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Luis Genel Leads the Final 12 Into the Gladiators of Poker Finale
After four action-packed starting flights, the field has been whittled down in Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold'em at the 2026 World Series of Poker, hosted at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. A massive field of 11,185 entries generated a prize pool of $2,751,510, but after Day 2, only 12 players remain in contention for the $250,000 top prize and the coveted WSOP gold bracelet. Each returning player has already locked up at least $16,000, but all eyes will be on the title when play resumes.
Leading the final 12 is American Luis Genel, who emerged as the chip leader after bagging a massive 61,800,000. Genel has put himself in prime position to make a run at his first WSOP gold bracelet. One of the hands that propelled him to the top was when he busted Noah Harthcock with his pocket tens.
Sitting second in chips is Johnny Oshana with 51,600,000. Oshana will be looking to add to a poker résumé that includes more than $200,000 in live tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob.
Rounding out the top three is Ken Baime with 40,500,000. The most accomplished player among the chip leaders, Baime brings nearly $2 million in recorded live tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob, as he chases his first WSOP bracelet.
Final Day Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | 1 | Luis Genel | United States | 61,800,000 | 41 |
| 77 | 2 | Johnny Oshana | United States | 51,600,000 | 34 |
| 77 | 3 | Kenneth Baime | United States | 40,500,000 | 27 |
| 77 | 5 | Ryan Hull | United States | 32,900,000 | 22 |
| 77 | 8 | Gianluigi Zaniboni | Italy | 36,600,000 | 24 |
| 77 | 9 | Valentin Farkas | Croatia | 15,500,000 | 10 |
| 78 | 1 | Said El Harrak | United States | 8,500,000 | 6 |
| 78 | 3 | David Hirst | Australia | 23,400,000 | 16 |
| 78 | 4 | Gary McCoy | Ireland | 14,900,000 | 10 |
| 78 | 7 | Vu Tran | United States | 22,500,000 | 15 |
| 78 | 8 | Sumit Kumar | United States | 11,100,000 | 7 |
| 78 | 9 | Emma Stevenson | United States | 14,000,000 | 9 |
Honorable mention goes to Emma Stevenson, who maintained one of the chip leads for much of the day while entertaining the crowd with her trademark "Boom shakalaka!" catchphrase. Stevenson shared that this finish is already the biggest result of her poker career, a milestone she said she is incredibly grateful for.
Remaining Prize Pool
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $250,000 |
| 2 | $166,000 |
| 3 | $124,500 |
| 4 | $94,000 |
| 5 | $71,350 |
| 6 | $54,600 |
| 7 | $42,100 |
| 8 | $32,700 |
| 9 | $25,550 |
| 10-11 | $20,110 |
| 12 | $16,000 |
Some notable players who picked up a payday included Poker Hall of Famer and three-time bracelet winner Barbara Enright, who finished 13th for $16,000. Grinder Jeff Sluzinski also made a deep run before bowing out in 59th place for $4,650. Day 1c chip leader David Kenniston finished 77th for $3,250, while 25K Fantasy Draft pick and four-time bracelet winner Ben Yu collected $2,050 for his 102nd-place finish. Day 1b chip leader Jolnar Teliani also earned $2,050 after exiting in 120th place. Rounding out the notable cashes was 25K Fantasy Draft player Joey Couden, who finished 310th for $1,350.
As the sun sets on Day 2, action recommences at 11 a.m. local time. Participants will play to a champion. Dinner break will be determined, but 15-minute breaks will occur every three levels. Blinds will start in Level 38 at blinds of 1,000,000/1,500,000/1,500,000.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we play down to the winner of this event and for all updates regarding the 2026 WSOP.