button in SafariJesse Lonis Looking to Start 2026 WSOP Off Hot as Day 2 of $5K PLO Returns Near Money Bubble
The first pot-limit Omaha event of the 2026 World Series of Poker, Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, proved the four-card game remains ever-so popular. A big turnout of 716 entries showed up at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for the event, of which only 120 players progressed to Day 2, which will kick off today at noon local time.
With 108 paid places, the tournament is rapidly approaching the money bubble. The returning players will all be eyeing a piece of the $3,293,600 prize pool, with the minimum payout of $9,944 being only 12 eliminations away. High roller superstar Jesse Lonis will likely have bigger ambitions beyond just securing his first cash of the summer, however, as he returns second in chips for Day 2, trailing only PLO expert Dylan Weisman in the hunt for the $595,388 top prize.
Lonis' stack of 906,000 will amount to 113 big blinds when play resumes, not far behind Weisman's 951,000. James Chen completes the top three with a bag of 856,000, while Glen Tinney and David Eller complete the top five, both having gathered 801,000 during Day 1. Meanwhile, bracelet winners Ka Kwan Lau and Frank Brannan also secured a spot in the top ten chip counts.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dylan Weisman | United States | 951,000 |
| 2 | Jesse Lonis | United States | 906,000 |
| 3 | James Chen | United States | 856,000 |
| 4 | Glen Tinney | United States | 801,000 |
| 5 | David Eller | United States | 801,000 |
| 6 | Ka Kwan Lau | Hong Kong | 790,000 |
| 7 | David Morris | United Kingdom | 774,000 |
| 8 | Stephen Hubbard | United States | 750,000 |
| 9 | Frank Brannan | United States | 625,000 |
| 10 | Evan Krentzman | United States | 602,000 |
The remainder of the field is filled to the brim with top poker talent. Poker Hall of Famer Nick Schulman will enter Day 2. He made it through with an above-average stack of 336,000, while four-time bracelet winners Joao Vieira and Chad Eveslage will return with 326,000 and 314,000, respectively. Four-card aficionado Ben Lamb sits on 285,000, while Mike Matusow (122,000), Anthony Zinno (111,000), and Jeff Madsen (98,000) are among the shorter stacks looking to squeeze into the money.
Once the money has been reached, the first pay jump will take place when 63 players remain, while the eight players who make it to the final table will each secure a minimum payout of $59,001. Six-figure sums will be earned once the top six have been reached, and over half a million dollars will be awarded to the eventual champion.
$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $595,388 | 10-11 | $35,704 | |
| 2 | $396,892 | 12-15 | $28,515 | |
| 3 | $277,537 | 16-23 | $25,183 | |
| 4 | $197,139 | 24-31 | $19,195 | |
| 5 | $142,279 | 32-39 | $16,192 | |
| 6 | $140,359 | 40-47 | $13,920 | |
| 7 | $77,815 | 48-55 | $12,199 | |
| 8 | $59,001 | 56-63 | $10,904 | |
| 9 | $45,502 | 64-108 | $9,944 |
Plan for Day 2
Day 2 of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha will resume with blinds at 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 big blind ante. Each level will be 60 minutes long, and a 15-minute break is scheduled after every two levels, with a 60-minute dinner break taking place after Level 21, around 6:30 p.m. local time. Day 2 will play ten levels, after which the survivors will bag up their accumulated chips and progress to the final day of the event.
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PokerNews will be on the tournament floor in Las Vegas to report Day 2 of the $5,000 PLO live from start to finish, so keep your eyes peeled on this page as the bubble action will get underway shortly.