button in SafariDay 2 of the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. Kicks Off at 1 p.m.
The final mixed event of the 2026 World Series of Poker is one of the most prestigious on the calendar, Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.. The highest buy-in remaining on the summer poker schedule will see its second day of action get underway at 1 p.m. today.
Yesterday saw 109 hopefuls make their way to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas with the goal of finding a bag for today's Day 2. However, just 64 were able to advance. Registration for the event remains open until the start of Level 13 around 3:10 p.m. One reentry is also available for all players, so it remains to be seen if last year's mark of 150 entrants will be surpassed.
Leading the pack into the day is Chino Rheem, who finished with 641,000, good for more than four starting stacks. Close behind him is Arthur Morris (638,000), while Patrick Stacey (552,000) rounds out the podium in third as he looks to claim his second bracelet of the summer.
Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chino Rheem | United States | 641,000 | 40 |
| 2 | Arthur Morris | United States | 638,000 | 40 |
| 3 | Patrick Stacey | Canada | 552,000 | 35 |
| 4 | Jeff Madsen | United States | 487,000 | 30 |
| 5 | Allan Le | United States | 475,000 | 30 |
| 6 | Jason Mercier | United States | 430,000 | 27 |
| 7 | Ashish Gupta | Australia | 409,000 | 26 |
| 8 | Ali Eslami | United States | 392,000 | 25 |
| 9 | Mike Leah | Canada | 391,000 | 24 |
| 10 | Eli Elezra | Israel | 389,000 | 24 |
Others notables who bagged yesterday include Naoya Kihara (383,000), Shaun Deeb (370,000), Alex Foxen (347,000), Daniel Negreanu (345,000), Mike Matusow (246,000), Benny Glaser (227,000), Brian Rast (220,000), Scott Seiver (201,000), Brad Owen (141,000), Todd Brunson (44,000), and Jesse Lonis (43,000).
Day 2 action will get underway at 1 p.m. in Level 11 with blinds of 2,000/4,000 and limits of 4,000/8,000. With registration open until the start of Level 13, a max-late registration stack will be just over six big bets. Play will take place today in the White section of the Horseshoe Ballroom as the Paris section has been closed off for the summer.
With a star-studded field remaining and plenty more expected to join today, the action is just getting warmed up in this final high roller of the summer. For all the latest, be sure to stick with PokerNews as the field gets one step closer to crowning a champion in Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.