button in SafariNaoya Kihara Eyes Third Bracelet of Series With Huge Chip Lead in $2,500 Mixed Big Bet
PLO - PLO 8 - Big O - PLTD: 10,000-20,000, 20,000 Ante
No-Limit Hold’em: 10,000-20,000, 30,000 Ante
Japan's incredible 2026 World Series of Poker continues to gather pace, and once again it's Naoya Kihara leading the charge.
Already a two-time bracelet winner this summer after taking down a pair of $10,000 Championship events, Kihara finished Day 2 of Event #71: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet with a commanding 2,560,000 chips, nearly double the stack of his closest challenger.
The 99 returning players were trimmed to just 13 after ten levels of play, leaving Kihara within touching distance of a third bracelet of the series.
He won't be flying the flag alone. Fellow Japanese players Hiroyuki Noda (937,000) and Ryuta Nakai (592,000) also advanced to the final day, giving Japan three representatives in the hunt for the title.
Several accomplished bracelet winners remain in contention, including Matt Vengrin (1,331,000), Renan Bruschi (1,152,000), Steve Billirakis (1,097,000), and Scott Abrams (619,000). Popular poker vlogger Brad Owen (800,000) is also still in the mix, alongside Dylan Smith (1,314,000), Nicholas Marchington (1,287,000), Danny Chang (892,000), Woody Deck (703,000), and Steve Chanthabouasy (230,000).
$2,500 Mixed Big Bet Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | 2,560,000 |
| 2 | Matt Vengrin | United States | 1,331,000 |
| 3 | Dylan Smith | United States | 1,314,000 |
| 4 | Nicholas Marchington | United Kingdom | 1,287,000 |
| 5 | Renan Bruschi | Brazil | 1,152,000 |
| 6 | Steve Billirakis | United States | 1,097,000 |
| 7 | Hiroyuki Noda | Japan | 937,000 |
| 8 | Danny Chang | United States | 892,000 |
| 9 | Brad Owen | United States | 800,000 |
| 10 | Woody Deck | United States | 703,000 |
| 11 | Scott Abrams | United States | 619,000 |
| 12 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | 592,000 |
| 13 | Steve Chanthabouasy | United States | 230,000 |
Racener & Obst Depart on the Bubble
The day's first objective was reaching the money, with 58 places paid. Among the notable casualties before the bubble burst were Chance Kornuth, Biao Ding, and Cary Katz.
On the soft bubble, multi-tabling John Racener saw his stack reduced to just 15,000 and was forced all in. Benjamin Miner and Billirakis split his chips in a hand of Pot-Limit Five Card Double Draw, leaving Racener to narrowly miss out on a cash.
Australia's James Obst was the unfortunate stone bubble after running a straight into a bigger straight against Joshua Mullins, ensuring the remaining 58 players locked up at least a min-cash.
With the money secured, the focus shifted to surviving to the final day. Several high-profile names fell short of the final 13, including Dan Smith, Robert Mizrachi, Mike Matusow, Nacho Barbero, and Patrick Leonard.
Matthew Schreiber's elimination in 15th reduced the field to the final two tables, and after Carol Fuchs exited in 14th place, tournament staff bagged and tagged the remaining contenders for the overnight break.
Remaining Payouts
The tournament generated an $858,850 prize pool, with all 13 remaining players guaranteed at least $9,456. Awaiting the eventual champion is the WSOP gold bracelet and the top prize of $182,591.
Play resumes at 1 p.m. local time inside the Paris Ballroom, where the final 13 will battle for the bracelet and the $182,591 top prize.
They will return to 15,000/30,000 blinds with a 45,000 ante in Pot-Limit Five Card Double Draw and No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw. In Pot-Limit Omaha, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Big O, and Pot-Limit Triple Draw, the blinds will be 12,000/24,000 with a 24,000 ante, while No-Limit Hold'em will resume at 12,000/24,000 with a 36,000 ante.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as the event plays down to a winner at the 2026 WSOP.