2026 World Series of Poker

Day: 3
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$9,793,560
Total Entries
3,668
Players Left
10
Average Chip Stack
14,672,000
Total Chips
146,720,000
Next Payout
Place 10
$91,740
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
167
Players Left
16
Players Left 10 / 3,668
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Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold'em

Day 3 Completed

Yanting Jiang Celebrates Birthday by Leading the Final 16 in $3,000 Mid‑Stakes Championship

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Yanting Jiang
Yanting Jiang

Day 3 of Event #89: $3,000 Mid Stakes Championship has concluded after a full day of action at the the 2026 World Series of Poker, running at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The day began with 167 players, but after 10 hours of play, just 16 players remain from the massive 3,668 entry field.

As the night drew in, it was Yangting Jiang who separated herself from the rest of the pack. She steadily battled her way through the field after returning in 116th place at the start of play to bag for the final day for 30,925,000, almost double the next chip-leading stack.

Jiang’s climb began halfway through the day after she found a rivered value spot against Punnat Punsri. She continued her momentum by eliminating bracelet winner Michal Schuh and later rivered a flush to leave Marius Gierse on fumes , which ultimately led to his elimination in 18th place .

Yanting Jiang
Yanting Jiang

When PokerNews congratulated Jiang on bagging the chip lead at the end of the night, she smiled and said, “Thank you, It’s my birthday,” and implied some of the triumphant moments of the day may have something to do with some birthday luck.

Jiang will return well ahead of the pack, but next line is Chahn Jung (16,500,000), who surged late after eliminating Kyle Dishongh. Peter Yang also spent much of the day near the top of the counts, applying pressure and collecting pots without showdown, including a shove into William Smith, before his stack rocketed after eliminating Eric Tsai during Level 29.

Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Yanting JiangUnited States30,925,000124
2Chahn JungUnited States16,500,00066
3Peter YangUnited States16,075,00064
4Maurice HawkinsUnited States12,700,00051
5Punnat PunsriThailand11,400,00046
6Roberto RomanelloUnited Kingdom11,300,00045
7Mark NewhouseUnited States7,900,00032
8Luis YepezVenezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)7,150,00029
9Darius SamualUnited Kingdom6,350,00025
10Michael RoccoUnited States6,000,00024

There was a quick pace throughout the whole day as several stars fell early, with Dylan Linde, Ryan Leng, and John Juanda all hitting the rail in the opening levels. Bracelet winners were also in the mix early, and the “battle of the bracelets” saw the start of the day chip leader Mitchell Hynam get his stack in against Darius Samuels’ ace-king with pocket sixes. Four-time bracelet winner Upeshka De Silva also saw his run end after getting ace-jack in against Michael Rocco’s pocket nines and failing to improve.

Matteo Ferrara had an up and down day, losing a significant pot with pocket sevens, but scooping some back after picking up aces and eliminating Ilan Boujenah. However, his run ultimately ended just before the dinner break when he was rivered by a better full house .

Michael Rocco
Michael Rocco

One of the standout stories of the day was the rise of Michael Rocco, who built steadily from the start. He made some good calls and found himself on the right side of multiple flips, including eliminating John Pannucci. He climbed into the chip lead after Ferrara’s elimination and later scooped even more after calling off a shove from He Zhou. Rocco’s resurgence comes after stepping away from poker to focus on farming, a story he shared earlier this summer. He ended the night taking a small tumble in chips and sits in the middle of the pack, returning to Day 4 with 6,000,000 to play with.

Eric Tsai and Punnat Punsri (11,400,000) clashed repeatedly throughout the day, with Tsai winning the first battle without showdown before securing a full double up . Punsri made it through the day and is the only $25K Fantasy pick left in the running. Fellow draft player Justin Saliba had a good run but but was eliminated in the first hand back from the final break of the day when his ace king was cracked by Yoon Choi’s suited ace ten on a club heavy runout .

Punnat Punsri
Punnat Punsri

After a flurry of late eliminations, Wooram Cho narrowly missed the final two tables. He got his last two million chips in with queen-jack against Luis Yepez’s pocket jacks and failed to improve, finishing in 17th place for $47,045.

The remaining players have locked up a guaranteed $58,298, with $1,159,182 awaiting the winner.

Remaining Payouts

PlacePrizePlacePrize
1$1,159,1829$116,485
2$772,58010$91,740
3$576,09911$91,740
4$432,87512$72,835
5$327,76713$72,835
6$250,11014$58,298
7$192,34715$58,298
8$149,09316$58,298
10 -11$91,74099-152$9,985
12-13$72,835153-167$8,779
14-17$58,298  

With all the players bagged and tagged, the final day will see action resume on Monday, July 13 at 12 p.m. noon, beginning at Level 31 with 100,000/250,000 blinds and a 250,000 big blind ante. The field will play down to a winner, with 60-minute levels and 15-minute breaks every two levels. A dinner break will be determined based on the pace of play.

