button in SafariMichael Casella Leads Field of Crushers Heading into Day 3 of $1,500 Badugi
Just 10 players remain out of the initial 554 entrants in Event #8: $1,500 Badugi, with the third and final day set to get underway at 1 p.m. local time inside the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Entering Day 3 with a commanding chip lead is Michael Casella, who bagged 4,065,000 last night — nearly double the stack of his nearest challenger, 2024 WSOP Player of the Year and seven-time bracelet winner Scott Seiver (2,120,000). Australia's Gary Benson sits third in chips with 2,045,000 as the final day gets underway.
Start of Day 3 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Casella | United States | 4,065,000 | 81 |
| 2 | Scott Seiver | United States | 2,120,000 | 42 |
| 3 | Gary Benson | Australia | 2,045,000 | 41 |
| 4 | Nick Schulman | United States | 1,985,000 | 40 |
| 5 | Stephan Nussrallah | United States | 1,385,000 | 28 |
| 6 | Kyle Arora | United States | 905,000 | 18 |
| 7 | Walter Chambers | United States | 685,000 | 14 |
| 8 | Jon Turner | United States | 300,000 | 6 |
| 9 | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | 295,000 | 6 |
| 10 | Brant Hale | United States | 115,000 | 2 |
Further down the leaderboard is a who's who of poker talent, including 2025 Poker Hall of Fame inductee and seven-time bracelet winner Nick Schulman (1,985,000), five-time bracelet winner and mixed-game specialist Yuri Dzivielevski (295,000), and Jon Turner (300,000), who has amassed more than $2.4 million in WSOP cashes alone and is widely regarded as one of the best players who has yet to win a bracelet.
Each of the remaining 10 players has already locked up a guaranteed payday of $8,979 stemming from the $735,435 prize pool, but all eyes will be on the top prize of $141,963 that comes along with the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $141,963 |
| 2 | $94,607 |
| 3 | $62,920 |
| 4 | $42,815 |
| 5 | $29,824 |
| 6 | $21,279 |
| 7 | $15,560 |
| 8-9 | $11,668 |
| 10 | $8,979 |
Action is set to get underway on Level 26, which features blinds of 25,000/50,000 and limits of 50,000/100,000. Levels will remain 60 minutes each, and the plan is to continue until a winner is crowned. Play will begin in the Paris Gold section at Tables 74 and 75.
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With a star-studded field and a bracelet within reach, the battle for the title is sure to be fierce. Be sure to stick with PokerNews for all the latest updates as the action unfolds right up until a new Badugi champion is crowned.