button in Safari$265k Awaits The Winner Of The Mixed Omaha
The largest field of any mixed game tournament so far this series came forth in Event #14: $2,500 Mixed Omaha: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, "Big O" as 1,287 players came out to generate a prize pool worth $1,708,492. Now, two days after it's start, just 24 players remain in the hunt to become the latest mixed game champion of the 2026 WSOP at Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and claim the $265,297 yet to be awarded.
A pair of bracelet winners lead the 24 remaining players, the first of which is Justin Liberto (2,905,000) who is fresh off of three cashes this series. A massive pot against Brandon Cantu (680,000) saw Liberto ascend into the chip lead late into Day 2 and he never relinquished the spot as the day went on. With over $7 million in recorded live cashes, the Maryland poker pro looks to add some more jewelry to his resume. Lawrence Berg (2,665,000) sits behind him in the counts after surging upwards yesterday evening. It's been ten years since the Nevada poker player took home his first bracelet and right now he sits near the top of the counts in prime position to do so.
Plenty of other big names are still alive with the hopes to take down the lion's share of the prize pool. Players like Michael Banducci (1,760,000), Dekel Balas (1,690,000), Edward Spivack (1,460,000), Brian Battistone (1,340,000), two time WSOP bracelet winners Brandon Cantu (680,000) and Brandon Shack-Harris (560,000) as well as 5-time WSOP bracelet winner Brad Ruben (1,105,000).
Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Liberto | United States | 2,905,000 | 96 |
| 2 | Lawrence Berg | United States | 2,665,000 | 88 |
| 3 | Chris Lee | United States | 2,425,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Jean Laurent | United States | 2,370,000 | 79 |
| 5 | Lee Rough | United States | 2,225,000 | 74 |
| 6 | Naween Fernando | Australia | 2,070,000 | 69 |
| 7 | Michael Banducci | United States | 2,070,000 | 69 |
| 8 | Dekel Balas | Israel | 1,690,000 | 56 |
| 9 | George Wang | United States | 1,555,000 | 51 |
| 10 | Edward Spivack | United Kingdom | 1,460,000 | 48 |
Play will resume at 1:00 local time at Level 26, with blinds in the limit games is 30,000/60,000, with limits at 60,000/120,000. In the pot-limit games the blinds will be 15,000/30,000, with a 30,000 big blind ante. Levels will be one hour long, with a 15-minute break at the conclusion of every two levels.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $265,297 | ||
| 2 | $176,809 | ||
| 3 | $125,476 | ||
| 4 | $90,249 | ||
| 5 | $65,801 | ||
| 6 | $48,642 | ||
| 7 | $36,464 | ||
| 8 | $27,725 | ||
| 9 | $21,386 | ||
| 10 | $16,739 | ||
| 11 | $16,739 | ||
| 12 | $13,297 | ||
| 13 | $13,297 | ||
| 14 | $13,297 | ||
| 15 | $13,297 | ||
| 16 | $10,723 | ||
| 17 | $10,723 | ||
| 18 | $10,723 | ||
| 19 | $10,723 | ||
| 20 | $10,723 | ||
| 21 | $10,723 | ||
| 22 | $10,723 | ||
| 23 | $10,723 | ||
| 24 | $8,780 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the updates on the ground of the 2026 WSOP!