button in SafariMaria Konnikova Bags a Big Stack on Day 1b of the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship
The second of three flights in Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold'em at the 2026 World Series of Poker has concluded, with 263 of the 951 starters navigating their way through 10 levels. A whole host of stars bagged up chips at the close of play, including Maria Konnikova.
According to the WSOP LIVE app, Konnikova finished Day 1b with 298,000 chips, enough for 22nd place, or the top 8% of the field. Konnikova won an online bracelet in 2024 and is now one step closer to adding a live bracelet to her collection.
Portugal's Luis Faria (431,000) is the apparent chip leader, with Augustin Naranja (413,000), and Yuxi Huang (399,500) hot on his heels.
Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold'em Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Faria | Portugal | 431,000 | 172 |
| 2 | Agustin Naranja | Argentina | 413,000 | 165 |
| 3 | Yuxi Huang | China | 399,500 | 160 |
| 4 | James Sileo | United States | 387,500 | 155 |
| 5 | Daemon Richardson | United States | 387,000 | 155 |
| 6 | Tom Kunze | Germany | 367,000 | 147 |
| 7 | Maher Achour | Turkey | 355,500 | 142 |
| 8 | Robert Nemeskeri-Kiss | United States | 344,500 | 138 |
| 9 | Lucas Cortijo | Argentina | 343,000 | 137 |
| 10 | Laith Sheena | United Kingdom | 342,000 | 137 |
The 2014 WSOP Main Event champion Martin Jacobson (110,000) made it through to Day 2, as did the likes of Barry Shulman (230,500), Niall Farrell (177,500), Brandon Sheils (168,500), Jonathan Little (151,000), Upeshka De Silva (98,000), Michael Gathy (90,000), Faraz Jaka (30,500), and the short-stacked four-time bracelet winner Georgios Sotiropoulos (18,000).
Day 1c is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. local time on July 10, and it should be a super busy flight. Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates from the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas.