There was a big-game atmosphere at the WSOP today.
The $50K Poker Players Championship is the second-most prestigious bracelet up for grabs this summer. For mixed-game players, it's the number one.
Three-time winner Brian Rast posted ahead of the start to say, "Today is ground zero for the best poker tournament that exists."
Daniel Negreanu won it in 2024 – and cried with emotion when he was awarded the bracelet.
It brings players out you haven't seen for an age, like the UK's Luke Schwartz and Jason Mercier.
Put simply, it's kind of a big deal.
Negreanu off to terrible start
It's also a marathon. A super-long structure that plays out over five days, with 100-minute levels from the start. Six levels were scheduled for Day 1.
This is no sprint. Although it almost became one for Negreanu. He sat down from the start today and lost 80% of his stack in a huge no-limit hold'em pot with Chris Brewer.
In the PPC, 20% of your stack in Level 1 is still plenty, and he mounted a spirited comeback, getting back over his 300K starting stack by the end of Level 2.
Last year's PPC was the first half of Michael Mizrachi's remarkable double, which culminated in victory in the $10K Main Event.
It's said to be a feat that won't be repeated, but he was back to try again this year.
A year on, he was greeted by a camera crew and entourage as he made his entrance in Level 2.
Day 1 eliminations
Last year we got 88 entries on Day 1. Only 68 survived to play Day 2.
2026 was tracking it pretty well.
First out today was Jason Kluska in Level 2. He was followed by Scott Seiver, Robert Mizrachi, Chad Eveslage, Walter Chambers and Joao Vieira.
Busting isn't easy. Part of the allure of the PPC is that it's a freezeout. When you're out, you're out. Out, out, if your name is Scott Seiver.
Jeremy Ausmus and Dave Rogers went to the dark place in Level 4.
By the end of Level 4, the field was up to 84, with just 75 still battling to stay in the light. Shaun Deeb was making a move up the leaderboard. Rast was heading down. Negreanu had stabalized with a stack of 450K – 50% up on his start and 650% up from his stack midway through Level 1.
Last two levels of the night
After Level 5, numbers were almost identical to the end of Day 1 last year – 68 players were left from 86 entries.
Nacho Barbero was dusted, as was Patrick Leonard who'd been nursing a short stack for seemingly most of the day. Negreanu, Deeb and Rast all made it through.
The biggest elimination of Day 1 came in the final level, when Michael Mizrachi finally lost the last of his chips. He'd been active and on a rollercoaster today, but he never managed to get a stack going and was eliminated in a hand of razz late on.
It means we're going to have a new champion in 2026 – and there are plenty of big names left who want the crown. Late reg is also open until 7:30pm on Monday.
We ended with 87 entries, one down from last year. 66 players survived, two down from last year. Last year's field was boosted by another 19 entries on Day 2. Is the 2026 PPC going bigger? Play restarts at 1pm.
$50K Poker Players Championship top 10
- Matt Glantz (USA) – 989K
- Benny Glaser (UK) – 826K
- Robert Wells (UK) – 790K
- Chino Rheem (USA) – 763K
- Kristopher Tong (USA) – 739.5K
- Chris Brewer (USA) – 694.5K
- Josh Arieh (USA) – 652.5K
- Frank Brannan (USA) – 649K
- Jesse Lonis (USA) – 643.5K
- Carlo Van Ravenswoud (Netherlands) – 605K
