Emilien Pitavy Advances in WSOP 2026 $25K High Roller

Emilien Pitavy survives the $25,000 High Roller

WSOP 2026 keeps delivering major storylines, and one of the strongest French results of the day came from Emilien Pitavy. He managed to navigate the field in the $25,000 High Roller and secure a seat for Day 2.

That matters a lot in a tournament of this caliber. In a High Roller, every pot can shift the entire tournament dynamic, and simply surviving the opening day already means a player has found a way to compete with elite opposition. Pitavy now has a real shot at turning a solid start into a deep run.

High Roller chip counts and the Day 2 picture

The event drew 81 entries, and only 25 players will return for the next stage. Pitavy bagged 305,000 chips, while the average stack stands at 486,000.

He is not among the biggest stacks, but Day 2 poker in a High Roller is rarely about the opening number alone. Stack preservation, table draws and the ability to pick profitable spots become even more important once the field gets smaller and the pressure rises.

• Stephen Chidwick — 550,000
• Adrian Mateos — 279,000

On the other hand, Alexandre Reard and Julien Sitbon were unable to move on and have already been eliminated.

Roman Hrabec dominates the $10,000 GGMillion$

Another marquee event, the $10,000 GGMillion$, is also nearing its conclusion. At the moment, only 12 players remain, and Roman Hrabec is firmly in control on Day 3.

Hrabec holds 12,000,000 chips against an average of 3,358,333, a massive lead that gives him huge leverage as the tournament heads toward its final stages. In this kind of setup, chip leaders can pressure medium stacks and exploit ICM, while shorter stacks are forced into tighter, higher-risk decisions.

• Max Neugebauer — 5,635,000
• Chris Brewer — 2,075,000
• Joey Weissman — 565,000

For now, everyone still in the event is locked up for at least $51,258, while the champion will collect the bracelet and $1,089,964.

Honghao Zhang wins the $1,500 6-Handed NLH

One of the completed events on the schedule was the $1,500 6-Handed NLH, where American player Honghao Zhang took down the title and earned $346,108.

Harlan Karnofsky finished runner-up for $230,626, and David Rees completed the podium with $163,172. From a French perspective, Julien Duveau delivered a notable result by finishing 6th for $62,501.

That run is especially respectable given the size of the field, which reached 1,840 players. Duveau entered the final table fifth in chips, but he was unable to take control of the pace. Even so, a sixth-place finish in such a massive event is a strong score and a reminder of how deep French players can go in the right structure.

Monster Stack NLH starts with 1,514 entries

The popular $1,500 Monster Stack NLH has also kicked off. After Day 1A, the tournament has already recorded 1,514 entries, and the field is expected to keep growing as more players join in the coming flights.

• David Benyamine
• Boris Berthomet
• Leo Soma
• Thomas Eychenne
• Samy Dubonnet
• Sonny Franco
• Antonin Teisseire
• Axel Bayout
• Michel Leibgorin

Monster Stack events are always popular because the deeper structure gives skilled players room to maneuver. With more chips in play and more postflop poker on the menu, the tournament tends to reward patience, adjustment and strong technical execution.

Why this WSOP 2026 day matters

This day at WSOP 2026 shows the full range of tournament poker: survival, chip leads, deep runs and the constant grind of a world-class series. For French players, the headline is mixed but encouraging. Pitavy is still alive in a premium High Roller, Duveau picked up a valuable final-table finish, and several other French names are already through in Monster Stack.

As the series moves forward, the real challenge becomes consistency. In events like these, one good day can create momentum, but only players who keep making the right decisions under pressure will turn that momentum into a bracelet run.

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