button in SafariFinal Seven Set in Event #73; Markus Gonsalves Leads Bracelet Chase
The intensity ramped up on Day 3 of Event #78: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em at the 2026 World Series of Poker inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Of the 60 players who returned to the felt, only seven survived the day's gruelling action to earn a spot at the unofficial final table.
The event attracted 1,402 entries, creating a prize pool of $6,449,200. With $979,655 awaiting the eventual champion, along with the coveted WSOP gold bracelet, every pot carried enormous significance. Each of the seven remaining players is guaranteed $130,287.
The field remained stacked with accomplished professionals, including several players chasing additional WSOP bracelets, while numerous competitors were also battling for valuable 25K Fantasy Draft points. The combination of prestigious hardware, nearly a million-dollar first prize, and fantasy implications made for an action-packed day from start to finish.
Markus Gonsalves ended the day atop the chip counts with a commanding stack of 17,150,000. One of the pivotal moments of his run came when his pocket kings held against the pocket jacks of Daniel Smiljkovic. He continued to build throughout the evening, adding significantly to his stack after winning a key pot against Canadian Patros Behnam.
Sitting second in chips is Xiaoyao Ma with 11,200,000. Ma spent much of the day near the top of the leaderboard and enters the final day in prime position to challenge for the title. According to The Hendon Mob, he has more than $700,000 in live tournament earnings. One of Ma's biggest hands came when he filled up to eliminate Erik Eisen.
Rounding out the top three is Lithuania's Dominykas Mikolaitis (8,150,000). The online specialist-turned-high-stakes regular has established himself as one of poker's rising stars and will look to convert his healthy stack into his first WSOP bracelet.
The 25K Fantasy Draft community will also have its eyes on Daniel Rezaei, who returns with a middle-of-the-pack stack. Despite sitting below the chip leaders, the Austrian pro brings more than $14 million in live tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, and has the experience to make a serious run at the title.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeremy Izquierdo | France | 7,750,000 | 31 |
| 2 | Daniel Rezaei | Austria | 5,775,000 | 23 |
| 3 | Markus Gonsalves | United States | 17,150,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Oliver Weis | Germany | 13,400,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Joshua Boulton | United Kingdom | 6,675,000 | 27 |
| 6 | Xiaoyao Ma | United States | 11,200,000 | 45 |
| 7 | Dominykas Mikolaitis | Lithuania | 8,150,000 | 33 |
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $979,655 |
| 2 | $653,037 |
| 3 | $460,256 |
| 4 | $328,810 |
| 5 | $238,152 |
| 6 | $174,909 |
| 7 | $130,287 |
Start-of-day chip leader Roeland Peeks was unable to maintain his momentum, bowing out in 27th place for $37,196.
Several bracelet winners also made deep runs but came up short in their pursuit of another WSOP title, including Paulius Vaitiekunas ($46,385) and JC Tran ($30,292).
Other notable players to cash included 25K Fantasy Draft selections and bracelet winners Andrew Lichtenberger ($58,729), Brek Schutten ($46,385), Josh Arieh ($25,058), and Dario Sammartino ($25,058).
Additional 25K Fantasy Draft and ODB selections who added valuable points for their teams were Gabriel Andrade ($46,385), Jon Kyte ($46,385), Zackary Estes ($21,062), and Christian Harder ($15,623).
Rounding out the notable finishers was the last woman standing, Angelina Rich, who also earned $37,196 for her impressive run.
The remaining seven players will return at 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, July 1st, at Level 30 with blinds at 100,000/250,000 and a 250,000 big blind ante for 12:59 minutes. Breaks are to be determined. The stream will start at 3:30 p.m., and PokerNews will report on a delay.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage as the live reporting team follows the event through to the crowning of a champion.