
| 2 | Justin Arnwine | United States | 11,135,000 | 111 |
| 3 | Harlan Karnofsky | United States | 5,230,000 | 52 |
| 4 | Honghao Zhang | United States | 3,960,000 | 40 |
| 5 | Julien Duveau | France | 3,300,000 | 33 |
| 6 | David Rees | United States | 3,185,000 | 32 |
| 7 | Rania Nasreddine | United States | 2,950,000 | 30 |
| 8 | Daniel Hill | United States | 2,890,000 | 29 |
| 9 | Thai Dinh | United States | 1,970,000 | 20 |
Also returning to action are Honghao Zhang (3,960,000), Julien Duveau (3,300,000) and David Rees (3,185,000), all of whom advanced with competitive stacks and remain firmly in the hunt as the field moves closer to the final table. Rees came through as the Day 2 chip leader and applied pressure to his opponents as he navigated his way through the day. A late night elimination of Frank Marasco helped him maintain a healthy stack after holding with pocket-jacks.
Others such as Daniel Hill (2,890,000) and Thai Dinh (1,970,000) will be aiming to build early momentum as the pressure intensifies, and the pay jumps grow steeper. Each player has guaranteed themselves at least $35,250, but all will be on the hunt for the top $346,108 payout.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $346,108 | ||
| 2 | $230,626 | ||
| 3 | $163,172 | ||
| 4 | $116,951 | ||
| 5 | $84,929 | ||
| 6 | $62,501 | ||
| 7 | $46,619 | ||
| 8 | $35,250 | ||
| 9 | $35,250 |
Several deep runs came to an end late on Day 2, with 25K Fantasy Players Cherish Andrews and Chris Hunichen among those eliminated as the field tightened toward the finish. It was a particularly tough exit for Spencer Champlin, who saw their stack slide throughout the evening before getting the last few big blinds in against Justin Arnwine and falling short of a bag.
Players will return at 12 p.m. local time to resume play at Level 28, with blinds at 50,000/100,000 and a 100,000 big blind ante. Levels will remain 60 minutes throughout Day 3, with a 15-minute break every two levels and a scheduled dinner break to be determined based on the pace of play. Action will continue until a winner is crowned and someone claims the $15,000 6-Handed title, and a WSOP Bracelet.
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Follow the PokerNews live updates as the remaining contenders battle for victory here at the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.