button in SafariMichael Rossitto Leads Day 3 of The WSOP Main Event
As the summer rounds the last corner to its end, the crown jewel of the 2026 World Series of Poker sees its action just ramping up. This year, Event #82: $10,000 Main Event No-Limit Hold'em World Championship drew a total of 9,208 players, generating a prize pool of $85,634,000, making this the fourth-largest main event field in the 56 years of the WSOP.
All 3,294 remaining players combine today for the first time and begin the next leg of their journey to make the money. Only 1,382 will be walking away with at least a minimum cash of $15,000, and time will tell whether or not Day 3 or 4 will be the bubble-bursting day. Sitting up top along with the $10,000,000 cash prize is the WSOP Main Event bracelet and a chance to be immortalized in the annals of poker history.
Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Rossitto | United States | 770,500 | 308 |
| 2 | Gaspar Fernandez | Argentina | 754,000 | 302 |
| 3 | Jeff Fenster | United States | 747,000 | 299 |
| 4 | Yannick Schumacher | Germany | 738,000 | 295 |
| 5 | Mason Vieth | United States | 730,000 | 292 |
| 6 | Robert Gill | United States | 728,500 | 291 |
| 7 | Joseph Baghdalian | United States | 705,000 | 282 |
| 8 | Arturas Astrauskas | Lithuania | 646,500 | 259 |
| 9 | Farid Jattin | Colombia | 630,000 | 252 |
| 10 | Michael Banducci | United States | 630,000 | 252 |
Leading the way is Day 2d chip leader, Michael Rossitto (770,500). A familiar face on the tournament circuit, Rossitto has collected over $5 million in live earnings according to The Hendon Mob with three WSOP final tables on his resume. He and his podium-mates Gaspar Fernandez (754,000) and Jeff Fenster (747,000) are each looking for their first WSOP bracelet.
Many of the game’s greats found their way into today’s play and are looking to etch their names into this summer’s history. Farid Jattin (630,000) and Terrance Reid (597,500) hold sizable stacks coming into the day. Others that look to capitalize during the day are Alex Foxen (493,500), Brian Hastings (490,000), Will Givens (483,500), Brian Yoon (386,500), Freddy Deeb (383,000) and WSOP Players of the Year, like Ian Matakis (374,500), Shaun Deeb (368,500) and Scott Seiver (282,000). They will be among the thousands of contenders in the hunt for this title.
There are 39 living main event champions, and of that number, 12 have advanced to Day 3 in the hopes of becoming the first multi-time champion since 1997. Defending his crown is nine-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi (202,500), who is fresh off of his ninth WSOP bracelet win this year. The list of players with ten or more bracelets contains just five names, but a win for Mizrachi would add a sixth name to the list.
One of the names on that list is 17-time WSOP bracelet winner and 1989 Main Event champion Phil Hellmuth (173,000), who sits looking to further extend his all-time lead. The 2004 champion Greg Raymer (291,000), 1996 champion Huck Seed (83,000), and 2012 champion Greg Merson (79,000) advanced through Day 2abc, while John Cynn (403,000), Ryan Riess (395,000), Hossein Ensan (236,500), Scott Blumstein (218,000), Joe Hachem (135,000), Joe Mckeehen (102,500) and Chris Moneymaker (221,000) all advanced from Day 2d, with a chance to become two-time champions.
Play will resume at 11 am with players coming back to Level 11. Blinds will be 1,000/2,500, with a 2,500 big blind ante. Levels will last two hours each, with a 20-minute break occurring at the end of each level. At the conclusion of Level 13 (around 6 p.m.), there will be a 60-minute dinner break. After that, the players will return and play two more levels before bagging up for the evening.
Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for all of the exciting updates on the ground at the 2026 WSOP at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.