The most prolific poker tournament on the planet is in full swing. So far, the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event has brought dramatic exits in the form of coolers and bluffs, given hope to recreational players who have bagged big stacks, and left open the faint possibility that the defending champion could go back-to-back.
After four Day 1 starting flights of the Main Event, Ryuta Nakai of Japan has emerged as the outright chip leader heading into Day 2, bagging a stack of 323,000. Still, it’s early doors yet in what is a generously structured, deep stacked event that attracts tens of thousands of players.
The number of entries after the Day 1 starting flights stands at 8,077, a slight drop off from the 2025 event, bringing the prize pool to $75,869,400 so far. Late registration remains open during the first two levels of both Day 2 flights, so those numbers are yet to grow.
Ryuta Nakai Tops Day 1a
Day 1a of the Main Event attracted 772 entries and, of those, 543 survived five levels of play to bag for the evening.
Ryuta Nakai topped the flight, bagging 323,000 chips and claiming the overall chip lead. Nakai has over $2.9 million in tournament winnings, according to The Hendon Mob, but is still on the hunt for his first ever WSOP bracelet after a close call earlier in the series when he finished third in the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
Japanese vlogger Masato Yokosawa made the top ten counts with 221,800. Other big names to make it through included seven-time bracelet winner Scott Seiver (177,700), six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus (109,300), four-time bracelet winner Sam Soverel (112,600), and four-time winner and 2009 Main Event champion Joe Cada (133,600).
Former champions Greg Merson (81,200), Daniel Weinman (79,300), Phil Helmuth (66,000), and Damian Salas (54,900) also bagged on Day 1a, each looking to join the elite and exclusive club of veterans who have won more than one Main Event.
2026 WSOP Main Event Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Position | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ryuta Nakai | Japan | 323,000 |
| 2 |  Igor Pansovoi | United States | 300,300 |
| 3 |  Gregory Sly | Australia | 254,500 |
| 4 |  Arie Kliper | Israel | 254,100 |
| 5 | Go Kato | United States | 245,700 |
| 6 |  Domenico Gala | Italy | 241,000 |
| 7 | Richard Rohr | United States | 229,100 |
| 8 | Masato Yokosawa | Japan | 221,800 |
| 9 | Earl Goodman | United States | 221,600 |
| 10 | Matthew Russell | United States | 217,300 |
Reigning Champion Makes it Through on Day 1b
After making a grand entrance to rival Phil Helmuth’s, reigning champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi was awarded his ninth WSOP bracelet ceremoniously during the first break for winning the $10,000 PLO Championship. He went on to bag a modest but respectable 73,200 in Day 1b of the Main Event, leaving open the possibility that he could make it two in a row.
Day 1b attracted 1,038 entries, with 759 players advancing. Top of the counts was Osmar Rockenbach, a relatively unknown player from Brazil, who bagged 286,900. He was joined in the top ten by previous bracelet winners Ali Eslami (256,000) and Shota Nakanishi (242,000).
Other notable players who advanced included four-time bracelet winner Joao Simao (134,000), 2004 Main Event champion Greg “Fossilman” Raymer (122,300), and three-time bracelet winner Antonio Esfandiari (34,300).
2026 WSOP Main Event Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Position | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Osmar Rockenbach | Brazil | 286,900 |
| 2 | Michael Stembera | United States | 270,300 |
| 3 | Damarjai Davenport | United States | 263,000 |
| 4 | William Watson | United States | 262,000 |
| 5 | Shawn Savage | United States | 261,500 |
| 6 | Ali Eslami | United States | 256,200 |
| 7 | Shota Nakanishi | Japan | 242,000 |
| 8 | Adam Matues | United States | 228,000 |
| 9 |  Cassandra Yong | United Kingdom | 224,300 |
| 10 |  Tomas Teran | Venezuela | 223,500 |
Bulgarian Pro Tops Day 1c
Day 1c pulled in 1,573 entries, with 1,166 players making it through the flight. Yulian Bogdanov of Bulgaria topped Day 1c with 315,000 chips. Although he has no bracelets to his name, Bogdanov has over $3.8 million in tournament winnings, according to The Hendon Mob, and is riding the wave after an excellent year in 2025 that closed out with him winning the PS Open Main Event in Prague.
Lawrence Brandt (292,800), Freddy Deeb (267,800), and 2025 Irish Open Champion Simon Wilson (264,000) were among those to finish with a top ten stack.
Seven-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh also bagged a significant stack (158,000) in Day 1c, as did seven-time bracelet winner and Hall of Famer Brian Rast (119,000).
