PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 3 (June 8). 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 #18: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em
Day 2b Completed
Day 2b of Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack began with 667 survivors from Day 1b. The field was then joined by 311 additional late registrants in the first blind level. From this total of 978 players, 126 remained at the close of play.
These players will join the other Day 2 survivors for a combined Day 3 on Monday, June 8.
Play ran for 10 levels, at the end of which Jason Funke was in pole position with 8,500,000 in his stack. He was followed by Ronnie Diaz and John Lizzio in joint second with 6,850,000.
High stakes regular Kenny Hallaert (2,405,000) was also in the top ten.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jason Funke | 8,500,000 | United States | 340 |
| =2 | Ronnie Diaz | 6,850,000 | United States | 274 |
| =2 | John Lizzio | 6,850,000 | United States | 274 |
| 4 | Divakaran Marella | 6,060,000 | United States | 242 |
| 5 | Cesar Flores | 5,750,000 | United States | 230 |
| 6 | Andrew Rosskamm | 4,300,000 | United States | 172 |
| 7 | Michael Byers | 2,885,000 | United States | 115 |
| 8 | Kenny Hallaert | 2,405,000 | Belgium | 96 |
| 9 | Chang-An Chen | 2,250,000 | Taiwan | 90 |
| 10 | Amritraj Singh | 2,185,000 | United States | 87 |
Some other big names to make it through Day 2c were Gabriel Andrade (2,070,000), Jonas Lauck (1,905,000), Ankush Mandavia (1,120,000), David Jackson (645,000), Stephen Song (565,000), Eric Baldwin (545,000), and Jason Daly (495,000).
All the players who make it through the Day 2 flights will join the combined on Day 3 to play another 10 levels. Blinds will start at 10,000/25,000 and a 25,000 big blind ante.
Day 3 of the Monster Stack starts at 11:00 a.m. local time on June 8, which is also when PokerNews' traditional coverage of this tournament begins.
Below are the final chip counts for Day 2b according to the WSOP LIVE app.
Upon completion of level 20, only 126 players out of the total 2,214 entries for the opening two flights have bagged up their chips at the end of Day 2b and advanced to Day 2. The full chip counts of all survivors will be published later tonight.
The poker world moves fast and during massive events, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everyone. Whether you’re following a high-stakes pro, a local hero from your home game, or a family member chasing a bracelet, PokerNews makes it even easier with the new MyPlayers feed — your personalized updates feed for tracking the players you care about in one place.
Build your custom watchlist by clicking the star icon next to a player in the live reporting feed, and they’ll be pinned to the top of chip counts and tracked in a single, real-time feed as the action unfolds.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
Changes to television and livestream coverage have been made for the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Major changes.
But fear not, the biggest event of the year in poker will be easily accessible to fans around the world, for free (well, most of it).
ESPN returns to cover the Main Event this year, but the rest of the 2026 WSOP will be available for livestreaming on the WSOP's official social media channels.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
Hustler Casino Live will not be livestreaming at Hustler Casino in Los Angeles on Friday night like it has done weekly for nearly four years.
No, the show hasn't been cancelled. Instead, the most popular poker livestream is airing the first of a handful of special High Stakes Live cash games at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas.
The game will be $100/$200 no-limit hold'em with a $50,000 minimum buy-in. Many Hustler Casino Live regulars such as Nik Airball and Britney will be in action. PokerGO's Brent Hanks and high roller Alan Keating will be in the booth commentating on the game. As HCL co-owner Ryan Feldman said, this is just the start of the LA cash game show partnering with the WSOP.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
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