2026 WSOP Main Event: Alex Foxen and Canada's Dhiraj Sharma Bag Big on Day 2d

By Mrinal Gujare

1 hour ago

Mrinal Gujare 1 hour ago

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Michael Rossitto leads after 2,034 survive Day 2d of 2026 WSOP Main Event.
$85.6M prize pool generated from 9,208 entries; winner to claim $10M.
Alex Foxen, Dhiraj Sharma, 12 former champs, and other pros advance to Day 3.

Image by Regina Cortina / Pokernews

Day 43 of the 2026 WSOP saw 2,034 players advance from Main Event Day 2d. Michael Rossitto claimed the chip lead, while Alex Foxen and Canada's Dhiraj Sharma bagged top stacks. Twelve former champions advanced as Jonathan Tamayo was eliminated.

Action intensified on Day 43 of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, with three bracelet-awarding events taking center stage.

As has been the case since the first shuffle-up-and-deal announcement of the summer, the $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship remained the premier attraction for the global poker community.

The final entry numbers are officially locked in, and the latest starting flight reshaped the top of the chip standings, positioning several prominent players and international contenders for a deep championship run.

Late registration remained open until the start of Day 2d, allowing an additional 820 players to buy directly into the action. This last-minute surge brought the total field size to 9,208 entries, securing its place as the fourth-largest Main Event in WSOP history.

The massive turnout generated an overall prize pool of $85,634,400. The tournament structure dictates that the top 1,382 finishers will secure a return on their investment, while the eventual 2026 WSOP Main Event champion will take home a grand prize of $10 million.

A total of 2,034 players successfully navigated the Day 2d structure to advance into Day 3. Among the top performers was four-time bracelet winner Alex Foxen.

Following a dominant showing throughout the session, Foxen concluded play by bagging up 493,500 chips, positioning himself within the top 25 stacks of the advancing field.

According to data tracked on the WSOP LIVE app, Michael Rossitto secured the official Day 2d chip lead after accumulating 770,500 chips. He managed to surpass Jeff Fenster, who finished close behind with 747,000, and Yannick Schumacher, who closed the night with 738,000.

Canada's Dhiraj Sharma emerged as a standout international contender during the flight, concluding the session among the top stacks to bolster the Canadian contingent heading into Day 3. Other notable pros who successfully packed substantial stacks into their overnight bags included:

Farid Jattin (630,000)
Terrance Reid (597,500)
Taylor Paur (530,000)
Stephen Song (430,500)

The Day 2d field featured 12 former WSOP Main Event champions who successfully extended their tournament life. Leading the charge for the former winners was 2018 champion John Cynn, who ended the night with a top 50 stack of 403,000 chips.

While a dozen former champions successfully punched their ticket to the next round, defending champion Jonathan Tamayo was unable to sustain his run and crashed out of the tournament during play.

Parallel to the Main Event action, Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em completed its opening phase as Day 1c wrapped up on July 7. Across all three starting flights, the event drew a total of 4,217 entries.

Only 321 players from the final flight survived the day to advance to Day 2. Three-time WSOP bracelet winner David Prociak concluded the flight with 2,150,000 chips, solidifying his place among the overall chip leaders.

Prociak has already recorded seven cashes this summer, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the $550 Mystery Millions event that earned him $155,000.

In Event #87: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha, Day 1a came to a close with high-stakes regular Lautaro Guerra making a major impact. Typically found in PLO events featuring buy-ins ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the Spanish pro adapted seamlessly to the $1,000 buy-in structure.

Guerra finished the opening flight with the second-largest stack of 1,135,000 chips. He was one of only four players to surpass the million-chip milestone.

Robert Scherer claimed the top spot with 1,138,000, while Grant Maruya (1,071,000) and Marco Damico (1,043,000) rounded out the top chip millionaires advancing to Day 2.

News Foxen Among Top Stacks