button in SafariChino Rheem Bags the Lead in Day 1 of $25k H.O.R.S.E. High Roller
Stud Games: 1,500 Ante, 2,000 Bring-In, 6,000 Completion, 6,000-12,000 Limits
While the 2026 World Series of Poker is winding down, with the Main Event down to its final nine and many tables inside the Paris Ballroom already being prepped for storage, there is still plenty of action left to be had over the next couple of days.
A total of 109 entrants took their seats for Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E., the last high roller on the schedule. By the time the final card was dealt on Day 1, just 64 players remained, with Chino Rheem leading the way after bagging 641,000.
Rheem, who boasts over $20 million in tournament earnings, has had several cashes this summer, with his biggest result being a runner-up finish in Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em. Rheem is still looking for his elusive first gold bracelet, but currently sits in pole position to make another run at a final table. Sitting hot on his heels is Arthur Morris with 638,000, and rounding out the podium spots is Patrick Stacey with 552,000.
End of Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chino Rheem | United States | 641,000 | 40 |
| 2 | Arthur Morris | United States | 638,000 | 40 |
| 3 | Patrick Stacey | Canada | 552,000 | 35 |
| 4 | Jeff Madsen | United States | 487,000 | 30 |
| 5 | Allan Le | United States | 475,000 | 30 |
| 6 | Jason Mercier | United States | 430,000 | 27 |
| 7 | Ashish Gupta | Australia | 409,000 | 26 |
| 8 | Ali Eslami | United States | 392,000 | 25 |
| 9 | Mike Leah | Canada | 391,000 | 24 |
| 10 | Eli Elezra | Israel | 389,000 | 24 |
Day 1 Highlights
After being eliminated in 15th place in the Main Event, Shaun Deeb took less than 10 minutes to register for the event and took his seat a while after. Deeb busted his first bullet in a hand of Stud against Daniel Negreanu, but immediately reentered and ran up his stack, thanks in part to a hand of Stud where he made a higher straight against Joe Hachem. Deeb continued to run well and ended the day with a healthy stack of 370,000 as he looks to add more WSOP Player of the Year points to his scoreboard.
Caitlin Comeskey, who has been having a stellar summer with a deep run in the Main Event and final table appearances in both the Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship and Ladies Championship, was among the first entrants. Unfortunately for Comeskey, she was unable to gain any momentum and was the first player eliminated after falling to Ashish Gupta in a round of Stud.
Other players who busted and opted not to reenter included Allen Kessler, Anthony Zinno, Matt Glantz, Jordan Siegel, Michael Mizrachi, Andrew Kelsall, James Obst, Luke Schwartz, Hachem, and Ren Lin after a couple of Hold'em hands didn't go his way.
James Joiner busted two bullets, and while Jesse "The Gorilla" Lonis came close to being eliminated twice, he managed to rally his second bullet from a mere 6,500 to a still short, but more workable 43,000 by the end of play.
Other notables who will bring big stacks to battle with on the felt for Day 2 include Eli Elezra (380,000), Naoya Kihara (383,000), Phillip Hui (369,000), Ryutaro Suzuki (364,000), Alex Foxen (347,000), and Negreanu with a well above-average 345,000.
Players will return tomorrow for Day 2 at 1 p.m. local time to play an additional 10 hour-long levels. Action will resume on Level 11, which features 8,000/16,000 betting limits.
Late registration will remain open until the start of Level 13 (~3:15 p.m. local time), and an extended 60-minute dinner break will be held at the end of Level 16 (7:30 p.m.). The tournament allows one reentry, so any player who busted one bullet today may choose to get back in before late registration closes.
With a star-studded field remaining and plenty more expected to join tomorrow, the action is just getting warmed up in this final high roller of the summer. For all the latest, be sure to stick with PokerNews as the field gets one step closer to crowning the next H.O.R.S.E. champion!