The WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas offers visitors relentless poker action throughout December, culminating in the series' Main Event. Over three flights, the WPT World Championship saw a total of 1,865 entries, generating a prize pool of $18,277,000 with a buy-in of $10,400.
Yesterday’s Day 2 saw five levels of play for all advancing players, with the field narrowing from 733 to just 241 by the end of the day. Leading the pack was Kevin Khuong with 3,270,000, followed closely by Luther Tran (2,625,000) and Linglin Zeng (2,550,000). Poker legend John Hennigan also made it into the top four with 2,510,000, adding to his already impressive list of achievements.
Top 10 Stacks before Day 3:
| Rank | Player | Stack | BB |
| 1 | Kevin Khuong | 3,270,000 | 218 |
| 2 | Luther Tran | 2,625,000 | 175 |
| 3 | Linglin Zeng | 2,550,000 | 170 |
| 4 | John Hennigan | 2,510,000 | 167 |
| 5 | Hung Vo | 2,445,000 | 163 |
| 6 | Shankar Pillai | 2,410,000 | 161 |
| 7 | Jarod Minghini | 2,045,000 | 136 |
| 8 | Konstantin Held | 1,990,000 | 133 |
| 9 | Hassan El Hakim | 1,890,000 | 126 |
| 10 | Morgan Petro | 1,865,000 | 124 |
The Money is within Reach: Min-Cash is $19,600
The key detail after Day 2 is that the tournament is just eight eliminations away from the money. There are 233 paid spots, with a minimum cash of $19,600. The eventual winner will take home a staggering $2,528,200. This means Day 3 will effectively start on the bubble, with high stakes from the very first level.
The schedule aims to increase the pressure from here on out. Day 3 and Day 4 are set for six 90-minute levels each day. Day 5 also features 90-minute levels but only until the final six, who will then enjoy a well-deserved break before the televised final table showdown on December 21st.
Payout Structure for the Final Table:
1st: $2,528,200
2nd: $1,700,000
3rd: $1,250,000
4th: $940,000
5th: $710,000
6th: $540,000
Big Names in the Mix: Ivey, Hansen, and Song
Even after five intense levels of Day 2, numerous big names remain in the tournament. Phil Ivey advanced with a stack of 1,510,000, Gus Hansen boasts 1,260,000, and Calvin Anderson is also in a strong position with 1,840,000. Other survivors include Mohsin Charania (1,585,000), Brian Hastings, Matt Glantz, Aram Zobian, Michel Molenaar, and Stephen Song—players savvy enough to capitalize on any weaknesses during and after the bubble phase.
Sources – WorldPokerTour, Flickr, X
