With his newfound chips, Chance Kornuth opened the minimum to 200,000 from the hijack and only Artur Martirosian came along from the big blind.
Martirosian check-called a bet of 140,000 from Kornuth on the Q♦9♦A♣ flop.
The 7♠ arrived on the turn and Martirosian check-called a second bet from Kornuth, this time for 485,000.
The 4♦ river checked through and Martirosian's A♠3♥ for top pair was enough to take down the pot.
For many, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) is about big buy-ins, bigger prizes, and the all-important gold bracelet. But what if you don't have the bankroll required to enter the high-stakes events, nor the desire to play them even if you have the collateral? Is the WSOP off limits to you?
Absolutely not because there are plenty of 2026 WSOP events you can play if you are on a tighter budget (21 events cost $1,000 or less) than the game's superstar grinders. We’ve got five of the best of them.
Marius Gierse opened to 200,000 in early position and Chance Kornuth three-bet to 775,000 in the cutoff with just a few green 25,000 chips behind. Gierse four-bet jammed and Kornuth quickly called.
Chance Kornuth: A♣A♦ 
Marius Gierse: J♥J♦
Kornuth had aces at the right time and the board ran out Q♣4♣3♣7♥8♣ to improve him to the nut flush to double up.
Artur Martirosian made it 200,000 from the hijack with Pavel Plesuv calling in the cutoff and Yosuke Miki defending from the big blind.
Miki and Martirosian checked to Plesuv after seeing the 3♠Q♣9♥ flop, and Plesuv decided to place out a bet of 225,000. Miki folded and Martirosian called.
A second check came from Martirosian on the 5♦ turn, and Plesuv fired a second barrel of 750,000. Again, Martirosian just called.
The K♣ completed the board, prompting Martirosian to lead out for 650,000. Plesuv used one of his time banks before eventually deciding to fold, surrendering the pot to Martirosian.
Klemens Roiter made it 200,000 on the button and Pavel Plesuv called from the big blind.
Plesuv checked to Roiter on the 2♦3♣K♥ flop and Roiter fired a continuation-bet of 135,000. Plesuv came back with a check-raise to 425,000, which was enough to convince Roiter to toss his cards away.
There are many ways to get lucky deep in a World Series of Poker (WSOP) event. For one player on Monday in Event #25: $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em, that way was by accidentally calling an all-in bet.
A crazy hand ensued on Day of a tournament that had 4,100 entrants and was down to 103 players. The payouts at the time were small, with the next elimination taking home just $1,702. But the top two finishers will receive a six-figure payout, so winning all ins at that point were valuable.
Douglas Cowell, however, ended up losing his stack during the barely-better-than-a-min-cash phase of the tournament, all because of a mistake his opponent, Scott Coyle, made.
The final seven players have taken their seats and play has started in Event #24: $25,000 High Roller Six Handed No-Limit.
Level: 19
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Just seven players remain in Event #24: $25,000 High Roller Six Handed No-Limit Hold’em at the 2026 World Series of Poker, with American high-stakes professional Sean Winter sitting at the top heading into the final day at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
The tournament attracted a total of 242 entries, generating a prize pool of $5,687,000. After two days of six-handed poker, only seven players remain in contention for the top prize of $1,286,285 and the WSOP gold bracelet.
Winter bagged 7,950,000 at the end of Day 2, while Russian crusher Artur Martirosian sits second in chips with 6,545,000. Moldovan bracelet winner Pavel Plesuv rounds out the top three with 5,965,000.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pavel Plesuv | Moldova, Republic of | 5,965,000 | 60 |
| 2 | Chance Kornuth | United States | 835,000 | 8 |
| 3 | Sean Winter | United States | 7,950,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Yosuke Miki | Japan | 4,605,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Marius Gierse | Austria | 3,888,000 | 39 |
| 6 | Klemens Roiter | Austria | 4,530,000 | 45 |
| 7 | Artur Martirosian | Russian Federation | 6,545,000 | 65 |
Also returning for the final day are Japan's Yosuke Miki (4,605,000), Austria's Klemens Roiter (4,530,000) and Marius Gierse (3,888,000), while four-time bracelet winner Chance Kornuth comes back as the short stack with 835,000.
Winter, Miki, and Gierse are still searching for their first WSOP bracelet, while Martirosian already owns three and is looking to add another major title to his resume. Plesuv is chasing his second, and Kornuth returns with just eight big blinds that he needs to spin up if he wants to add a fifth bracelet to his collection.
Play resumes at 1:30 p.m. local time at the beginning of Level 19 at blinds of 50,000/100,000 and a 100,000 big blind ante, and levels will continue to be one hour in length.
Each remaining player is already guaranteed $159,884, while all eyes remain fixed on the seven-figure top prize and the WSOP gold bracelet.
In line with the live stream coverage, which is scheduled for roughly 6 p.m., PokerNews live reporting will be provided on delay to avoid spoilers once play reaches the official final table of six.
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $1,286,285 |
| 2 | $857,510 |
| 3 | $597,635 |
| 4 | $421,718 |
| 5 | $301,347 |
| 6 | $218,091 |
| 7 | $159,884 |
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of the $25,000 High Roller Six Handed No-Limit Hold’em throughout the 2026 World Series of Poker.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pavel Plesuv | Moldova, Republic of | 5,965,000 | 6 |
| 2 | Chance Kornuth | United States | 835,000 | 8 |
| 3 | Sean Winter | United States | 7,950,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Yosuke Miki | Japan | 4,605,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Marius Gierse | Austria | 3,888,000 | 39 |
| 6 | Klemens Roiter | Austria | 4,530,000 | 45 |
| 7 | Artur Martirosian | Russian Federation | 6,545,000 | 65 |
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