button in SafariJolnar Teliani Bags the Chip Lead on Day 1b of the $300 Gladiators of Poker
Day 1b of Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker at the 2026 World Series of Poker saw another 2,174 players buy in, but after the completion of 22 fast-paced levels, only 65 of those who started with high hopes advanced to Day 2.
Topping the chip counts at the close of play was none other than Canada's Jolnar Teliani (3,265,000), who has done her chances of joining the exclusive club of a female champion of an open World Series of Poker (WSOP) event no harm at all. Teliani has three victories in low-stakes events so far in 2026; can she make it four?
Kevin Theodore (2,900,000) and Sumit Kumar (2,855,000) are the pair of grinders who rounded off the podium places.
Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jolnar Teliani | Canada | 3,265,000 | 65 |
| 2 | Kevin Theodore | United States | 2,900,000 | 58 |
| 3 | Sumit Kumar | United States | 2,855,000 | 57 |
| 4 | Thomas Tran | United States | 2,265,000 | 45 |
| 5 | Sean Bloom | South Africa | 2,110,000 | 42 |
| 6 | Gaetan Balleur | France | 2,090,000 | 42 |
| 7 | Justin Arnwine | United States | 2,060,000 | 41 |
| 8 | Jean-Paul Drayton | United States | 1,825,000 | 37 |
| 9 | Noah Harthcock | United States | 1,815,000 | 36 |
| 10 | Mark Roland | United States | 1,810,000 | 36 |
Sean Bloom (2,110,000) also progressed with a big stack. Only this week, Adriaan Jacobs became the fourth South African to win a WSOP bracelet. Perhaps Bloom can become the fifth?
Justin Arnwine (2,060,000) also finished in the top 10 of the Day 1b chip counts as he hunts down his first gold bracelet.
Day 1c shuffles up and deals at 10:00 a.m. local time on July 10, with those entrants hoping to make it through 22 levels. Join PokerNews for updates from the 2026 WSOP at the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas.