World Poker Tour

Blind level

Level 11: 1,500 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

Entries

28/47

Total Chips

4,700,000

Average

167,857

Derick ElominaDerick Elomina

2/7/2026, 6:41:27 PM

Ngoc Anh Cao Dominates $5K High Roller Day 1

Level 11: 1,500 / 2,500 ante: 2,500

Ngoc Anh Cao - Chip Leader

Day 1 of the $5,000 High Roller at WPT Cambodia delivered a high-quality opening chapter, featuring a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool, 100,000 starting stacks, and a deep structure with 40-minute blind levels. After 11 levels of play, the event drew 47 total entries, with registration set to remain open for two more levels on Day 2, leaving plenty of room for latecomers to join the action.

The day unfolded at a measured but competitive pace, allowing players to leverage the deep stacks and find opportunities to accumulate chips without immediate pressure. Still, the field steadily thinned as tough tables and well-timed confrontations claimed several casualties. When bags came out at the end of the night, 28 players remained, all guaranteed a return for Day 2 with the prize pool expected to grow further.

Ngoc Anh Cao emerged as the clear chip leader, putting together an outstanding performance to finish Day 1 with a commanding 592,500 (237 big blinds) stack. Cao consistently applied pressure and won several key pots to build a sizeable gap over the rest of the field. Chasing him into Day 2 are Xiang Eu with 359,000 and Tom Verbruggen with 356,000, while Michel Molenaar, Akihiro Konishi, and Alf Martinsson also sit in strong positions near the top of the counts.

Several familiar names remain in contention, adding extra intrigue heading into the next stage of the tournament. WPT Prime Cambodia 2025 champion Alexander Puchalski bagged 217,000, while two-time WPT Championship winner Marvin Rettenmaier ended the day with 101,000. Three-time trophy winner this series Ranno Sootla will return with 72,000, and last WPT Cambodia’s Player of the Series Amin Riyazati faces an uphill battle with 33,500.

Play resumes on Day 2 tomorrow at 11:30 am local time, with late registration open for two additional levels. Registration will officially close before the start of Level 14 at 1:00 pm, after which the full field will be locked in and the race toward the money truly begins.

Somuchpoker is on-site throughout WPT Cambodia 2026 at NagaWorld, bringing you live updates, results, and coverage straight from the tournament floor.

End Of Day 1 Chip Counts

Player	Chips
NA Ngoc Anh CaoViet Nam	592,500(237 BB)
XE Xiang EuSingapore	359,000(144 BB)
TV Tom VerbruggenNetherlands	356,000(142 BB)
MM Michel MolenaarNetherlands	274,000(110 BB)
AK Akihiro KonishiJapan	232,500(93 BB)
AM Alf MartinssonSweden	224,000(90 BB)
AP Alexander PuchalskiCanada	217,000(87 BB)
TT Tetsuya TsujisakaJapan	210,000(84 BB)
AI Anton IakimenkoRussia	196,000(78 BB)
WC Won Chul BaeSouth Korea	190,000(76 BB)
AA Ankit AhujaIndia	179,500(72 BB)
GH Guan Hong LiewSingapore	157,000(63 BB)
KP Keenan PienaarSouth Africa	144,000(58 BB)
GL Gytis LazauninkasLithuania	134,000(54 BB)
DP Dex Poh Guan LimMalaysia	128,500(51 BB)
EC Eng Chuan Tommy GohSingapore	125,000(50 BB)
HP Hica PurbaIndonesia	117,000(47 BB)
XX Xiaolong XuChina	107,500(43 BB)
JS Jordan SparaganaUnited States of America	107,000(43 BB)
MR Marvin RettenmaierGermany	101,000(40 BB)
TE Travis EndersbyAustralia	97,500(39 BB)
AC Abraham CeesvinSingapore	93,500(37 BB)
RM Rishi MehraIndia	85,500(34 BB)
MT Minh Thanh NguyenViet Nam	74,500(30 BB)
LT Linh TranViet Nam	72,500(29 BB)
RS Ranno SootlaEstonia	72,000(29 BB)
AR Amin RiyazatiAustralia	33,500(13 BB)
VF Valeriy FokinRussia	18,500(7 BB)