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At 1 p.m. local time, the remaining 312 players out of a massive 1,736-entry field will return to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for Day 2 of Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, one of the biggest mid-stakes fields of the 2026 World Series of Poker with just one starting flight.The huge turnout created a prize pool of $3,862,600, with 261 players set to make the money and lock up at least $5,005, meaning the money bubble is now just around the corner. At the top, a first-place prize of $555,198 is waiting for the eventual winner.
After fifteen levels of play on Day 1, it is Slovenian Blaz Zerjav who sits at the top of the chip counts with 893,000. Zerjav, a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, already added two bracelets to his collection last summer, including a win in the $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed for $1,734,717.
Right behind Zerjav is Argentina’s Gonzalo Lopez with 873,000, while fellow countryman Leonidas Arpino rounds out the top three with 787,000. Rachid Amamou (723,000) and Koki Koyanagi (716,000) complete the top five as the chase for the bracelet continues.
Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blaz Zerjav | Slovenia | 893,000 | 149 |
| 2 | Gonzalo Lopez | Argentina | 873,000 | 146 |
| 3 | Leonidas Arpino | Argentina | 787,000 | 131 |
| 4 | Rachid Amamou | Switzerland | 723,000 | 121 |
| 5 | Koki Koyanagi | Japan | 716,000 | 119 |
| 6 | Agharazi Babayev | Azerbaijan | 675,000 | 113 |
| 7 | Ozgur Arda | Turkey | 660,000 | 110 |
| 8 | Mauro Ferreira | Portugal | 641,000 | 107 |
| 9 | Henry Ihrig | United States | 588,000 | 98 |
| 10 | Zachary Donovan | United States | 549,000 | 92 |
Plenty of well-known names are still in the field for Day 2, including Piotr Krupa (431,000), Myles Mullaly (358,000) Roman Hrabec (346,000), Artur Martirosian (285,000), Aaron Kupin (282,000), Martin Jacobson (244,000), Martin Kabrhel (217,000), Leo Margets (166,000), Matthew Wantman (147,000), Calvin Anderson (119,000), Chad Eveslage (108,000), Maria Konnikova (98,000), and Aleksejs Ponakovs (92,000).
Action will resume in Level 16 with blinds at 3,000/6,000 and a 6,000 big blind ante. Ten one-hour levels are scheduled for the day, with a 20-minute break every two levels and an expected 60-minute dinner break after Level 23. With the money bubble getting close and a deep run now within reach, Day 2 promises plenty of action
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Stay tuned to PokerNews as the live reporting team will be on the floor to bring you all the action from Day 2 of this stacked $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em event.
