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.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
After both big buy-in High Roller and Seven Card Stud events at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP), PokerNews has decided to take a deep dive into the history of said formats at the series.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
Allen Kessler, the min-cash extraordinaire, is potentially hours away from, after all these years, winning his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet.
"The Chainsaw" called his shot in April, predicting he'd finally get off the schneid this summer and capture a coveted gold bracelet.
Kessler first cashed at the WSOP in 2001, a 16th-place finish for $5,710 in $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo Split, a tournament won by Poker Hall of Famer Scotty Nguyen. Since then, he's been a mainstay at the Series, racking up cashes left and right. But, on Sunday, he just might get over the hump and finish one of these tournaments as the last player standing.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
There was no shortage of big moments and big hands during the first week of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Daniel Negreanu lost a 10:1 chip lead thanks to a three-outer in the Sweet 16 of Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship. Phil Hellmuth made an 18th bracelet run that fell short when he ran into the nut flush. And one player avoided complete disaster when he suffered a brutal cooler with quads.
Day 2d of Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack starts at 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 7. Late registration remains open until the end of level 11, marking the final chance to enter the Monster Stack.
As it stands, the prize pool is already at $14,952,960 and the field size is at 10,493.
Linyang Song bagged 1,215,000 to lead the Day 2d field as they start. Second is Aleksei Dronov with 1,075,000, and Samoul Mang is in third with 915,000.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linyang Song | Canada | 1,215,000 |
| 2 | Aleksei Dronov | Russian Federation | 1,075,000 |
| 3 | Samoul Mang | United States | 915,000 |
| 4 | Davide Culotta | Italy | 895,000 |
| 5 | Michael Jukich | United States | 845,000 |
| 6 | Rehman Kassam | United Kingdom | 680,000 |
| 7 | Alexander Ivarsson | Sweden | 595,000 |
| 8 | Ian Modder | Canada | 582,500 |
| 9 | Jose Mas | United States | 555,500 |
| 10 | Ruben Correia | Portuguese | 527,000 |
Poker legend Kathy Liebert (255,000) and Poker Hall of Famer David Oppenheim (53,500) will also be back on Day 2d.
Among the players who will join them are Satoshi Tanaka (454,000), Scott Ball (408,000), Justin Fawcett (373,000), Upeshka Desilva (321,500), Andrew Moreno (267,000), Timur Margolin (266,500), Anthony Zinno (218,000), Bryan Schultz (217,000), and Bradley Jansen (206,500).
With slightly shorter stacks are Renji Mao (172,000), Julien Sitbon (163,500), Martin Zamani (161,500), Matt Glantz (140,000), Chris Moorman (132,500), and Olga Iermolcheva (76,400).
Play will resume with Level 11, blinds 1,000/2,500 with 2,500 big blind ante. Levels remain 60-minutes long, and there will be 15-minute breaks after Level 11 (for the close of registration) and every two subsequent levels, plus a 60-minute dinner break after Level 17 (about 6:45 p.m.).
Day 2 will conclude after ten levels, at which time the remaining players will bag their chips. They will return at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 8, along with the survivors of all other Day 2s, for Day 3 and another 10 levels of play. PokerNews traditional coverage of this event will begin on Day 3.
Planning on playing this event? PokerNews activates MyStack for every WSOP event, regardless of that tournament's buy-in, allowing you to directly adjust your chip counts in our live reporting
MyStack is a free poker tool that puts you in control of your chip counts on our live reporting pages. Once you have created a free PokerNews account, you can use MyStack to update your chip counts in real time; hopefully, your stack will continue increasing throughout the event!
Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on legends like Daniel Negreanu or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you. No subscriptions, no paywalls - just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most.
It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.
From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.
Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em
Day 2d Started
button in Safari
