PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (June 17). Until then, we will be keeping readers informed with updates on chip counts and core event statistics, including entries and prize pool. Scroll down to see more.
Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Completed
From a field of 1,561, just 274 players remain after Day 1 of Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout, and there is plenty of star power near the top of the counts.
James Goldblatt (780,000) may be the clear chip leader, but five bracelet winners feature in the top 10, including Tom Hall (635,000) and Faraz Jaka (482,000), as well as 25k Fantasy Draft picks Marco Johnson (490,000) and Christian Roberts (452,000).
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Goldblatt | United States | 780,000 | 130 |
| 2 | Gerald Stogner | United States | 646,000 | 108 |
| 3 | Tom Hall | United Kingdom | 635,000 | 106 |
| 4 | Honghao Zhang | China | 510,000 | 85 |
| 5 | John Ypma | United States | 495,000 | 83 |
| 6 | Marco Johnson | United States | 490,000 | 82 |
| 7 | Faraz Jaka | United States | 482,000 | 80 |
| 8 | Alexander Condon | United States | 460,000 | 77 |
| 9 | Scott Drobes | United States | 457,000 | 76 |
| 10 | Christian Roberts | United States | 452,000 | 75 |
Speaking of star power, it was a good start for defending WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi who sits just outside the top 10 with 437,000. In fact, he's one of three former Main Event champions through to Day 2, including Joe McKeehen (425,000) and Jonathan Tamayo (156,000).
The list of notables through to Day 2 is extensive, but looking forward to action resuming will be three-time WSOP bracelet winner Naoya Kihara, PokerStars Ambassador Maria Konnikova, and PokerNews podcast host Mike Holtz.
On Day 2, levels increase to 60 minutes with play getting underway at 1 p.m. The plan is to play ten levels, with a 15-minute break after every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 21.
PokerNews live updates begin on Day 2, so stay tuned to all the action, bustouts, and double-ups right here.
Day 1 of Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em has concluded. There were 1,561 entries and, of those, 275 players found the bag to return for Day 2.
According to the WSOP LIVE app, James Goldblatt is in the lead with 780,000.
There are two ways to follow the World Series of Poker this summer. You can get lost in an endless sea of tweets, chip counts and social media beef, or you can tailor the coverage to match your exact interests.
PokerNews MyPlayers lets you do the latter, acting as a personalized feed for the players you actually care about. When a player on your radar gets written about, their chip count updated, or makes a final table, it lands directly in your custom feed with no searching required.
So if you want to build the ultimate summer rail list right now, look no further.
With late registration closed, the prize pool and payouts for this event have now been confirmed. The total prize pool is $3,473,225. The top 235 players will make the money, with $513,885 reserved for the outright winner.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $513,885 | 18 -26 | $18,470 |
| 2 | $341,970 | 27 -35 | $15,300 |
| 3 | $246,800 | 36 -44 | $12,830 |
| 4 | $180,210 | 45 -53 | $10,920 |
| 5 | $133,170 | 54 -62 | $9,420 |
| 6 | $99,590 | 63 -71 | $8,240 |
| 7 | $75,390 | 72 -80 | $7,310 |
| 8 | $57,780 | 81 -89 | $6,580 |
| 9 | $44,840 | 90 -98 | $6,010 |
| 10 -11 | $35,230 | 99 -125 | $5,570 |
| 12 -13 | $28,050 | 126 -152 | $5,240 |
| 14 -17 | $22,610 | 153 -235 | $5,000 |
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
When Kristen Foxen won the 2026 WSOP $25,000 High Roller, it was her first outright victory in a major nosebleed event. It was also the exclamation point on one of the most sustained periods of elite tournament poker anyone has produced in recent memory.
Since finishing 13th in the 2024 WSOP Main Event for $600,000, the six-time bracelet winner has been making final tables so regularly they might as well reserve her a seat. Few, if any, have come close to matching her record in that time. And with the WSOP just two weeks in, there's no indication she's stopping any time soon.
Four seven-figure scores. Twenty-three final tables. Nearly $11 million in prize money. Almost all of it earned against the best players in the world, in the toughest tournaments.
Jared Bleznick, who has featured on the World Series of Poker (WSOP) livestream, received backlash from some poker fans after comments he made about Monday's Seniors High Roller event during a broadcast.
The sports cards entrepreneur and founder of Blez Sports let it be known while in the commentary booth that he was none too thrilled with the cameras shifting away from the $250,000 Super High Roller to some Seniors High Roller coverage.
This year's daily WSOP livestreams focus mostly on one event, but also dip away at times to catch up on action in other bracelet events. Bleznick, a colorful commentator and accomplished high-stakes player, didn't seem to appreciate the additional coverage on Monday.
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
Brayden Lou managed to improve on an already outstanding year with a remarkable victory in the $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em at the 2026 World Series of Poker.
After weeding his way through a field of 4,100, the inexperienced Lou wrestled the crown away from Jason Hoffman heads-up to claim the $196,066 winner’s share of a $1,701,500 prize pool.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Lou said. “I guess I can scratch this off my bucket list. I ran well, played well. That’s how it usually goes for tournament winners.”
Not that Lou would know, considering he won a gold bracelet in just his fourth ever live tournament.
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