World Series of Poker WSOP News
You entered a poker industry that was overwhelmingly male, both at the tables and in the media. What would someone entering the WSOP media room today struggle to understand about the atmosphere, workload, access, and personalities of the press corps you joined? By the end of Bellagio Cup, my boss Jeff Holsey offered me a full-time role, but only if I promised not to drop out of school to take it. It wasn’t I was an amazing writer or that I had some elite level of poker acumen. In the meantime, I was quietly developing a very unique skill set virtually no one else had. As a poker fan, I got behind the ropes access to everything and made money to boot, so it always felt like a blessing.
The WSOP portfolio of events includes approximately 50 WSOP Circuit Events annually across five continents, WSOP Europe (since 2007), WSOP Paradise (since 2023) and the record-breaking WSOP Online festival. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament dating back to 1970. The World Series of Poker® is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event and poker brand in the world, having awarded more than $4 billion in prize money over the past six decades. Lucas Jumalon of Spokane, Wash., holds a commanding chip lead entering the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event. Lucas Jumalon will battle Lauri Saaskilahti in heads-up play when the World Series of Poker Main Event continues Wednesday at Horseshoe Events Center. Lucas Jumalon defeated Lauri Saaskilahti during heads-up play and outlasted a field of 9,208 entrants to win the World Series of Poker Main Event on Wednesday.
Winning his first WSOP bracelet as well as the highest score of his poker tournament career, cash game grinder Markus Gonsalves joins one of poker’s most exclusive clubs. International satellites to WSOP live events are hosted exclusively at GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room. In 2025, the flagship event in Las Vegas attracted 246,960 entrants and awarded more than $481 million in prize money – both all-time records for the series. After years of grinding on the felt towards poker’s biggest prize, poker pro Dylan Smith finally nabs his first WSOP bracelet in the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet Event. Defeating Aubrey Williams in a thrilling heads-up duel, Skye Chen not only scores her first live tournament cash, but her first WSOP bracelet. Former champion Chris Moneymaker was eliminated from the World Series of Poker Main Event early in Day 4, ensuring all the remaining players made the money.
This version will feature a $2M championship event from Nov. 5-10, a big piece of almost $4M in total guarantees across the series. The biggest buy-in of the series, the $25K Superstar Challenge still lies ahead on Friday, providing another chance for Lin to add a third lion to his young pride of APT trophies. That said, I’ll probably end up going, because I won both the $10K and $25K APT events in January, and each champion got a seat to the APT Main Event in November.
The season finale has taken place at Wynn Las Vegas over the last few years, but competition with WSOP Paradise is fierce. While a third APT win hasn’t yet been in the cards for him so far in Incheon, he did finish 6th of 184 entries in the $2K High Roller on Thursday for just over $17K in his third career cash on the tour. Most of my family is in China, especially my mom, and I want to have more time to spend with her.
Hachem and Brunson remain in contention to make history as the younger half of a father-and-son WSOP main event championship combo, with Joe Hachem having won in 2005 and the late Doyle Brunson in 1976 and 1977. I also care less about the pay jumps than most, and I’m trying to win the tournament no matter what day it is. Trayner also took down the return of the Aussie Millions main event earlier this year. One of them will eventually hoist this year’s championship gold bracelet, and bank the $10,000,000 first-place prize from the fourth-largest world championship in history. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the ESPN app. If you’re a poker fan, there’s no bigger tournament than this.
Not a bad payday for a roughly $1,765 buy-in. If you’re playing at a higher level, or if you just want to stop by and watch those who are, the PokerGO Tour will be back on the beat with its fall schedule. No matter where you might toss the dart on the calendar, you’ll find something to play, so we did a deep dive on the schedule to map out the rest of 2026. The World Series of Poker is gone but poker never stops in Las Vegas. It was definitely the summer of PLO for me, where my biggest scores came. There were a couple of spots where if he had called, the tournament would have been over.
