Historic Milestone in Texas: Record-Breaking WSOP Circuit in Austin Makes History

Texas has witnessed an event that has forever transformed its poker scene. The very first World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit series in the history of the Lone Star State arrived at the Texas Card House in Austin, shattering previous records. This historic festival culminates with a Main Event that exceeds all expectations.

A Record-Breaking Prizepool in the State

The highlight of the WSOP Circuit series was the $1,700 Main Event, which kicked off on April 30 with three starting flights. Although organizers set a guarantee of $1 million, this amount was quickly "swept off the table." A total of 1,709 entries joined the tournament, creating a prizepool of $2,589,135, more than double the original guarantee.

This result officially set a new record for the largest tournament prizepool in Texas history. The previous record was held by the Main Event at the PGT Texas Poker Open in Houston 2024 with a prizepool of $2.2 million.

Victor Leone, Chief Operating Officer of Texas Card House, expressed excitement and thanked players for helping to rewrite history. The future champion will take home, besides the prestigious ring, a prize of $231,165 and a $5,000 package for the WSOP Paradise 2026 in the Bahamas.

Even more history has been made in the Lone Star State!

Drawing 1,709 total entries across three Day One flights, the $1,700 NLH Main Event at the @texascardhouse WSOP Circuit has amassed a $2,589,135 total prize pool, setting a new record for the largest prize pool in Texas… pic.twitter.com/KF594OBAwO
— WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) May 3, 2026

Situation Before Day 2: Drake Kemper's Dominance

After three intense starting days, a total of 191 players advanced to the second day. The absolute leader of the field is Drake Kemper, who amassed a massive stack during Flight 1B, nearly doubling his closest rival.

Flight 1C had a dramatic run, with Sean Cha taking the chiplead, closely followed by Colby Jenkins. Attention was also drawn to Kaiwen Wei, who after an unfortunate bubble exit in Flight 1B on Saturday, dominated and made it among the top stacks.

Top 10 Chip Counts Before Day 2:

Rank	Player	Stack
1.	Drake Kemper	1,942,000
2.	Thomas Brabham	1,196,000
3.	Sean Cha	1,102,000
4.	Colby Jenkins	1,080,000
5.	Kaiwen Wei	917,000
6.	Steven Mann	913,000
7.	Jeremy Guest	862,000
8.	Shawn Savage	860,000
9.	Edgar Baez	822,000
10.	Thibaud Martin	805,000

The tournament continues today with the second day, during which the field will significantly thin out on the road to crowning the first-ever WSOP Circuit champion in Texas. The final day is scheduled for Tuesday, May 4, 2026, and you can watch it live on YouTube:

Sources: WSOP, X, YouTube