button in SafariQiang Xu Headlines 191 Returning Pot-Limit Omaha Hopefuls
Two starting flights in Event #35: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-Handed are in the books as the pair of opening days hosted a total of 2,581 entries at the 2026 World Series of Poker held at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The field created a prize pool of $2,815,809 as 191 players return for Day 2 with an opportunity at WSOP glory still intact.
Qiang Xu(1,188,000) finished at the top of the heap after a strong Day 1a vaulted him to first in chips. Xu is looking to add a second bracelet to his count after he earned WSOP gold in 2023 in the Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qiang Xu | China | 1,188,000 |
| 2 | Jason Zipfel | United States | 1,097,000 |
| 3 | Amir Mirrasouli | United States | 1,000,000 |
| 4 | Jorryt Van Hoof | Netherlands | 996,000 |
| 5 | Shaun Gutta | United States | 924,000 |
| 6 | Sergio Martinez Gonzalez | Spain | 887,000 |
| 7 | Will Givens | United States | 876,000 |
| 8 | Daniel Colpoys | United States | 854,000 |
| 9 | Tyler Brown | United States | 810,000 |
| 10 | Ladarren Banks | United States | 808,000 |
Jason Zipfel (1,097,000) and Amir Mirrasouli (1,000,000) rounded out the podium after the first two opening flights. Both Zipfel and Mirrasouli are in the hunt for their first WSOP title.
Dutchman Jorryt Van Hoof (996,000) advanced to Day 2 with the fourth biggest stack in the room and will be working with nearly 100 big blinds. The established pro has accumulated more than six and a half million in tournament earnings according to The HendonMob, but the WSOP gold has eluded him in his career. The 2014 WSOP Main Event November Niner will have an opportunity to keep the chase alive for his first WSOP bracelet.
Esther Taylor (269,000) is also in the hunt for her first WSOP bracelet. Taylor came close to snagging a title in this very event in 2022. Most recently, she finished third last year in the Poker Players Championship, making her no stranger to navigating the deep, shark-infested waters of the WSOP. Taylor would tie Jennifer Harmon for most women's top ten finishes at the WSOP should she accomplish the feat in this tournament.
Poker Vlogger Ryan “Degenerate Gambler” Depaulo (524,000) qualified for Day 2. Depaulo made headlines in 2020 when he scored his first WSOP bracelet while playing in his car outside of a Whole Foods for $159,563. Depaulo’s highest live finish came in 2019 when he took third in the $400 Colossus.
Returning hopefuls will go through ten levels of play on Day 2. The action is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. local time with Level 18, blinds 5,000/10,000/10,000. Levels are set for 60 minutes with a 15-minute break slotted after every two levels. A 60-minute dinner break will take place after Level 23, at around 6:30 p.m. local time.
Stay tuned here at PokerNews for continued coverage of Event #35: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Eight-Handed at the 2026 World Series of Poker.