button in SafariGiorgiy Skhulukhiya Among the Big Stacks For Final Day of $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
The final day of Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em kicks off at 1 p.m. local time at the 2026 World Series of Poker, with only 72 players returning to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. After 20 levels on Day 1, the field has been trimmed from 884 entries, and every remaining player has already made a few pay jumps. However, the focus for those returning will be the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and the $695,256 first-place prize.
Australia's Josh Norvock returns as the overnight chip leader after bagging 1,530,000 at the end of Day 1. The Australian leads a field battling for a share of the $4,066,400 prize pool, with Georgia's Giorgiy Skhulukhiya close behind in second on 1,450,000, while Adam Hendrix rounds out the top three with 1,285,000.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Norvock | Australia | 1,530,000 | 61 |
| 2 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Georgia | 1,450,000 | 58 |
| 3 | Adam Hendrix | United States | 1,285,000 | 51 |
| 4 | Jimmy Guerrero | France | 1,160,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Cliff Josephy | United States | 1,100,000 | 44 |
| 6 | Nick Guagenti | United States | 1,100,000 | 44 |
| 7 | Joseph Cheong | United States | 1,090,000 | 44 |
| 8 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | 950,000 | 38 |
| 9 | Keith Lehr | United States | 910,000 | 36 |
| 10 | Leo Margets | Spain | 850,000 | 34 |
There is no shortage of talent returning to the felt. Bracelet winners Cliff Josephy (1,100,000), Nick Guagenti (1,100,000), Joseph Cheong (1,090,000), all-time bracelet leader Phil Hellmuth (950,000), Keith Lehr (910,000), and Leo Margets (850,000) all find themselves among the top ten. This series' $25,000 Six-Max champion Artur Martirosian (815,000), seven-time bracelet winner Brian Rast (785,000), David Peters (765,000), fresh off winning his sixth WSOP bracelet just a day ago, and bracelet winner Darren Rabinowitz (810,000) are also still firmly in the mix.
Four-time bracelet winner Sam Soverel (155,000), Poker Hall of Famer Jennifer Harman (187,000), Brad Owen (460,000), Ren Lin (545,000), and Sean Winter (131,000) remain in contention as they chase one of the final bracelets of the summer.
Cards will be back in the air at 1 p.m. local time on Level 21 with blinds of 10,000/25,000 and a 25,000 big blind ante. The remaining 72 players are all guaranteed at least $10,594, but every one of them will have their eyes set on the $695,256 top prize and WSOP bracelet. Levels will continue to last 30 minutes until a champion is crowned, with 15-minute breaks scheduled every four levels.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $695,256 | 12 -15 | $33,928 |
| 2 | $464,286 | 16 -23 | $27,537 |
| 3 | $326,136 | 24 -31 | $22,742 |
| 4 | $232,570 | 32 -39 | $19,118 |
| 5 | $168,402 | 40 -47 | $16,364 |
| 6 | $123,846 | 48 -55 | $14,267 |
| 7 | $92,527 | 56 -63 | $12,674 |
| 8 | $70,245 | 64 -71 | $11,475 |
| 9 | $54,204 | 72 | $10,594 |
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The 2026 World Series of Poker is almost in the books, but there's still one more champion to be crowned. Stay tuned to PokerNews for live coverage until the final card is dealt.