Clayton Mozdzen Leads Final 14, Nick Schulman In Chasing Pack of $1,500 H.O.R.S.E

The chips have been bagged, and the tables have emptied inside the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, with just 14 players remaining in Event #37: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. Each returns for the final day within touching distance of a World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet.

For much of Day 2, the focus was on reaching the money and surviving the bubble. Once that hurdle had been cleared, attention turned to building a stack capable of making a run at the $183,366 top prize.

Out in front is Clayton Mozdzen, who will take the chip lead into Day 3. Mozdzen has been a constant presence near the top of the counts throughout the tournament, beginning the day second in chips and climbing to first by night's end with 3,105,000, worth 26 big bets when play resumes.

Closest behind, Ryan Caskey ended the day with 2,340,000, while Joe Brindle bagged 2,250,000. Together, they complete an overnight podium consisting of three different nationalities.

$1,500 H.O.R.S.E Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Bets
1	Clayton Mozdzen	Canada	3,105,000	26
2	Ryan Caskey	United States	2,340,000	20
3	Joe Brindle	United Kingdom	2,250,000	19
4	Mike Wattel	United States	2,130,000	18
5	Kent Gugelman	United States	1,775,000	15
6	William Klevitz	United States	1,760,000	15
7	Nick Schulman	United States	1,595,000	13
8	Bart Hanson	United States	1,160,000	10
9	Jonathan Nebbout	France	810,000	7
10	Philip Sternheimer	United Kingdom	720,000	6

Further down the counts lurk several players capable of disrupting the overnight leaders. Chief among them is Poker Hall of Fame inductee Nick Schulman, who returns with 1,595,000 as he chases an eighth WSOP gold bracelet.

Also in contention are two players looking to add to their bracelet tallies. Two-time bracelet winner William Klevitz sits sixth in chips, while Philip Sternheimer, who captured his maiden bracelet at the 2025 WSOP, is close behind.

Day 2 Action

When play began, 171 players remained, with just 117 guaranteed a payday. It took only 90 minutes for the field to reach the money bubble, with the likes of James Obst (154th) and Mike Matusow (145th) among the early casualties.

The bubble itself lasted around 30 minutes, with two players surviving all-ins while at risk before Lee Markholt ultimately fell one spot short of the money.

Once the bubble burst, eliminations came quickly. John Racener (93rd), Sean Yu (104th), and Hieu Ma (105th) were among those to collect a min-cash. Several 25K Fantasy Draft selections also made the money before falling, including Phillip Hui (37th), Ryutaro Suzuki (38th), John Monnette (52nd), Jon Turner (57th), Ashish Gupta (74th), and Jon Kyte (76th).

One of the most notable eliminations of the day was that of Brian Hastings. The six-time bracelet winner's deep run came to an end late in the evening, as he exited in 22nd place, narrowly missing out on a spot on the final day.

The 14 surviving players will return for the final day tomorrow, Friday, June 12, at 1:00 p.m. local time, each guaranteed $8,479, with the eventual champion set to walk away with $183,366 and a WSOP gold bracelet.

The blinds will start at 30,000/60,000, with 60,000/120,000 limits. Each level will last 60 minutes, with a short break scheduled after every two levels played. As yet, there are no plans for an extended dinner break.