Jesse Lonis raised on the button and was called by Chance Kornuth in the small blind and Patrick Stacey in the big blind.
It was a fair fight as all three players drew two cards. Stacey led from the big blind, Lonis raised, Kornuth folded, and Stacey called.
Stacey took one and check-called a bet while Lonis stood pat.
On the final draw, Stacey took one again and checked, and Lonis checked behind. However, Stacey would table 7x5x4x3x2x for the wheel, but Lonis was able to save a bet.
It what has been a frustrating round for Lonis, he joked, "I might go broke just playing Triple Draw," as his starting stack takes a hit.
The very next hand, Gershon Distenfeld raised in the hijack, Lonis three-bet from the cutoff, Viktor Blom cold-called in the small blind, and Distenfeld came along as well.
Blom drew two, Distenfeld one, and Lonis two, and the action checked through.
The same drawing sequence occurred on the second round as Distenfeld bet, Lonis raised, Blom folded, and Distenfeld called.
On the final draw, Distenfeld took one and Lonis stood pat, before Distenfeld checked in the dark.
Lonis put out a final bet, Distenfeld peeled his final card and immediately announced a raise. Over a minute would roll off the clock before Lonis mucked his hand, and his brutal start continues.
Aaron Kupin: XxXx / 2♣5♥6♦
David Benyamine: XxXx / 2♠8♠4♥folded on fifth street
Scott Seiver: XxXx / K♠3♣6♣folded on fifth street
Aaron Kupin was the bring-in the previous hand and folded when David Benyamine completed. He happened to be the bring-in again and Benyamine completed, but this time Scott Seiver raised for Kupin to call and Benyamine to come along.
On fourth street, Seiver checked and Kupin bet to pick up two calls. Seiver also checked fifth and Kupin bet once more, then forced two folds to claim the pot.
Jason Kluska won the first pot when he raised and everybody on his table folded. Up next, Daniel Negreanu was the preflop raiser and found callers in Kluska and Chris Brewer. The action was joined after the first draw when Negreanu bet and received two callers.
Each of them took one card and Negreanu joked "ah, everyone has caught up". His bet was called twice once more and Negreanu then patted while both Kluska and Brewer took one. Negreanu bet and won the pot uncontested.
The cards are in the air with 12 players registered and spread across two tables, though, that number will certainly increase over the next few hours. The button is in seat four and 2-7 Triple Draw is the first game variant.
Now in its 16th edition, the PPC has become one of the most coveted titles in the game, with only the WSOP Main Event rivaling it in prestige for many of poker's elite.
Over five days, a field packed with mixed-game specialists and Hall of Famers will battle across nine disciplines in pursuit of the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy and a place alongside some of the game's greatest champions.
One of the most prestigious titles of the 2026 World Series of Poker will once again be contested in Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship, a five-day marathon that perennially attracts the top names in the game to Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
The tournament features seven-handed play, rotating through nine poker variants to determine an all-around champion. The games include No-Limit Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Pot-Limit Omaha, Limit Hold’em, No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw.
📌 Event Snapshot
Event: #60 - $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Date(s): June 21-25
Time: 2 p.m. local time
Buy-In: $50,000
Format: Nine-game mix
Late Registration: 9 Levels (approx. 7:30 p.m. on Day 2)
Reentry: No reentry
Starting Stack: 300,000 chips
Levels: 100 minutes
2025 Winner:Michael Mizrachi – $1,331,322
2025 Field Size: 107 entries
2025 Prize Pool: $5,082,500
Structure and Schedule
The first three days will see players navigate six levels of action, with 15-minute breaks following each 100-minute level. Day 4 will narrow the field to the final five players, with Day 5 determining the champion.
Players begin with 300,000 chips and late registration remains open until the start of Level 10, approximately 7:30 p.m. on Day 2. At that time, the starting stack will represent 25 big blinds in the big-bet games and 12.5 big bets in the limit games.
Past Champions & Notable Winners
In 2025, Michael Mizrachi captured his historic fourth title in this event, conquering the field of 107 entries to earn $1,331,322. Mizrachi previously won the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy in 2010, 2012, and 2018, capturing his seventh WSOP bracelet last year before adding another in the 2025 WSOP Main Event.
One year earlier, Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu ended an 11-year bracelet drought by winning this prestigious event in 2024. Negreanu took home $1,178,703 and a seventh bracelet, his first since 2013.
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