button in SafariBenny Glaser Looking to Cement Legacy as Bubble Expected to Burst on Day 3 of $50K PPC
With eight bracelets won in a decade, UK mixed-game wizard Benny Glaser is one of the most successful players in recent WSOP history. One thing eludes him still, however, taking down the crown jewel of all mixed-game events: the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Glaser came close to being awarded the Chip Reese Memorial trophy with a fourth-place finish in 2022, but four years later, he is on his way to a shot at redemption as he returns second in chips for the third day of the event.
The most prestigious mixed-game event at the 2026 World Series of Poker, and on the poker calendar in general, attracted a field of 108 entries to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas this year. After two long days of freezeout action, only 39 players remain, who will return at 1 p.m. local time to continue battling in the nine different games.
Historically, Day 3 of the Poker Players Championship is where the money is reached, usually late in the day. This time around, the $5,130,000 prize pool will be divided among the top 17 finishers, meaning 21 players will have to depart empty-handed today. Glaser will more likely be focused on the $1,343,764 top prize, however, with only Kristopher Tong ahead of him on the leaderboard.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kristopher Tong | United States | 2,428,000 |
| 2 | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | 2,286,000 |
| 3 | Maxx Coleman | United States | 1,917,000 |
| 4 | Chris Hunichen | United States | 1,670,000 |
| 5 | Matt Glantz | United States | 1,480,000 |
| 6 | Chris Brewer | United States | 1,253,000 |
| 7 | Yosuke Miki | Japan | 1,127,000 |
| 8 | Maksim Pisarenko | Russian Federation | 1,083,000 |
| 9 | Alex Livingston | Canada | 1,060,000 |
| 10 | Ryan Miller | United States | 968,000 |
Seventeen-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth will bring an above-average stack of 900,000 into Day 3, while fellow Hall of Famer Phil Ivey (694,000) is eyeing his 12th-ever bracelet. Fellow poker boom icon Gus Hansen sits just below Ivey with 632,000 in chips, while all-time money leader Bryn Kenney (335,000) still has a shot at redemption for last year's runner-up finish.
Meanwhile, it is looking bleak for three-time PPC champion Brian Rast. He will return at the very bottom of the counts with 107,000 today, just over one-third of a starting stack, and will have to perform a spin-up for the ages if he wants to tie Michael Mizrachi for the most-ever PPC victories.
Day 3 will continue with the limits for fixed-limit games at 20,000/40,000, while the blinds in pot-limit and no-limit games will be at 5,000/10,000. Day 3 will play six more levels of 100 minutes each, with a short break after every level. A 60-minute dinner break is planned after the third level of the day, around 6:30 p.m. local time.
All 17 players who reach the money will be awarded at least a six-figure sum, as the minimum cash amounts to $100,934. The payouts then gradually increase, with the final table of seven each being guaranteed $176,732. The top three will walk away with at least $600,698, while the only seven-figure payout is reserved for the eventual champion.
Poker Players Championship Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,343,764 | 7 | $176,732 |
| 2 | $895,837 | 8-9 | $144,054 |
| 3 | $600,698 | 10-11 | $122,709 |
| 4 | $417,607 | 12-14 | $109,459 |
| 5 | $301,405 | 15-16 | $102,474 |
| 6 | $226,172 | 17 | $100,934 |
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PokerNews will continue its extensive live report of the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship on Day 3, so stay tuned as the cards will be sent flying shortly.