button in SafariWSOP Main Event Continues: Day 1c Takes Center Stage on July 4th
The most anticipated poker tournament of the year is well underway as players from around the world continue to descend on Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event No-Limit Hold'em World Championship. With the first two starting flights now complete, excitement continues to build as more hopefuls take their shot at poker’s most prestigious title on Day 1c, with the action getting underway at 11 a.m. local time.
Taking a quick look back at the previous two flights, Day 1a drew 772 entries, with 543 players surviving. Japan’s Ryuta Nakai finished at the top of the leaderboard with 323,000 after spending much of the day near the front. The first flight attracted plenty of star power, and several of those notables advanced, including Scott Seiver (177,700) and Qiang Xu (168,000).
Others weren’t as fortunate, with big names such as Adrian Mateos, Chad Eveslage, and 25K Fantasy pick Mike Moncek all falling short of a bag. Someone had to be the first to hit the rail, and this year it was Anthony Marini, who became the unfortunate first elimination of the Main Event.
More joined the field on Day 1b, adding another 1,038 entries into play and bringing the running total to 1,810, with 1,303 players finding a bag across the first two flights. With the field combined from the first two flights, the total prize pool currently stands at $16,833,000, but time will tell whether this year’s Main Event can reach 9,735 players and surpass last year’s $90,535,500 prize pool.
Of the 760 who advanced late last night, several notable names made it through to Day 2abc, including former Main Event champion Greg Raymer, who will return with just over the average stack with 122,300 chips. Defending 2025 champion Michael Mizrachi also took his seat in yesterday’s flight. He began the day a little uneasily but steadily rebuilt his stack, ultimately bagging 73,200. Four-time bracelet winner and 25K Fantasy pick Mike Matusow (48,000) also made it through, though he’ll be looking to turn things around on Day 2. Others weren’t as fortunate, including bracelet winners Kenneth Gregory and Jean Robert Bellande, who saw their hopes of winning a second WSOP bracelet in this year's Main Event come to an end after their queens got cracked by kings.
Combined Top Counts – Days 1a & 1b
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryuta Nakai | Japan | 323,000 | 404 |
| 2 | Igor Pansovoi | United States | 300,300 | 375 |
| 3 | Osmar Rockenbach | Brazil | 286,900 | 359 |
| 4 | Michael Stembera | United States | 270,300 | 338 |
| 5 | Damarjai Davenport | United States | 263,000 | 329 |
| 6 | William Watson | United States | 262,000 | 328 |
| 7 | Shawn Savage | United States | 261,500 | 327 |
| 8 | Ali Eslami | United States | 256,200 | 320 |
| 9 | Gregory Sly | Australia | 254,500 | 318 |
| 10 | Arie Kliper | Israel | 254,100 | 318 |
Ryuta Nakai, a 25K Fantasy pick, holds the overall chip lead and remains the one to catch as the Day 1 flights reach their halfway point. Ali Eslami also made the top counts and is well positioned to chase his second WSOP bracelet. Cassandra Yong posted one of the strongest Day 1b stacks but narrowly missed the combined top ten. She did find a late-night double with kings, however, coolering Gary Blackwood's aces to secure 225,000 and a seat on Day 2abc.
As the Main Event is a freezeout, each player is only allowed a single entry across all flights, meaning those who fell short will not be able to reenter over the coming days. However, with registration remaining open through the first two levels of Days 2abc and 2d, there is still plenty of time for new faces to join the chase for this year's World Championship title.
Day 1c Structure
| Level | Start | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 a.m. | 120 minutes | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| 1:00 p.m. | 20-minute break | ||||
| 2 | 1:20 p.m. | 120 minutes | 200 | 300 | 300 |
| 3:20 p.m. | 20-minute break | ||||
| 3 | 3:40 p.m. | 120 minutes | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| 5:40 p.m. | 60-minute break | ||||
| 4 | 6:40 p.m. | 120 minutes | 300 | 500 | 500 |
| 8:40 p.m. | 20-minute break | ||||
| 5 | 9 p.m. | 120 minutes | 300 | 600 | 600 |
Day 1c will follow the same structure as the opening two flights. Players begin with 60,000 chips, and each Day 1 flight plays through five 120-minute levels, with 20-minute breaks scheduled after every level. Survivors from Day 1a, Day 1b, and today’s Day 1c will return on Monday, July 6, for Day 2abc.
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Stay tuned to PokerNews as we follow all the action from Day 1c and capture the stories of the hopefuls taking their seats in the chase for the 2026 WSOP Main Event title.