PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (June 7). 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.
In the 969th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas for the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
To kick things off, they talk about a big hand played by Phil Ivey, one that left the usually stone-faced poker pro in shock. See the hand and learn what happened! From there, it's a discussion on why Jeremy Ausmus may have been denied a vlogger pass, big names falling just short of gold bracelets, and Alan Keating no-showing the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
Speaking of that tournament, Daniel Negreanu was cruising right along until he suffered a series of unfortunate events, including a river bad beat that you can see in this episode. Some other things you can see are the $1,000,000 bounty pull from the $550 Mini Mystery Millions tournament and highlights from the Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) Event #100 with Matt Stout.
Finally, the PokerNews Podcast has a new sponsor in Think Jerky, and as fate would have it, there's a poker connection between Chad and the brand's Pat's Cheesesteak stick that dates back more than a decade to a poker game in Philadelphia. Learn all about that, and while you're at it, be sure to check out Think Jerky!
Find out all about those stories and more in this week's episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
The world of poker strategy has become increasingly solver-driven over the last decade, with players obsessing over balanced ranges, GTO outputs, and technical perfection.
But according to Nacho Cuesta, creator of Master Poker Tells, there’s still a huge part of the game many players are completely overlooking: human behavior.
Cuesta has spent the last five years building what he describes as a structured system for reading live poker tells, breaking down unconscious behaviors into categories including eye movement, betting patterns, verbal cues, and body language. In the process, he says he identified something missing from almost all traditional tells content - structure.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
In the 969th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas for the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
To kick things off, they talk about a big hand played by Phil Ivey, one that left the usually stone-faced poker pro in shock. See the hand and learn what happened! From there, it's a discussion on why Jeremy Ausmus may have been denied a vlogger pass, big names falling just short of gold bracelets, and Alan Keating no-showing the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship.
Speaking of that tournament, Daniel Negreanu was cruising right along until he suffered a series of unfortunate events, including a river bad beat that you can see in this episode. Some other things you can see are the $1,000,000 bounty pull from the $550 Mini Mystery Millions tournament and highlights from the Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) Event #100 with Matt Stout.
Finally, the PokerNews Podcast has a new sponsor in Think Jerky, and as fate would have it, there's a poker connection between Chad and the brand's Pat's Cheesesteak stick that dates back more than a decade to a poker game in Philadelphia. Learn all about that, and while you're at it, be sure to check out Think Jerky!
Find out all about those stories and more in this week's episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
Cards get in the air at 12 p.m. local time on June 5 for Day 1a of Event #22: $1,500 Big O at the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, with a second starting flight at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday, June 6). This five-card Omaha Hi-Lo variant continues to grow in popularity, offering bigger pots and more action than its four-card counterpart.
The $1,500 Big O is expected to attract a large field of split-pot specialists and action players alike, all looking to navigate the complexities of five-card Omaha Hi-Lo and capture a WSOP gold bracelet.
$1,500 Big O entrants begin their journey with two starting flights, beginning with Day 1a at 12 p.m. local time on June 5, followed by Day 1b at 2 p.m. on June 6. Each player starts with a 25,000-chip stack. Both starting flights play down to approximately 10% of the field; Payouts begin on Day 1).
Levels are 40 minutes long, with 15-minute breaks every three levels. Day 1a features a 60-minute dinner break after Level 9. Late registration remains open through Level 9, allowing players the opportunity to enter or re-enter during the early stages of play.
Survivors from both flights return for Day 2, Sunday, June 7, where the field continues to narrow as players battle through the split-pot format.
Day 3 will play down to a champion, with the remaining players competing for the title and a WSOP gold bracelet.
Igor Zektser captured the title in 2025, topping a field of 1,499 entries to win $297,285 and his first WSOP bracelet.
The $1,500 Big O event has become an increasingly popular addition to the WSOP schedule, drawing players who enjoy the added complexity and action of five-card Omaha Hi-Lo.
Other champions include Michael Christ, and Scott Abrams, who has also found success in this format, highlighting the event’s appeal among split-pot specialists.
PokerNews traditional coverage of the $1,500 Big O begins on Day 2.
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 #22: $1,500 Big O
Day 1a Started
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