Just a few minutes into Saturday's action, one of the most brutal coolers of the tournament sent Go Kato to the rail in a hand that looked destined to end in a chop. Instead, Lauri Saaskilahti found the only possible way to win the pot, delivering a beat that would make anyone barf up their breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If this isn't the sickest elimination of Day 6, it'll take something special to top it.
For the World Series of Poker, marathon, unedited live streams are out; tight, narrative-driven episodic television is back in.
That's according to WSOP Chief Operating Officer Gregory Chochon, who recently pulled back the curtain on the brand's ambitious blueprint for the future of poker in a featured interview published by Casinos.com.
The WSOP is radically overhauling its media strategy to recapture the attention spans of today's sports fans. How? By aggressively shifting its focus, aiming to build a media powerhouse modeled after sports leagues like the UFC.
With this as their core aim, Chochon and his team are orchestrating a massive shift in how the WSOP and poker as a whole are consumed, branded, and broadcast.
Three starting flights hosted a total of 3,083 entries to set the stage for Day 2 of Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold’em, as 923 players will return to the confines of the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas to continue their pursuit of a gold bracelet at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Hoi Lee (517,000) is at the top of the standings, followed by Alex Difelice (507,000) for second in chips, and Robert McAdam (488,000) to round out the top three, all of whom are chasing their first WSOP bracelet.
Top Ten Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Hoi Lee
Hong Kong
517,000
2585
2
Alex Difelice
United States
507,000
2535
3
Rogen Chhabra
United States
478,000
2390
4
Luis Faria
Portugal
431,000
2155
5
Agustin Naranja
Argentina
413,000
2065
6
Luis Miretti Bonetto
Argentina
410,000
2050
7
Henry Liang
United States
405,000
2025
8
Marius Gierse
Austria
402,700
2014
9
Yuxi Huang
China
399,500
1998
10
James Sileo
United States
387,500
1938
Alex Difelice
Difelice has one WSOP Circuit Ring in his cabinet as he looks to add more hardware. He has had an active summer with four cashes thus far as the Canadian looks to add another to his tally in this event.
Agustin Naranja
Agustin Naranja (413,000) is the only player in the top ten to have already achieved the feat of earning a WSOP bracelet thus far in his poker career. The Argentinian achieved this accomplishment when he won the 2025 WSOP Online $1,500 Closer event for over $380,000. Naranja will be searching for his first live bracelet when he sits down to play as sixth in chips.
Naranja isn’t the only champion left in the field, as 2014 Main Event champion Martin Jacobson (110,000) remains in the hunt. Jacobson has racked up five cashes at the 2026 WSOP as he looks to add a significant sixth cash and second WSOP title to his resume.
John Juanda
Poker Hall of Famer John Juanda (173,000) is joined by several notable champions including Maria Konnikova (298,000), Ryan Laplante, (253,200), Barry Shulman (230,500), Tyler Patterson (206,500), Niall Farrell (177,500), Michael Wilklow (175,600), Jeff Madsen (163,000), and Jonathan Little (151,000).
Shiina Okamoto
Notables who will come in with work to do include Leo Margets (60,000), Shiina Okamoto (57,500), Nicholas Seward (44,000), Brian Hastings (40,000), and Faraz Jaka (30,500), as they all return with less than 25 big blinds.
Action will resume at 12 p.m. local time with the blinds at 1,000/2,500. Late registration will remain open until the end of Level 11. Play is scheduled for ten levels with a 20-minute break after Level 11 and every two levels thereafter. A 60-minute break is scheduled after Level 16 at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time.
Stay tuned here at PokerNews for coverage of Day 2 of Event #89: 3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold'em held at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.