Stay tuned to PokerNews as we return tomorrow to capture every key moment, every elimination, and every dramatic twist until a champion is crowned in the $3,000 Mid Stakes Championship No Limit Hold’em Event.

Tags: Chahn JungDarius SamuelsDylan LindeEric TsaiHe ZhouIlan BoujenahJohn JuandaJohn PannucciJustin SalibaKyle DishonghLuis YepezMarius GierseMatteo FerraraMichael RoccoMichal SchuhMitchell HynamPeter YangPunnat PunsriRyan LengUpeshka De SilvaWilliam SmithWooram ChoYoon Choi

Day 4 Seat Draw

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
TableSeatPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1011Yoon ChoiUnited States3,025,00012
1012Petre IonescuRomania5,250,00021
1013Dylan LewUnited States3,775,00015
1014Roberto RomanelloUnited Kingdom11,300,00045
1015Punnat PunsriThailand11,400,00046
1016Yanting JiangUnited States30,925,000124
1018Maurice HawkinsUnited States12,700,00051
1019Peter YangUnited States16,075,00064
      
1091Barry ShulmanUnited States4,075,00016
1092Mark NewhouseUnited States7,900,00032
1094Michael RoccoUnited States6,000,00024
1095Chahn JungUnited States16,500,00066
1096Luis YepezVenezuela7,150,00029
1097Vasileios PanagiotidisGreece4,200,00017
1098Jose AguileraSpain2,350,0009
1099Darius SamualUnited Kingdom6,350,00025

End of Day Chip Counts (full)

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Rogen Chhabra Eliminated in 17th Place ($58,298)

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Rogen Chhabra
Rogen Chhabra

It was a tale of two hands for the downfall of Rogen Chhabra.

The first hand occurred after Chhabra opened to 400,000 from early position before Punnat Punsri defended his big blind.

The 1037 flop led to a check from Punsri. Chhabra followed with a wager of 250,000. Punsri countered with a check-raise to 800,000, and Chhabra opted to respond with an all-in. Punsri called to put himself at risk for 4,825,000.

Punnat Punsri: A10All in
Rogen Chhabra: K10

Punsri had Chhabra's hand dominated as they went to the turn and river.

The 3 turn, and the 7 river did not alter the standings as Punsri scored the double up and Chhabra was left with just 200,000.

Chhabra shoved the very next hand for his final 200,000 and was called by Peter Yang to be at risk.

Rogen Chhabra: J9All in
Peter Yang: Q9

Chhabra was unable to find a jack on the A42K3 runout, as Chhabra was eliminated in 17th place for $58,298.

Tags: Peter YangPunnat PunsriRogen Chhabra

Marius Gierse Eliminated in 18th Place ($47,045)

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Marius Gierse
Marius Gierse

Marius Gierse opened to 1,300,000 from middle position with just a single 25,000 chip left behind. Chahn Jung called from the cutoff and there were no more takers.

The JQ10 flop saw Gierse check, Jung bet to put Gierse all in, and Gierse snap called.

Marius Gierse: 22All in
Chahn Jung: AQ

Jung had the best of it with the pair of queens. Gierse saw no help on the J turn, and he was eliminated in one of the final hands of the night after the dealer placed the 9 river.

Tags: Chahn JungMarius Gierse

Jiang Leaves Gierse on Crumbs

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Yanting Jiang
Yanting Jiang

Yanting Jiang continued to stack the chips after her clash with Marius Gierse.

This hand was picked up on the 6A310 board with over 1,000,000 in the middle. Jiang opted to bet 750,000 from the small blind. Gierse made the call from the cutoff.

The 8 river did not scare Jiang as she continued putting on the pressure with a bet of 2,500,000. Gierse went into the tank as he considered his situation. The bet represented a sizeable portion of his stack as he mulled over his decision.

Gierse made the call and went to a showdown.

Jiang showed she rivered the flush when she tabled Q4. Gierse mucked his hand to award the pot to Jiang as she closed in on nearly 30 million in chips.

Tags: Marius GierseYanting Jiang

Jiang Shows Winner Against Ionescu

Level 30 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Petre Ionescu opened to 400,000 from early position before Yanting Jiang defended her big blind to go to a flop.

Both players passed on the 7KA flop to welcome the Q turn. Jiang checked again before Ionescu fired 450,000.

Jiang called to bring the 8 river. Both players checked to go to a showdown.

Jiang showed A3 for a pair of aces. Ionescu could not beat it as he mucked his hand to award the pot to Jiang, who had a stellar Day 3 to push well past the 20 million chip mark.

Tags: Petre IonescuYanting Jiang

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