button in SafariChad Eveslage Continues Outstanding 2026 WSOP on Day 1 of $10,000 Big O Championship
Day 1 of Event #44: $10,000 Big O Championship saw the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas filled to the brim as five-card enthusiasts from all over the world traveled to the 2026 World Series of Poker for a shot at glory. At the end of the night, the clock showed 362 entries, of which 132 players advanced to Day 2. With two more levels of late registration on Day 2, last year's record turnout of 402 is likely to be shattered, increasing the current $3,375,900 prize pool to unprecedented heights.
One of the bags lying on the tables at the end of the night belonged to none other than Chad Eveslage. The all-round poker player has already secured seven in-the-money finishes this summer and set himself up well for another deep run on Day 1 of the Big O Championship. He ended the night with 489,000 in chips, just over eight starting stacks and worth nearly 200 big blinds when Day 2 starts. The only person with a bigger stack was William Kerkaert, who was the only one to cross the half-million mark and will unload 500,500 onto his new table tomorrow.
Four-time bracelet winner Sam Soverel made it into the top five with 437,000. Bruno Furth may have cut his characteristic hair, but it evidently had no impact on his Omaha prowess as he bagged 436,500 at the end of the night. Naoya Kihara continues hunting his third bracelet of the summer with 405,500 on Day 2, while three-time bracelet winner John Racener and Dylan Linde round out the top ten with 375,000 and 342,000, respectively.
End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Kerkaert | United States | 500,500 | 200 |
| 2 | Chad Eveslage | United States | 489,000 | 196 |
| 3 | Daniel Aharoni | United States | 458,500 | 183 |
| 4 | Philip Long | United Kingdom | 445,000 | 178 |
| 5 | Sam Soverel | United States | 437,000 | 175 |
| 6 | Bruno Furth | United States | 436,500 | 175 |
| 7 | Gary Bolden | United States | 415,000 | 166 |
| 8 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | 405,500 | 162 |
| 9 | John Racener | United States | 375,000 | 150 |
| 10 | Dylan Linde | United States | 342,000 | 137 |
Bobby James battled his way to a stack of 324,000, all the while winning a WSOP Circuit ring in an online tournament at the same time. Omaha visionary Dylan Weisman ended Day 1 with 295,000, while Hall of Famers Nick Schulman (196,000), Jennifer Harman (189,000), and Eli Elezra (70,000) will also return for Day 2.
Defending champion Veerachai Vongxaiburana was one of the many casualties on Day 1, along with 2025 Player of the Year Shaun Deeb, recent Dealer's Choice champion Bryce Yockey, WSOP Europe Main Event winner Max Neugebauer, and hold'em high roller Chris Hunichen. Anyone who has not fired their three allowed bullets already will have the ability to try again on Day 2, however.
Day 2 will commence June 14 at 1 p.m. local time. The blinds will be at 1,000/2,500 with a 2,500 big blind ante, and ten more 60-minute levels are scheduled to be played. The first two will have late registration open, where players can pay $10,000 to get a fresh stack of 60,000.
PokerNews will be back for Day 2 of the $10,000 Big O Championship to provide an in-depth live report from start to finish, so tune back in then for more five-card, split-pot action.