JackPoker Invites Cash Players to Lucky 8S Bombpot Fest
ESPN coverage of the 2026 WSOP main event is set to start with day 1a of the tournament, on Thursday, July 2, and run through the entirety of the tournament. The first official day of WSOP tournament action also includes a $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold’em event, which kicks off at 2 p.m. Until ESPN enters the picture later in the summer, final tables and live streams will air in-house on WSOP’s digital platforms, primarily on YouTube, starting on May 29. Once the final nine players are set, chip bags come out, and players are sent on their way for an extended break. While most WSOP events last three days and several take a full week to complete, this turbo tournament was finished in a single session. He is just the ninth player to ever surpass the $60-million mark, and is now ranked ninth on poker’s all-time money list.
He sits one spot ahead of his wife, Kristen Foxen, who won her sixth bracelet just a week earlier to extend her leads on both the women’s all-time money list and WSOP titles leaderboards. The former collegiate football player now has $60,565,402 in career cashes to his name after this victory. “I think your career is really about repeated performance and an entire body of work, rather than one event proving something,” Foxen told PokerNews live reporters after closing out the win. In fact, from 2016 through 2025, he had the second-best record of any player on the planet when it comes to Card Player Player of the Year points accumulated. Alex Foxen has been an elite poker tournament performer over the past decade. In the last three years in the WSOP main event, Nagami finished in 21st in 2024, 170th in 2025, and now 23rd place ($325,000) in 2026.
Probably not, and that’s exactly what She Wong did by taking down the final event of the summer at Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, the $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold’em. The Millionaire Maker in Paradise will play out across WSOP NJ/NV and GG Poker platforms until just 118 players remain. In addition to packages available on GGPoker, players on WSOP US had the opportunity to win Main Event packages. “GGPoker is delighted to launch WSOP Paradise and welcome hundreds of players from all over the world to Atlantis Paradise Island this December,” Daniel Negreanu said in a press release.
- Scheduled to run between July 14-25, during the final days of the WSOP bracelet series, the WSOP Circuit Las Vegas schedule features a $400 Mini Main Event, a $2,200 No-Limit High Roller, and a $1,700 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event.
- During the early days of the WSOP, Benny Binion famously told Doyle Brunson “You know, Doyle, someday we may have a hundred people in this tournament”.
- What I like most about APT is their big lion trophies, especially the golden-colored lion trophy for their main event, which is the trophy I want to win the most right now.
- The WSOP portfolio of events includes approximately 50 WSOP Circuit Events annually across five continents, WSOP Europe (since 2007), WSOP Paradise (since 2023) and the record-breaking WSOP Online festival.
The second woman of the series to nab a World Series of Poker bracelet, Michelle Chin, defeats Daniel Strelitz heads-up to claim victory in the $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw for his maiden bracelet. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews for all the latest news on the final nine before they battle for poker’s most prestigious title! After hanging on for quite some time, Cynthia Vencebi pokernewsdaily.com eventually bowed out in fifth place.
The overall chip leader heading into day 8 is Australia’s Malcolm Trayner, with 63,200,000 (105 big blinds). The average stack of 3,176,206 represents 39 big blinds when play resumes. @TheGrinder44 puts his Main Event life on the line as he looks to keep his title defense alive on Day 5 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event. I had my A-game on day 5, I controlled a lot of pots, and I’m still in.”
Where to watch World Series of Poker main event final table: Schedule, live stream, channel for 2026 WSOP
Stay connected with PokerNews for the latest updates and event information as it becomes available. You’ll also be able to track daily results and navigate the series with ease, with access to structure sheets, schedules, chip counts, payouts, and more. With nearly 100,000 square feet of gaming space, over 2,900 rooms, and iconic replicas of the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, Paris Las Vegas delivers both grandeur and excitement. Also operated by Caesars Entertainment, this French-themed casino has been a standout venue since it opened in 1999.
Most people know the summer series in Las Vegas, where the $10,000 Main Event turns ordinary players into legends. It’s a new development for poker players to deal with this. Everyone remaining has already secured a payout of at least $36,395 from the $1,441,500 prize pool, but players are sure to be gunning for the $357,026 and coveted gold bracelet awaiting the champion.
Glaser has also come close to winning this event before, finishing fourth in 2022. Ivey has more than $54.9 million in prior earnings and has locked up at least $226,172 by making it down to the final six from a field of 108 entries in this year’s PPC. The champion will add theirs to the Chip Reese Memorial trophy, in addition to earning a WSOP bracelet and the top prize of $1,343,764. The day 10 broadcast kicks off on ESPN at 8 p.m. Action resumes on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at approximately 4 p.m.
