button in Safari66 Players Advance from Gladiators of Poker Day 1a
It's the lowest buy-in of the 2026 World Series of Poker, but that didn't stop 1,810 players jumping into the action on Day 1a of Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker.
After 22 levels, just 66 players remain, with Jose Cayetano the only player above two million in chips.
Cayetano has picked up two cashes at the WSOP this year — in the$2,500 NLHE and $800 Summer Celebration — and he can look forward to Day 2 on Sunday after bagging the overall chip lead.
Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jose Cayetano | United States | 2,350,000 | 59 |
| 2 | Yunkyu Song | United States | 1,860,000 | 47 |
| 3 | Brandon Schwartz | United States | 1,720,000 | 43 |
| 4 | Keith Schiller | United States | 1,615,000 | 40 |
| 5 | Thong Nguyen | United States | 1,610,000 | 40 |
| 6 | Luis Genel | United States | 1,550,000 | 39 |
| 7 | Maksim Kniter | Canada | 1,440,000 | 36 |
| 8 | Moshe Manzur | United States | 1,400,000 | 35 |
| 9 | Ronald Glenn | United States | 1,390,000 | 35 |
| 10 | Rodrigo Portaleoni | Brazil | 1,370,000 | 34 |
Other notables through to Day 2 include Andreas Froehli (1,085,000) and bracelet winners Thong Do (960,000), Ben Yu (750,000) and Andrew Brown (375,400).
The second of four starting flights gets underway on Thursday at 10 a.m. with play concluding once the field has reached its final 15 percent or 22 levels have been completed, whichever comes first.
There will be 30-minute levels on Day 1. Breaks (20 minutes) on Day 1 will occur every four levels, and a 75-minute dinner break is planned for after Level 15 (approximately 6:30 p.m.).
PokerNews live reporting on this event will commence from Day 2 (Sunday July 12) until a winner is crowned the following day at the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas.