button in SafariSharks Circle as Day 2 Begins in $25,000 High Roller 6-Handed; Schulman Leads, Tang in Pursuit
Welcome to Day 2 of Event #24: $25,000 High Roller 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em at the World Series of Poker(WSOP), hosted at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. After an action-packed opening day, the field of 166 entrants has been trimmed to 45 survivors, including 18 from the 25K Fantasy Draft — players who collectively own an astounding 57 WSOP bracelets.
As expected, many of poker's biggest stars and most accomplished high rollers turned out to compete for one of the most prestigious titles and largest payouts of the summer. The prize pool has already climbed to $3,901,000, with late registration remaining open through the first level of Day 2, meaning that figure will grow even larger.
Leading the way heading into Day 2 is seven-time WSOP bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer Nick Schulman, who bagged a commanding chip lead of 1,215,000. Sitting second in the counts is Hong Kong's Danny Tang (1,060,000), one of the game's most accomplished high-stakes regulars. Rounding out the top three is American Eli Berg (980,000), who has accumulated more than $3.5 million in live tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Schulman | United States | 1,215,000 | 122 |
| 2 | Danny Tang | Hong Kong | 1,060,000 | 106 |
| 3 | Eli Berg | United States | 980,000 | 98 |
| 4 | Justin Arnwine | United States | 965,000 | 97 |
| 5 | Pavel Plesuv | Moldova | 939,000 | 94 |
| 6 | Adam Hendrix | United States | 899,000 | 90 |
| 7 | Sergio Aido | Spain | 858,000 | 86 |
| 8 | Erik Seidel | United States | 837,000 | 84 |
| 9 | Dylan Linde | United States | 801,000 | 80 |
| 10 | Cedric Schwaederle | France | 797,000 | 80 |
Among the 25K Fantasy Draft selections, excluding Schulman and Tang, Adam Hendrix leads the way with 899,000 chips. The Alaskan poker pro has amassed more than $10 million in live tournament earnings and is well-positioned for another deep run. Close behind is Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel with 837,000, followed by author and poker coach Dylan Linde with 801,000.
Also among the top fantasy performers are PokerGO founder Cary Katz, who returns with 694,000, and Russia's Artur Martirosian, widely regarded as one of the world's elite tournament players, with 678,000. While these players currently occupy the upper reaches of the leaderboard, the nature of six-handed high-stakes poker means fortunes can change in an instant, leaving every remaining contender firmly focused on the bracelet and the massive first-place prize.
Play will resume at 12 p.m. local time. Blinds will begin at Level 9, starting at 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante. Levels will last an hour each, with a 15-minute break occurring after Level 9 (for the close of registration) and then at the conclusion of every two levels. A 60-minute dinner break will commence after Level 13 at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time.
The plan is to play ten levels before bagging up for the night, but this could change depending on the pace of play.
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Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews to see all of the exciting updates from the ground of the 2026 WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.