button in SafariCalvin Anderson Holds Sizable Lead in Day 1 of Razz Championship
High Card: 1,000
Completion: 3,000
Limits: 3,000-6,000
Another day, another championship event kicking off as Day 1 of Event #48: $10,000 Razz Championship saw its first day play to completion at the 2026 World Series of Poker. A total of 118 entrants filled today's seats to generate a prize pool of $1,097,400, with only 54 having any ability to see a piece of it by day’s end.
Leading the way is a player very familiar with this event, Calvin Anderson (343,500). Back in 2018, the Oklahoma poker player claimed his second WSOP bracelet in this particular championship, taking home $309,220 for his efforts. He has since added another bracelet and sits second on his state’s all time money list, with career live tournament earnings sitting just below $7 million, according to TheHendonMob. He looks to utilize his sizable Day 1 stack and turn it into WSOP bracelet #4.
Rounding out the podium are Maximilian Schindler (281,000) and Jay Kwon (269,000), whose WSOP bracelet came in Razz in 2018 in the $1,500 variant.
Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calvin Anderson | United States | 343,500 | 42 |
| 2 | Maximilian Schindler | United States | 281,000 | 35 |
| 3 | Jay Kwon | United States | 269,000 | 33 |
| 4 | Josh Arieh | United States | 240,000 | 30 |
| 5 | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | 239,000 | 29 |
| 6 | Ray Henson | United States | 203,500 | 25 |
| 7 | Owais Ahmed | United States | 202,000 | 25 |
| 8 | Matt Grapenthien | United States | 181,500 | 22 |
| 9 | Mark Epstein | United States | 180,000 | 22 |
| 10 | Max Kruse | Germany | 180,000 | 22 |
Many of the game’s biggest names also found their way to bags at night’s end. Six-time WSOP bracelet winners Josh Arieh (240,000) and Yuri Dzivielevski (239,000) bagged up sizable stacks. Others that advanced included Ray Henson (203,500), Owais Ahmed (202,000), Jon Turner (175,500), Chris Brewer (162,000), John Monnette (153,000), Jason Daly (138,000), Allen Kessler (117,500), and Eli Elezra (98,500), each one of them looking to be the final Razz champion of the 2026 WSOP.
Last summer’s champion Brian Rast saw his hopes for a title defense dashed as he fell early in the day. Others that came and went included Dario Sammartino, Terrance Reid, Marco Johnson, Chino Rheem, and seven-time WSOP bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu. Their hopes for a bracelet this summer will have to come at a later date.
Players finished tonight after 10 levels were played. Those who bagged will return to play tomorrow at 1:00 pm. Action resumes on Level 11 with a 1,000 ante and a 1,000 bring in, with limits at 4,000/8,000. Registration will remain open until the beginning of the following level at around 2:15 pm.
That concludes today’s coverage of the Razz Championship. Be sure to check back in to PokerNews tomorrow to see more updates on the ground from the 2026 WSOP at the Paris Hotel and Casino.