button in SafariArtur Martirosian Gets Aces Cracked Back-to-back to Bubble $100k High Roller; Christopher Nguyen Leads Final 9
For the majority of Day 2 of Event #36: $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em, Artur Martirosian seemed to be converting the momentum of his recent victory in the $25k 6-handed bracelet event into another deep run in a High Roller, and perhaps a shot at his fifth bracelet. Being one of the chipleaders just two spots away from the money, Martirosian was comfortably cruising, putting pressure on his opponents and picking up pots left and right. Then, disaster struck at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
First, Christopher Nguyen four-bet jammed his king-queen into Martirosian's pocket aces, cracking them for a huge double-up. Martirosian was down, but not out. That was until his aces got cracked again just mere minutes later, this time by Teun Mulder. Martirosian finished 19th out of the record-breaking field of 115 entries, being the final person to not receive a single penny from the $11,040,000 prize pool.
Instead of being eliminated by Martirosian's aces, Nguyen went on an absolute tear during the following four levels, securing the chip lead when the night finished with nine remaining players after over 13 hours of play. The high-stakes regular bagged 17,200,000 for over 70 big blinds as he hunts the $2,841,432 top prize and his second WSOP bracelet of the year, the first one of which he won at WSOP Europe in Prague.
Brazilian powerhouse Yuri Dzivielevski follows at considerable distance with 11,800,000. Dzivielevski already has five bracelets in his possession, but winning the $100k High Roller would result in his first hold'em victory at the WSOP. Alexandros Theologis and Mulder complete the top half of the final nine with 9,995,000 and 8,840,000, respectively, with both accomplished players hunting their first piece of live WSOP jewelry.
Final Table Seating and Chip Coutnts
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teun Mulder | Netherlands | 8,845,000 | 37 |
| 2 | Alex Kulev | Bulgaria | 5,550,000 | 23 |
| 3 | Alexandros Theologis | Greece | 9,955,000 | 41 |
| 4 | Christopher Nguyen | Austria | 17,200,000 | 72 |
| 5 | Sam Soverel | United States | 3,420,000 | 14 |
| 6 | Biao Ding | China | 4,750,000 | 20 |
| 7 | Martin Kabrhel | Czechia | 5,215,000 | 22 |
| 8 | Alex Foxen | United States | 2,220,000 | 9 |
| 9 | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | 11,800,000 | 49 |
The ever-controversial five-time bracelet winner Martin Kabrhel once again proved he is more than just talk as he booked a seat on the final day, together with his fellow 25k Fantasy picks Biao Ding, Sam Soverel, and Alex Foxen, the last of whom came back from the brink, having only a quarter of a big blind left 30 minutes before the day's end, and is looking to join his wife Kristen Foxen on the exclusive list of 2026 WSOP High Roller winners after she took home the gold in Event #19: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em.
Road to the Final Nine
Long before Martirosian was declared the official bubble boy, many other poker luminaries were sent packing. The day started with late registration still open, and over a third of the field entered at the last possible moment, meaning the action became fast and furious. Pieter Aerts lasted literally one hand, and he was soon followed to the rail by Hall of Famers Phil Ivey and Brian Rast, who both were among the late registrants.
The top four on the all-time money list had all progressed from the first day of the tournament, but none of Bryn Kenney, Stephen Chidwick, Jason Koon, and Mikita Badziakouski survived the early onslaught of Day 2. Crowd favorite Daniel Negreanu got close to the paid places, but he ultimately fell in 23rd place.
Cracked premiums appeared to become a theme during the later stages of the day, as once the bubble had burst, Cary Katz also fell victim to hold'em's worst bad beat. This time, Dzivielevski was the one who delivered the blow, eliminating Katz in 15th. While no further aces were cracked, Sean Winter's kings did not stand a chance against the ace-queen of Theologis to be knocked out in twelfth, and the same Theologis provided the final elimination of the night by sending Chris Hunichen home in tenth place.
Plan for Day 3
The final nine players converged on one table and battled for over an hour without any further casualties. Instead, they will return at 2 p.m. local time tomorrow, June 12, to decide who will take home the bracelet and be crowned the 2026 WSOP $100k High Roller champion. The blinds will restart at Level 21 on 120,000/240,000 (240,000), and as many 60-minute levels will be played as are needed for a winner to be declared.
The remaining nine contenders have already locked up $255,491 for their efforts, but with hefty pay jumps lying in wait after every elimination, and eye-watering seven-figure prizes reserved for the top three, they will have to carefully consider every move.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,841,432 |
| 2 | $1,894,282 |
| 3 | $1,326,537 |
| 4 | $950,048 |
| 5 | $696,221 |
| 6 | $522,347 |
| 7 | $401,446 |
| 8 | $316,234 |
| 9 | $255,491 |
PokerNews will be back on the floor tomorrow to report on the thrilling conclusion of the $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em, so make sure to tune back in as another day of high-level poker will be on display.