button in SafariThousands More Expected to Attempt to Slay the Monster Stack on Day 1b
It’s a 10 a.m. local time start on June 4 for Day 1b of Event #18 $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold’em at the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The $1,500 Monster Stack is one of the most popular no-limit hold’em tournaments on the schedule, featuring four starting flights and attracting massive fields thanks to its deep structure and accessible buy-in.
This multi-day event is expected to draw thousands of entrants across all flights, all competing for a substantial first-place prize likely exceeding $1,000,000, along with the coveted WSOP gold bracelet.
📌 Event Snapshot
- Event: #18 – $1,500 Monster Stack
- Date(s): June 3-9
- Time: 10 a.m. local time
- Buy-In: $1,500
- Format: No-Limit Hold’em
- Flights: 4 (Day 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d)
- Late Registration: Open until the end of Level 11 (Day 2)
- Starting Stack: 50,000 chips
- Levels: 60 minutes
- 2025 Winner: Klemens Roiter ($1,204,457)
- 2025 Field Size: 9,920 entries
- 2025 Prize Pool: $13,148,390
Structure and Schedule
Monster Stack entrants begin their journey with a 50,000 starting stack. Day 1a kicked off on June 3, Day 1b runs today, Day 1c on June 5, and Day 1d on June 6.
Each Day 1 flight will return for Day 2 the following day at 11 a.m., so Day 2a is on June 4, Day 2b is on June 5, Day 2c is on June 6, and Day 2d is on June 7. The survivors of all Day 2s will finally come together on Day 3, Monday, June 8, at 11 a.m. Day 4 is scheduled for 11 a.m. on June 9, and the finale will be held on June 10.
PokerNews traditional coverage will begin on Day 3.[/I]
Each starting flight is scheduled to play 10 levels, each lasting 60 minutes, with 20-minute breaks every two levels and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 8 at about 7 p.m. Each Day 2 will also play 10 60-minute levels, with 15-minute breaks every two levels (an extra break after Level 11 for the close of late registration) and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 17.
What Happened on Day 1a?
Day 1a, the first of four flights, saw 1,514 entrants reduced to a more manageable 538. Zhijian Zhang (607,000) was the overnight chip leader. Dozens of bracelet winners were among those 538 survivors, including Martin Kabrhel (296,500), Patrick Leonard (239,000), John Juanda (119,000), Michael Gathy (93,000), and Chris Moorman (85,000).
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhijian Zhang | United States | 607,000 | 243 |
| 2 | David McMillan | United States | 555,000 | 222 |
| 3 | David Kowal | United States | 467,500 | 187 |
| 4 | Francis Rusnak | United States | 462,500 | 185 |
| 5 | Adrian Collado | Spain | 458,500 | 183 |
| 6 | Pierre-Jean Roche | France | 431,000 | 172 |
| 7 | Caio Falopa Ozawa | Brazil | 412,500 | 165 |
| 8 | Uri Reichenstein | Israel | 404,500 | 162 |
| 9 | Cale Treacy | Australia | 398,000 | 159 |
| 10 | James Rowe | United Kingdom | 393,000 | 157 |
Past Champions & History
Klemens Roiter captured the title in 2025, navigating a massive field of 9,920 entries to claim $1,204,457 and his first WSOP bracelet. Roiter defeated David Uvaydov heads-up to secure the victory and the lion’s share of the $13,168,800 prize pool.
The Monster Stack has built a reputation as one of the most popular events on the WSOP schedule, regularly generating enormous fields thanks to its deep structure and multi-flight format.
Other champions include Braxton Dunaway, Pedro Neves, Mike Jukich, and Michael Noori.
Are You Using MyStack?
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