Breaking from tradition, the $500 Industry Employees no-limit hold’em event moved to the second day of the 2026 WSOP. The 2026 WSOP main event begins on Thursday, July 2, and runs through Monday, July 13. The 35-year-old professional’s latest major addition saw him defeat a field of 466 entries in the 2026 World Series of Poker $10,000 no-limit hold’em super turbo bounty event for $594,246 and his fourth career gold bracelet. All remaining players have locked up at least $325,000 from a prize pool of $85,634,400. It was a disastrous final level, during which Liu went from a stack of over 56 million, and the chip lead late on day 7, to out of the tournament.
As far as the tournament action goes, the 100 live events and 30 online bracelet events held for players located in Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan bears a strong resemblance to the 2025 schedule. This was the first time poker players were able to win a WSOP bracelet online, with the final six playing down at the Rio to crown the winner. This year also marks the launch of MyPlayers, a brand-new, free feature that lets poker fans track their favorite players across all PokerNews live-reported events. Utilizing years of success and experience playing online poker, professional poker player Anthony Spinella won the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event, receiving $197,743 and becoming the first player to win a WSOP bracelet via an online tournament. Duking it out over eight days of poker action, the resilience of the nine remaining players has earned them a seat at poker’s most prestigious final table. Only one day of poker separates the last 21 players in the field from the most coveted final table of the year in poker.
From Aug. 3-5, the final table will play out live on ESPN platforms for the first time in six years, rekindling one of the oldest relationships in poker broadcasting. The fourth-largest WSOP main event of all time features top players from multiple eras of the game, some new standouts, and one previous main event champion looking for the unlikeliest of repeat performances. Only 174 players remain from a field of 9,208 in the 2026 World Series of Poker $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event. As expected, they include Specialty Landmark Mega Satellites taking place each day, allowing players to satellite into the following day’s $5,000 or $10,000 buy-in events.
Today, we continue that tradition with fresh daily updates, breaking news, tournament coverage, player stories, and expert insights that keep you connected to the fast-moving poker world. But high-stakes poker players typically have large amounts of cash and casino chips. Just eight players remain, with bracelet winner Eric Rodawig and former German Soccer pro and poker enthusiast Max Kruse rounding out the top three. A few days later, Super High Roller Bowl XI rolls out on Oct. 8 with a $103,000 buy-in for no-limit hold’em players. Have you talked to American players about coming to play APT events? While the other students in her graduate program spent the summer teaching or taking classes, Welman headed to Las Vegas under the extremely convenient premise that the trip would further her research into poker players.
THE 2026 WORLD SERIES OF POKER MAIN EVENT REACHES IT’S FINAL TABLE
In February 2025, the official 2025 WSOP schedule was released, featuring 100 bracelet events for the very first time. The best Seven Card Stud players in the world are set to battle in one of the most prestigious seven-card tournaments. But there are many other players who could bolster their PHOF credentials with strong performances this summer, potentially taking the induction away from Schulman or Seiver. PokerNews is back again providing unrivaled live reporting coverage of the greatest spectacle in poker for each bracelet event. Coming into the final day of play with a substantial chip lead, Adriaan Jacobs was able to leverage his momentum to win his first WSOP bracelet.
What started as a field of seven in 1970 has grown to an event that draws thousands of poker players from all over the world every year. Known for its rich history and vibrant poker culture, this casino laid the foundation for what would become the World Series of Poker, bringing together legendary players and setting the stage for decades of poker excellence. Daehyung Lee (Seoul, South Korea) – 34,900,000 ChipsDaehyung Lee, 46, is a Korean poker player with cashes across the globe, resulting in over $148 thousand in live tournament winnings. Adam Hendrix (Arlington, Virginia, United States) – 48,000,000 ChipsAdam Hendrix, 32, is a professional poker player from Anchorage, Alaska, who is a familiar face on the pro tournament circuit.
Players can now access all tournament details via the WSOP+ app, which has already been updated with the full schedule. To bring WSOP action to a wider international audience for free, a daily stream will be broadcast live on the official WSOP YouTube channel from May 26 through to the start of the Main Event. After a number of hands were played and small pots exchanged, a flopped ace-nine two pair held by Wasnock would meet its demise after Mizrachi turned a flush with a suited ten-three.
