button in Safari
Okamoto Among 160 Survivors Returning for Day 2 of the $2,000 No‑Limit Hold’em Event
The 2026 World Series of Poker continues today at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, where the surviving 160 players return for Day 2 of Event #26: $2,000 No‑Limit Hold’em.
This year’s tournament attracted a total of 968 entries, generating a prize pool of $1,723,040 and ensuring a top prize of $288,064 for the eventual champion. With just 146 places paid, players will return close to the money bubble when action resumes today.
Prize Pool Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $288,064 | 14–17 | $11,748 |
| 2 | $191,997 | 18–26 | $9,733 |
| 3 | $135,294 | 27–35 | $8,207 |
| 4 | $96,783 | 36–44 | $7,046 |
| 5 | $70,300 | 45–53 | $6,162 |
| 6 | $51,862 | 54–62 | $5,490 |
| 7 | $38,868 | 63–71 | $4,986 |
| 8 | $29,600 | 72–80 | $4,617 |
| 9 | $22,912 | 81–89 | $4,361 |
| 10–11 | $18,031 | 90–98 | $4,204 |
| 12–13 | $14,430 | 99–146 | $4,004 |
Several WSOP bracelet winners were spotted in the field early on Day 1, including Shiina Okamoto, Renat Bohdanov, Sam Jaddi, and Pengfei Wang.
Two‑time, back‑to‑back Ladies WSOP bracelet winner Okamoto had a strong showing and returns today with an average stack of 180,000. Wang (86,000) also survived but will need to find an early double as he comes back with under 15 big blinds. Bohdanov and Jaddi had less luck and were among those who fell short during the later levels of play.
2024 Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo (151,000) is also set to return, alongside fellow bracelet holders Aaron Kupin (170,000), Ivan Deyra (144,000), Stanislav Barshak (123,000), Shannon Shorr (110,000), Stephen Hubbard (93,000), Frank Brannan (89,000), Stanton Tentnowski (75,000), and Joshua Boulton (29,000).
All return with below‑average stacks and will be looking to battle their way into the money. Brannan, Shorr, and Kupin will also be aiming to lock up points for their teams in the 25K Fantasy Draft, alongside fellow draftee Adam Hendrix (187,000).
WSOP bracelet winner and fellow 25K Fantasy Draft pick Zdenek Zizka is also due back on the felt this morning. Fresh off his deep run in the $25,000 High Roller, Zizka navigated a 345‑player field and, after three intense days among poker’s elite, locked up sixth place for $300,942. He wasted no time carrying that momentum into this event and begins Day 2 inside the top ten chip counts.
Xuan Liu also spent much of Day 1 near the top of the leaderboard and continued her climb throughout the evening, ultimately bagging 585,000. She returns third in chips, just behind USA’s Jason Palker (742,000) and Srivinay Irrinki (612,000), who narrowly edged her out to claim the top two spots.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Palker | United States | 742,000 | 124 |
| 2 | Srivinay Irrinki | United States | 612,000 | 102 |
| 3 | Xuan Liu | Canada | 585,000 | 98 |
| 4 | Takahiro Kidokoro | Japan | 541,000 | 90 |
| 5 | David McGowan | United States | 538,000 | 90 |
| 6 | Jose Nadal | Mexico | 514,000 | 86 |
| 7 | Yulian Bogdanov | Bulgaria | 480,000 | 80 |
| 8 | Yaniv Peretz | Latvia | 449,000 | 75 |
| 9 | Zdenek Zizka | Czech Republic | 415,000 | 70 |
| 10 | Peter Yang | United States | 410,000 | 68 |
Cards go back in the air at 12 p.m. local time, with play resuming in Level 16, where blinds are 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante.
Levels will remain 60 minutes throughout Day 2, with a 15‑minute break every two levels. A 60‑minute dinner break is scheduled after Level 21 (approximately 6:30 p.m.).
Never Miss a Moment with MyPlayers on PokerNews
Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on legends like Daniel Negreanu or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you. No subscriptions, no paywalls - just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most.
It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.
From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.
PokerNews will be on the floor all day long, bringing you live updates, chip counts, eliminations, and all the key hands as the field continues its pursuit of the bracelet in Event #26: $2,000 No Limit Hold’em.