Julien Sitbon Leads WSOP 2026 H.O.R.S.E. $25K at 16 Left

Julien Sitbon grabs the spotlight in Las Vegas

While the Main Event is on pause as the poker world waits for the final table, plenty is still happening in the closing stretch of WSOP 2026. One of the biggest stories of the day came from the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E., where Julien Sitbon finished Day 2 as the chip leader and bagged the biggest stack heading into Day 3.

For the French pro, this is the kind of result that matters well beyond one tournament. H.O.R.S.E. is a format that rewards complete players, the ones who can switch gears across limit and mixed-game disciplines without losing rhythm. Sitbon’s position at the top is a strong reminder that he belongs in that category.

H.O.R.S.E. $25K: elite field, real pressure, huge payout

Sitbon will return with 3,800,000 chips, while Alexander Kostritsyn is right behind him on 3,205,000. The third stack sits at 1,990,000, so the leaderboard is far from locked up.

What makes this run even more impressive is the caliber of the remaining field. Of the 16 players left, 12 already own at least one WSOP bracelet. That list includes:

• Ari Engel
• Naoya Kihara
• Alex Foxen
• Maxx Coleman
• Shaun Deeb
• Josh Arieh
• Qinghai Pan

Everyone remaining is already locked up for $50,340, while the winner will earn $872,052. In a field like this, the value is not only financial — it is also reputational. Winning a H.O.R.S.E. High Roller is a statement about skill across multiple games, the kind of edge that serious players also try to sharpen through poker school and study-heavy environments such as poker clubs.

David Peters wins the 6-Handed NLH Championship

Another major headline came from the $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em Championship, where David Peters captured the title and secured his fifth WSOP bracelet along with $1,001,391.

He closed it out heads-up against Fahredin Mustafov, who put up a strong fight but ultimately had to settle for $660,933. Calvin Anderson rounded out the podium in third for $445,268.

This final table was loaded with talent, and the short-handed structure meant every decision carried extra weight. The remaining payouts at the top included:

• Dominykas Mikolaitis — $306,313
• Justin Liberto — $215,270
• Vladas Tamasauskas — $154,625
• Tzur Levy — $113,570

French railbirds also had reasons to watch closely. Loic Debregeas finished 20th for $41,750, while Malo Latinois took 36th for $25,608 and Leo Soma placed 81st for $20,144. Even without a final-table appearance, those results show depth across the French contingent.

Joshua Wang takes down PLO, denying Erik Seidel bracelet No. 11

The day also produced a notable Pot-Limit Omaha champion. In the $3,000 6-Handed PLO, Joshua Wang outlasted a field of 892 entries to win his first WSOP bracelet.

The heads-up battle was especially meaningful because Wang had to beat Erik Seidel, one of the most respected names in poker history, who was chasing what would have been his 11th WSOP title. Seidel came close, but Wang held firm and finished the job.

That final table was not soft by any standard. Alongside Seidel were players such as Robert Mizrachi, Christopher Vitch and Biao Ding, which made the title run even more impressive. PLO is a format where technical precision, texture reading and post-flop discipline can decide everything, and Wang navigated that pressure perfectly.

• Joshua Wang — $407,137
• Erik Seidel — $271,371
• Robert Mizrachi — $185,282

For mixed-game and Omaha fans, this result is a reminder that edge often comes from preparation as much as raw instinct. Players who study the game through promotions & bonuses and value-driven environments like poker rooms often get more volume and more chances to turn that study into results.

$5K 8-Handed NLH: French hopes stay alive

There was also encouraging news from the $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em event. After a long Day 1, only 72 players survived from a field of 884, and they will return tomorrow to continue the fight for the $695,256 top prize.

Two French players are still in contention: Jimmy Guerrero and Virgile Turchi. Guerrero is in excellent shape with 1,160,000 chips, good for 4th place in the current standings, while Turchi returns with 390,000 chips.

Everyone left has already locked up at least $10,594, but the real focus now is on building a stack that can survive the next stages. In a field this deep, one double-up can completely change the trajectory of a run.

Expert analysis: why this day matters for modern poker

This set of results says a lot about the current state of tournament poker. First, it shows that versatility is still king. Sitbon leading a mixed-game High Roller, Peters winning a short-handed NLH championship, and Wang taking down a PLO final table all point to the same trend: the best players are the ones who can adapt quickly.

There are also strategic lessons here for everyday grinders:

• Mixed games reward complete fundamentals. H.O.R.S.E. is not a format where one trick works all day.
• Short-handed NLH amplifies pressure. Peters’ win is a great example of how strong preflop ranges and post-flop discipline pay off.
• PLO remains a high-variance battleground. Even legends can fall short when the edge is thin and the spots are complex.
• Big stacks matter in deep fields. Guerrero’s position in the 8-handed event gives him room to attack, not just survive.

The broader takeaway is that WSOP 2026 continues to reward players who study across formats, manage stack depth well and understand how structure affects strategy. That is why many competitors invest time in poker school and keep one eye on the ecosystem of poker agent opportunities and travel planning around major live series.

Closing thoughts from WSOP 2026 Day 51

Day 51 delivered a little bit of everything: Sitbon in command of H.O.R.S.E., Peters adding another bracelet to his résumé, Wang breaking through for a first title, and French players staying alive in a major NLH event.

That combination is exactly what makes the WSOP so compelling. Some events are nearing their finish line, others are just heating up, but every table still has the potential to produce a career-defining run. In Las Vegas, the story is never really finished until the last chip is in the middle.

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