2026 WSOP Day 3: Big Names Turn Out in Force as First Bracelet Won

The 2026 World Series of Poker‘s third day had a little bit of everything. The first of 100 gold bracelets was awarded, Daniel Negreanu revealed the fantastic news that he is to become a father, and some of the biggest names in poker headed to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas across the six events that were in play on Day 3.

Jerome Neppl will forever be remembered as the first player to win a bracelet at the 2026 WSOP. Neppl took down Event #3: $500 Industry Employees No-Limit Hold’em, leaving 905 opponents in his wake as he claimed $64,083 and a gold WSOP bracelet.

PokerNews‘ Brett Slezak and Tyler Boyer reached the final two tables of this event, but could only muster a 16th and 18th place finish, respectively.

Day 1c of the $550 Mini Mystery Millions Draws in Another 2,450 Entrants

Everyone knew that Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Millions was going to be massive, not least because one of the mystery bounty envelopes will contain a $1 million prize. The total number of entrants currently stands at 5,647 after another 2,450 players bought in on Day 1c. With three more flights to go, this event should have upwards of 15,000 entrants!

Matthew Todd (2,300,000) topped the Day 1c chip counts, followed by Shawn Daniels (1,800,000), and Cero Zuccarello (1,700,000). Daniels won a bracelet back in 2023 and has done his chances of bagging another no harm at all by starting this event strongly.

Day 1d is scheduled for a 10:00 a.m local time start on May 29, with it looking like another monster-sized field will be the order of the day.

Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Millions Day 1c Top 10 Chip Counts

Chenxiang Miao Leads the Final Five in the $5,000 NLHE Event

China’s Chenxiang Miao (10,850,000) is the man to catch going into the final day of Event #2: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, where only five players remain. Miao went on a late surge, including finding pocket aces to eliminate Ivan Ruban in sixth place, to finish the penultimate day with 90 big blinds.

Miao leads from Daniyal Gheba (8,600,000), who will enjoy a new career-best score if he finishes third or better. Xiaohu Liu (3,365,000), another Chinese national, returns in third, with Ren Lin (3,000,000) and Peter Mugar (2,640,000) completing the final five.

Lin reaching the final five locks in points for Team Lang in the $25K Fantasy Draft. Lin cost Team Lang $29, and will earn his team a bagful of points.

Play resumes at 1:00 p.m. local time, and the final five will butt heads until only one remains.

Event #2: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Final Day Chip Counts

$1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Event Down to 17 Players; Jason Daly Leads

Jason Daly holds the narrowest of leads going into the final day of Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better 7-Handed where only 17 players remain in the hunt for this event’s bracelet and $191,362 top prize.

Daly returns with a 2,100,000 stack, only 10,000 more than Kelly Vandemheen (2,090,000) in second place. Texas’ Daly already has a pair of bracelets to his name, having won the $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Handed in 2023 and the $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo/Stud Hi-Lo mixed event in 2025. He’s now only 16 eliminations away from completing a hat trick.

Taking down this tournament won’t be an easy task for Daly or anyone else, for that matter, because there are some incredible players in the final 17.

Renan Bruschi (1,675,000), Tyler Phillips (1,615,000), Valentin Vornicu (1,470,000), Vanessa Selbst (1,050,000), Perry Green (730,000), and Ryan Bambrick (610,000) are still in contention and will have a major influence on who wins this event’s bracelet.

Join PokerNews from 1:00 p.m. local time on May 29 as we cover this event to its conclusion.

Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better 7-Handed Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts

Dylan Weisman Takes an Early Lead in the $5,000 PLO

Both of Dylan Weisman‘s bracelets have come in Pot-Limit Omaha events, and he now finds himself in pole position to win a third in this crazy variant after bagging the Day 1 chip lead in Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha.

Weisman finished the opening day of this event with 951,000 chips and is one of five stars who return on Day 2 with at least 100 big blinds.

Jesse Lonis (906,000), James Chen (856,000), Glen Tinney (801,000), and David Eller (801,000) are the other for players with three-figures worth of big blinds at the restart.

Dozens of elite PLO players found their way to Day 2. They include Ka Kwan Lau (790,000), Frank Brannan (625,000), Ari Engel (576,000), Renji Mao (495,000), Robert Mizrachi (414,000), Nick Schulman (336,000), and Ben Lamb (285,000).

Day 2 starts at 12:00 p.m. local time on May 29, which is when PokerNews‘ traditional coverage of this event begins. Keep your browsers locked to PokerNews if you want to see poker royalty battle it out in this PLO tournament.

Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts

First Stud Event of the Summer Shuffles Up and Deals

Day 1 of Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud saw 359 starters reduced to 62, and Bradley Jansen finished on top of the chip counts with a 363,500 stack. Jansen, a mixed game specialist, already possesses a gold bracelet, having triumphed in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed event in 2021.

Jansen’s stack contains three big bets more than that of Brian Yoon (326,000), a five-time bracelet winner and a formidable player. Yoon won his fifth bracelet in 2023, taking down the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, so he has history in this variant.

Others to look out for when PokerNews‘ coverage begins on Day 2, include Scott Seiver (211,000), Yeuqi Zhu (209,000), Martin Zamani (166,500), Chris Hunichen (155,500), and the Poker Hall of Famer Todd Brunson (73,500).

Day 2 shuffles up and deals at 1:00 p.m. local time on May 29, and PokerNews will be on the ground from that point onward.

Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts

What to Expect on Day 4 of the 2026 WSOP

May 29 is the fourth day of the 2026 WSOP, and the first bracelet-awarding event on Day 4 is Day 1d of Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Millions. It’s a 10:00 a.m. local time start for those wishing to get their grind on in this tournament.

At 12:00 p.m. local time, it is Day 2 of Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha before the final five in Event #2: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em return to their seats from 1:00 p.m. local time to fight it out for the title, bracelet, and a $502,985 top prize.

Also at 1:00 p.m. local time is the second day of Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud.

Two fresh events begin on May 29, the first at 12:00 p.m. local time. That is when Round 1A of Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em Championship commences. This event is one of the most exciting to watch as a neutral because poker’s Goliaths go head-to-head, literally, in a series of one-on-one matches.

Round 2A of the Heads-Up Championship starts at 5:00 p.m. local time, with 3A scheduled for a 10:00 p.m. start.

Artur Martirosian is the reigning champion, having left 63 foes in his wake in 2025. The victory earned Martirosian $500,000. The Russian defeated Jeremy Ausmus, Faraz Jaka, Kevin Rabichow, Chance Kornuth, and Patrick Leonard before beating Aliaksei Boika in the final.

Last, but not least, look out for Event #8: $1,500 Badugi which starts at 2:00 p.m. local time. Many people play Badugi for fun because it is different from most games, but things will be deadly serious in this event because there’s a lot of prize money and a bracelet on the line.

Brazil’s Aloisio Dourado is the reigning $1,500 Badugi champion. He bested a 534-strong field in 2025, including defeating Dominick Sarle heads-up for the title and $138,114 in prize money.

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.

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