Every summer since 2022, thousands of poker players from all over the world have made the trip to Las Vegas to compete for WSOP bracelets and life-changing money at Horseshoe and Paris. The group of players who reached the final table each year would be dubbed the November Nine, contributing to a significant chapter in WSOP and televised poker history. In an effort to capitalize on popularity and boost viewership, from 2008 to 2016, the WSOP Main Event would play out during the yearly summer series, but would hold the final table of the event four months later in November. A recreational poker player who won his $10,000 buy-in through a $86 online satellite tournament, Moneymaker’s Main Event win inspired people around the world to take up the game of poker both online and live, triggering the Poker Boom of the early 2000’s. Completing one of, if not the greatest career comeback in poker history, Ungar went on to win the 1997 Main Event, joining Johnny Moss as the only two players to win the event 3 times. In the late 1960s, casino magnate Benny Binion aspired to hold an event pitting the best poker players in the world against each other at the poker table.
But it was also one of the first times that I was not just ‘allowed’ to bring my personality to the table but encouraged. Out of all the work that I did in poker, getting asked to be part of Poker Road Radio was always the work I remember most fondly. I’ve done a couple of one-off gigs with Mori’s (Eslkandni) production team when I still lived in Vegas, and I can imagine a world where I offer my services as a spotter for production for the Main.
The cards are in the air for what should be another monster summer for the World Series of Poker in its first year under GGPoker ownership. A second tournament, $500 Industry Employees No-Limit Hold’em, will begin at 2 p.m. We’re all soon going to have those questions answered as the 2025 WSOP officially got underway at Horesehoe and Paris Las Vegas at noon PT on Tuesday. Who will be the surprise of the summer? Will Phil Hellmuth extend his World Seires of Poker (WSOP) bracelet record? Playing one of the most exciting formats offered at the 2026 WSOP, Justin Fawcett nabs his second WSOP bracelet.
The world’s biggest poker festival returns to the Las Vegas Strip from May 26 through July 15, once again staged across Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Pacific Standard Time, the first of six day one flights for the Mini Mystery Millions will begin. Today, Tuesday, May 26, 2026, day one of the 57th annual World Series of Poker begins at the Horseshoe and Paris in Las Vegas, Nevada. Players should follow @WSOP on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram or check WSOP.com for more news and updates on this year’s WSOP event. This agreement restores that historic collaboration, ensuring that the next generation of world champions is crowned in prime time. Bringing the WSOP back reflects our continued commitment to delivering premium competition and that connects with fans in new and exciting ways.”
So apart from the summer WSOP series in Las Vegas, I spend most of my time in Asia. After winning two APT events earlier this year, did you decide to play more APTs? How is the competition different from American players? We experimented with short-form videos, guest blogs from players, including how many blinds a player had, and even just invented a recap show no one at WPT ever asked for called Jess & BJ.
Starting May 26, the streams will bring live action from a revamped TV set featuring some of poker’s most familiar voices. WSOP Circuit tournaments usually enjoy large crowds, but the ones in Las Vegas this summer could break attendance records with so many grinders being in Sin City for the 2026 WSOP. How do you top perhaps the greatest summer in poker history? In any other year, Michael Mizrachi winning the PPC for an unprecedented fourth time might have been the story of the summer, but you might remember “The Grinder” went and added something else to his record as well. Last year, the Millionaire Maker was one of the most talked-about stories of the series, controversial but compelling, it remains a standout event that always draws a massive crowd. The format, which ran from 2008 to 2016, featured a four-month gap between the Main Event final table being set and the next world champion being crowned.
During the 2003 WSOP in what may be the most famous Main Event in history, Chris Moneymaker defeated poker pro Sammy Farha heads-up to win $2.5 million and his lone career bracelet. Since 1989, The Poker Brat has gone on to win 17 WSOP bracelets, and stands as the decisive all-time leader in WSOP victories. Jostens Inc., the current manufacturer of WSOP trophies, creates hundreds of bracelets and rings for event winners at not only the WSOP, but also WSOP Paradise, WSOP Europe, and the WSOP Circuit.
