Six Past Champs Among 58 Players Returning For Day 2 of $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Ask some of the biggest names in the poker world and they’ll say this is the title they want to win the most. The $50,000 Poker Players Championship is the ultimate test of poker skill and cements the winner’s legacy forever.
Just 58 players still have a chance to achieve that dream when Day 2 begins at 1 p.m. local time. For six players, that dream has already become a reality. Past champions Phillip Hui (733,000), John Hennigan (523,500), Matthew Ashton (325,500), and Elior Sion (216,000) look to put themselves in position for a second title run today, while three-time champion Michael Mizrachi is also still in the hunt with 489,000. Dan Cates, who made history when he won this event two years in a row in 2021-22, had a subdued entrance yesterday on his way to bagging 124,500.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Obst | Australia | 1,208,000 | 101 |
| 2 | Aaron Katz | United States | 1,192,500 | 99 |
| 3 | Johannes Becker | Germany | 898,000 | 75 |
| 4 | Bryce Yockey | United States | 780,000 | 65 |
| 5 | Phil Hui | United States | 733,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Maksim Pisarenko | Russia | 693,000 | 58 |
| 7 | Gus Hansen | Denmark | 652,500 | 54 |
| 8 | Phil Ivey | United States | 567,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Chino Rheem | United States | 567,000 | 47 |
| 10 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | 543,000 | 45 |
They’ll have plenty of competition for the title as the rest of the leaderboard is filled with a veritable who’s who of elite talent and mixed-game masters. James Obst, who won his second World Series of Poker bracelet just a few days ago, enters the day as chip leader with 1,208,000. He’s followed by Aaron Katz (1,192,500), Johannes Becker (898,000), and Bryce Yockey (780,000) in the top-five. Gus Hansen (652,500), Phil Ivey (567,000), and Daniel Negreanu (543,500) also take big stacks into the day, while further down the leaderboard are Josh Arieh (477,000), Viktor Blom (389,000), last year’s runner-up Talal Shakerchi (352,500), Nick Schulman (311,500), and Benny Glaser (208,500).
The action on Day 2 picks up on Level 7 with 1,500-3,000 blinds in no-limit and pot-limit games, and 6,000-12,000 limits in limit games. Play is scheduled for six 100-minute levels, with a 60-minute dinner break at the end of Level 9. Late registration ends at the conclusion of the dinner break around 7:45 p.m. With 75 players registering on Day 1 compared to 73 last year, the event is on pace to beat the 2023 tournament's 99 entries.
Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the day as the best players in the game battle for one of the most prestigious titles of the year.