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Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Cards are in the air on Day 2 of the Mini Main Event.
2026 World Series of Poker
Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event
Day: 2
Players Left 3 / 12,560
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Final Table
Level: 23
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 40,000
After three massive Day 1 flights, the field in Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event has combined for the first time as players return for Day 2 of one of the most popular tournaments on the WSOP schedule. A total of 12,560 entries were recorded across Day 1a, 1b, and 1c, generating a prize pool of $11,052,800 and smashing last year’s turnout of 10,794 runners here at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
All remaining players have already secured a payout after 1,500 players made the money. Only 934 players return for Day 2, with each flight contributing its share of survivors:
• Day 1a: 193 of 2,599 advanced
• Day 1b: 295 of 4,053 advanced
• Day 1c: 446 of 5,908 advanced
Karim Ghozlani sits atop of the counts heading into Day 2 after soaring through the Day 1b field. Ghozlani has already locked up another deep run this summer following his performance in the $1,500 No‑Limit Hold’em Millionaire Maker (Bracelet Event #50), where he finished 22nd for $60,600 after wading his way through a nearly identical 11,769‑entry field size.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karim Ghozlani | Switzerland | 3,750,000 | 94 |
| 2 | Tor Skardi | Faroe Islands | 3,740,000 | 94 |
| 3 | Mohammad Habib Nia | United States | 3,650,000 | 91 |
| 4 | Soojo Kim | Korea, Republic of | 3,585,000 | 90 |
| 5 | Bartlomiej Kijak | Poland | 3,430,000 | 86 |
| 6 | Travis Taylor | United States | 3,285,000 | 82 |
| 7 | Maksim Petrov | Estonia | 3,215,000 | 80 |
| 8 | Ross Atkinson | United Kingdom | 2,965,000 | 74 |
| 9 | Amadeusz Roslik | Poland | 2,925,000 | 73 |
| 10 | Matas Kacinskas | Lithuania | 2,895,000 | 72 |
Tor Skardi is making the most of his first WSOP cash, and his first recorded result outside of Europe. Skardi has only been on the tournament scene since 2024, yet he returns for Day 2 sitting second in chips with 3,740,000, just 10,000 behind the overall leader. Little is known about the poker history of Mohammad Habib Nia, with only limited results recorded to his name, but the American player has maneuvered his way into Day 2 and put himself in a good position to run deep in this years WSOP Mini Main Event.
A strong lineup of WSOP bracelet winners also made it through the opening flights. Pedro Neves leads the group with 2,235,000, followed by Mark Seif (1,590,000), Michael Moncek (1,535,000), and Niall Farrell (1,400,000). All four return with healthy stacks, and plenty of experience navigating deep WSOP fields.
Across the 14 fantasy picks who bagged chips, its Moncek who leads the group, followed closely by Matthew Beinner (1,370,000) and Zdenek Zizka (1,225,000), who both crossed the seven‑figure mark. Jim Collopy (1,220,000) and Stephen Song (895,000) round out the top five, keeping the fantasy roster well‑represented heading into the next stage of play.
The next payout is set at $2,550 and each elimination will be key for players looking to work their way towards the final table which is due to be reached later tonight. The six figure payout will be reached at 9th place, for those who make it to the official final table. First place prize will make one player a millionaire, as they will take home $1,000,000.
Action resumes at 11:00 a.m. local time, with blinds restarting at Level 23: 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 big blind ante. Play will continue until just five players remain. A 15‑minute break will occur every two levels, and a 60‑minute dinner break is scheduled after Level 34 at approximately 5:30 p.m.
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Stay with the PokerNews live feed for every key moment, eliminations, and chip swing as the Mini Main Event marches toward its final table.
Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event
Day 2 Started