2026 WSOP Main Event Day 1c Top 10 Chip Counts
| Position | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Yulian Bogdanov | Bulgaria | 315,000 |
| 2 |  Arturas Astrauskas | Lithuania | 296,700 |
| 3 | Lawrence Brandt | United States | 292,800 |
| 4 | Rahul Gangan | United States | 291,600 |
| 5 | Jourdan Baptiste | United States | 281,600 |
| 6 | Justin Arnwine | United States | 280,600 |
| 7 |  Gaspar Fernandez | Argentina | 279,000 |
| 8 |  Freddy Deeb | Lebanon | 267,800 |
| 9 |  Simon Wilson | Ireland | 264,000 |
| 10 |  Naveen Sama | India | 256,500 |
Legends and Controversial Players Bag in Packed Day 1d
Day 1d is a notoriously busy flight in the WSOP Main Event, and this year was no different, with 4,694 players packing out the rafters in the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas.
US high stakes pro Taylor von Kriegenbergh topped the counts with 312,800. Kriegenbergh has over $9 million in live tournament winnings, including a $1,835,000 fifth place finish in the 2025 Triton Montenegro Invitational, his biggest score to date.
His name was overshadowed, however, by the hoards of legendary names and faces who found the bag on Day 1d, including Viktor Blom (217,000), both halves of poker’s power couple, Alex Foxen (156,300) and Kristen Foxen (156,300), Shaun Deeb (86,900), Daniel Negreanu (54,100), and UFC fighter Sean O’Malley (43,700).
A couple of poker’s most controversial players also made it through the flight. Will Kassouf has been keeping a low profile after his “speech-play” got out of hand last year, earning him a ban. He bagged for 73,000.
Martin Kabrhel, meanwhile, has been up to his usual antics, shouting out his “Casino Royale!” and “Not Like Thaaaat!” signature catchphrases as he built a respectable stack of 202,000 in the Main Event. Kabrhel is on the hunt for his second bracelet of the series after he won Event #20: $3,200 High Roller, all while multi-tabling three tournaments.
2026 WSOP Main Event Day 1d Top 10 Chip Counts
| Position | Player | Country | Chips | Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taylor von Kriegenbergh | United States | 312,800 | 391 |
| 2 | Michael Comisso | United States | 293,000 | 366 |
| 3 | Sean Costa | United States | 292,600 | 365 |
| 4 | Michael Rossitto | Italy | 289,300 | 361 |
| 5 | Terrence Burke | Ireland | 287,000 | 358 |
| 6 | David Wells | United States | 283,000 | 353 |
| 7 | Juan Becerra | United States | 277,000 | 346 |
| 8 | Jameson Kauch | United States | 263,500 | 329 |
| 9 | Gonzalo Almada | Argentina | 256,100 | 320 |
| 10 |  Alexander Dovzhenko | Ukraine | 255,000 | 318 |
What’s Next at the 2026 World Series of Poker?
The 2026 WSOP Main Event continues with Day 2abc, running on July 6, starting at 11 a.m. Vegas time. The 2,468 players from the first three starting flights combine to play a massive day. Expect bustouts galore as chip leaders begin to pull away from the field.
The 4,694 players who advanced from Day 1d will return for Day 2d on Tuesday, July 7, with the same start time scheduled.
With late registration still open for the first two levels of each Day 2, the numbers will grow bigger, while the full prize pool and payouts are yet to be confirmed. Everyone who makes it through the Day 2s will then merge to play down to the final table over the course of Day 3 -8, before the finalists return in early August.
| Date | Time | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 6 | 11:00 AM | Day 2abc |
| Tuesday, July 7 | 11:00 AM | Day 2d |
| Wednesday, July 8 | 11:00 AM | Day 3 |
| Thursday, July 9 | 11:00 AM | Day 4 |
| Friday, July 10 | 11:00 AM | Day 5 |
| Saturday, July 11 | 11:00 AM | Day 6 |
| Sunday, July 12 | 11:00 AM | Day 7 |
| Monday, July 13 | 11:00 AM | Day 8 |
| Monday, August 3 | 6:00 PM | Final Table Day 1 |
| Tuesday, August 4 | 6:00 PM | Final Table Day 2 |
| Wednesday, August 5 | 6:00 PM | Final Table Day 3 |
2026 WSOP Main Event in Numbers
- Day 1a – 772 entries, 543 players advanced
- Day 1b – 1,038 entries, 759 advanced
- Day 1c – 4,694 entries, 1,166 advanced
- Day 1d – 4,694 entries, 3,638 advanced
- Total Day 1 – 8,077 entries, 6,106 advanced
- Prize Pool – $75,869,400 (late registration open during first two levels of Day 2)
