WSOP Day 48 Report | Alex Foxen leads PLO early, Lopez wins TORSE gold bracelet

The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) entered Day 48, with seven events running simultaneously at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, marking the official end of the series. Only one bracelet was awarded that day, with Sterling Lopez winning Event #92:$3,000 TORSE, taking home $247,842. Many events saw significantly reduced numbers of participants, and several new bracelet winners are expected on the next day.

Another major highlight of Day 48 was Event #96: $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha. This PLO six-max event attracted 892 entries on Day 1, with 158 players advancing to Day 2. Stanislav Halatenko became the Day 1 chip leader with 950,000 chips, Vivian Saliba was second with 788,000, and Alex Foxen was fifth with 588,000 chips, still in contention for his next WSOP bracelet.

Alex Foxen makes it into the top five of the PLO six-handed table, with a gathering of star players on Day 2.

Event #96 concluded its first day of play, with Ukrainian player Stanislav Halatenko leading the field with 950,000 chips, while Brazilian 888poker ambassador Vivian Saliba, thanks to her PLO skills, has accumulated 788,000 chips, placing her second. Saliba previously won the €2,000 PLO event at the 2024 WSOP Europe, and once again demonstrates her competitiveness in the four-card poker event.

Alex Foxen also made it through smoothly. He's in fifth place with 588,000 chips, not far from the leading group. Foxen recently won his fourth WSOP bracelet, and if he can maintain his form in this PLO six-max event, he'll have a chance to challenge for his fifth.

In addition to Foxen and Salaba, other notable players such as Robert Cowen, Robert Mizrachi, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, and Chance Kornuth have also successfully advanced to Day 2. The tournament will resume at 1 p.m. local time in Las Vegas on July 13, with an expected 10 more levels.

Event #96: $3,000 PLO Six-Handed Table Day 1 Top Ten Scorecards

Sterling Lopez wins TORSE gold bracelet

The only event to produce a champion on Day 48 was Event #92:$3,000 TORSE. Sterling Lopez defeated two-time WSOP bracelet winner Jesse Lonis in heads-up play to claim his WSOP gold bracelet and $247,842 in prize money. Lonis finished as runner-up, failing to complete his quest for a third gold bracelet.

As a mixed-game tournament, TORSE demands a high level of consistency and adaptability from players across various hand types. Lopez's victory in the final stages of the series made Day 48 a significant milestone in his career.

Gladiators of Poker has only 12 players left, with Luis Genel leading the pack.

Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker has entered its final stage. This low-buy-in large event attracted 11,185 entries, with only 12 players remaining after Day 2. Luis Genel leads with 61,800,000 chips, Johnny Oshana is second with 51,600,000, and Kenneth Baime is third with 40,500,000 chips.

It's worth noting that none of the final 12 players have yet won a WSOP bracelet, so this event will definitely crown a new bracelet champion. The final day will begin at 11:00 AM local time on July 13th, with the champion receiving $250,000.

Yanting Jiang leads the final 16 players in the Mid-Stakes Championship

Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold'em. Entering the penultimate day of the competition, Yanting Jiang established a massive lead with 30,925,000 chips. With only 16 players remaining to advance to the final day after Day 3, Jiang's chip count was nearly double that of second-place Chahn Jung.

Maurice Hawkins, Punnat Punsri, Roberto Romanello, Darius Samual, Michael Rocco, and veteran Barry Shulman are among the remaining contenders, making the final day of this tournament both suspenseful on the scoreboard and full of star players.

The Closer, the Six-Player Championship, and Summer Saver continue.

Event #93: $1,500 The Closer No-Limit Hold'em's Day 1b attracted 2,646 entries, with 292 advancing to Day 2. Iason Filippidis led the group with 1,825,000 chips, followed by Alexandre Moreau and Zi Long Zhang in second and third place respectively. Nick Guagenti, fresh from a deep finish in the TORSE event, finished fourth on Day 1b with 1,400,000 chips, maintaining his hopes of winning his fourth gold bracelet.

Event #94: $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship: After the extended registration period for Day 2, the number of participants reached 331, with only 33 advancing to Day 3. Fahredin Mustafov leads with 2,800,000 chips, Justin Liberto is second with 2,100,000, and Jamie O'Connor is third with 1,935,000. The champion's prize is $1,001,391.

Event #95: Day 1a of the Summer Saver No-Limit Hold'em event, $500, saw Ryan Stiner lead with 1,800,000 chips, followed by Garrett Dwire in second place with 1,450,000, and Nikolai Dizon Mollat in third. Martin Kabrhel, with 1,075,000 chips, finished fourth, becoming one of the most watched players in the group.

WSOP Day 48 Key Events Summary

Day 49 Schedule Preview

WSOP Day 49 will feature eight events, four of which are expected to produce bracelet winners. The Main Event, Event #82: $10,000, will take place on Day 8, and is expected to produce a nine-player final table, with all final table players guaranteed at least a seven-figure prize.

On the same day, Event #88 Gladiators of Poker, Event #89 Mid-Stakes Championship, Event #93 The Closer, and Event #94 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship will all enter their final day. Event #96 PLO six-handed table will see Day 2 of competition, with Alex Foxen, Vivian Saliba, and Stanislav Halatenko among the players to watch.

With the series entering its final sprint, Day 48 has set the stage for several finals. Alex Foxen's early position at the PLO six-handed table, Yanting Jiang's huge lead in the Intermediate Championship, and the Main Event's impending final table all make Day 49 one of the most crucial days of this year's WSOP.

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