2026 WSOP Day 45 Recap: Rezaei Leads the $50K as Main Event Bubble Bursts

Day 45 of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw a bracelet won, the $10,000 Main Event's money bubble burst, and big stacks bagged across the rest of the schedule.

Event #82: $10,000 Main Event — Bubble Bursts

The field was cut down to 533 after Chris Moneymaker popped the bubble. Reigning champion Michael Mizrachi bagged a stack for Day 5, keeping his bid for back-to-back titles alive.

Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack — Eric Weber Wins First Bracelet

The only bracelet awarded on Day 45 was Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em. Eric Weber, who learned poker around the kitchen table as a child, took it down for $400,000 and his first piece of WSOP hardware.

Event #90: $50,000 High Roller — Daniel Rezaei Leads an All-Star Cast

Event #90: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em drew 103 entries on Day 1. By the close of play, 51 players remained, and nobody had more chips than Austria's Daniel Rezaei (2,010,000), the only player past two million. Lithuania's Paulius Vaitiekunas (1,965,000) fell just three big blinds short of the same mark.

The field is stacked with pros, including Thomas Boivin (1,510,000), Eelis Parssinen (1,450,000), Kristen Foxen (1,220,000), Daniel Negreanu (1,085,000), Bryn Kenney (1,000,000), Jeremy Ausmus (480,000), Martin Kabrhel (350,000), and Aleksejs Ponakovs (295,000).

Day 2 starts at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 10, with late registration open until the end of Level 12, around 3:15 p.m.

Event #90: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts

Event #87: $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO — Unscheduled Day 3 Required

Event #87 was meant to crown its champion today, but the tournament director called time with 34 players still in for the $305,000 top prize.
Four players return with eight-figure stacks. Shawn Stroke (15,550,000) has the largest, ahead of Christopher Vitch (15,175,000). Wojciech Barzantny (11,050,000) and Sameer Batra (10,925,000) are the others.

Including Vitch, seven of the returning players have won a bracelet before: Travis Pearson (7,500,000), Noah Schwartz (4,485,000), James Chen (4,050,000), Alex Manzano (3,250,000), Mark Radoja (3,150,000), and Nick Pupillo (2,575,000).

Play resumes at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 10 and continues until a champion is crowned.

Event #87: $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts

Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker — Jolnar Teliani Tops Day 1b

Day 1b drew 2,174 entries, with 65 players advancing to Day 2. Canada's Jolnar Teliani (3,265,000) topped the counts, the only survivor past three million chips. Teliani came into the WSOP off three low-stakes tournament wins.

Others through include Kevin Theodore (2,900,000), South Africa's Sean Bloom (2,110,000), Justin Arnwine (2,060,000), and David Levi (545,000).

Day 1c, the penultimate flight, starts at 10:00 a.m. local time on July 10.

Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship — Stars Turn Out for Day 1b

Day 1b drew 951 entries, almost double Day 1a. 263 players advanced to Day 2.

Portugal's Luis Faria (431,000) leads, according to the WSOP LIVE app, ahead of Agustin Naranja (413,000) and Yuxi Huang (399,500).
Also through: Maria Konnikova (298,000), Paulina Loeliger (282,500), Barry Shulman (230,500), Niall Farrell (177,500), Joe Serock (114,000), Martin Jacobson (110,000), Upeshka De Silva (98,000), Justin Vaysman (94,500), Michael Gathy (90,000), Brek Schutten (75,000), and Fahredin Mustafov (45,500).

Day 1c, expected to be the busiest flight, starts at 12:00 p.m. local time on July 10.

Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

Event #91: $1,500 Pick Your PLO — Eli Elezra Third in Chips After Day 1

Event #91 gave players a choice of Pot-Limit Omaha variants, including double board games. Poker Hall of Fame member Eli Elezra (701,000) bagged the third largest stack of Day 1, behind only Emory Peebles (752,000) and Jun Weng (719,000).

Other notable survivors include Samuel Rosen (673,000), Scott Abrams (621,000), Jeremy Harkin (586,000), Jon Kyte (558,000), Maxx Coleman (532,000), Blaz Zerjav (469,000), Justin Liberto (468,000), nine-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser (188,000), Bryce Yockey (163,000), Robert Mizrachi (102,000), and Mike Matusow (73,000).

Of 857 starters, 104 made it through to Day 2, which resumes at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 10 for another 10 levels of mixed PLO.

Event #91: $1,500 Pick Your PLO Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts

What's Coming on Day 46 of WSOP 2026

Day 1c of Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker starts at 10:00 a.m. local time on July 10, expected to be the busiest flight of the event.

Day 5 of the $10,000 Main Event begins at 11:00 a.m., with 533 players returning to play for the $10 million top prize. Day 1c of the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship starts at 12:00 p.m., with Day 2 of the $50,000 High Roller and $1,500 Pick Your PLO both resuming at 1:00 p.m. The unscheduled Day 3 of the $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO also runs from 1:00 p.m., playing down to a champion for a $305,000 top prize.

One new event kicks off on Day 46, at 2:00 p.m.: Event #92: $3,000 T.O.R.S.E., essentially H.O.R.S.E. with 2-7 Triple Draw replacing Hold'em. Japan's Ryutaro Suzuki won the title in 2025, beating 521 opponents for $273,385 and his second bracelet.

All figures, images and data courtesy of PokerNews and the WSOP.