PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (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.
Many poker fans have been critical of Nikhil "Nik Airball" Arcot's game the past few years.
Some think he's a fish, especially after he lost $1 million in little time in a heads-up contest against Matt Berkey at Resorts World in Las Vegas three years ago. But since that one-sided match, Airball has been crushing it, at least on livestreams.
The self-proclaimed "King of LA," according to the HighRollPoker.com database, was down nearly $878,000 on poker livestreams in December 2023. He hasn't since just erased those losses. Airball, after a strong outing this weekend on Hustler Casino Live's High Stakes Live streams at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), is closing in on being the most profitable livestream ring game player ever.
Level 11 has begun meaning late registration is now over. This event attracted 4,105 entrants, of those, these are the players remaining with the biggest stacks, 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.
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.
In a world where reentries are the norm, Event #25: $500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout dares to be different. One of the cheapest events on the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule should see a few thousand poker players from far and wide descend on the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, hoping to turn a single $500 investment into a bracelet and a six-figure score.
Day 1 begins at 10 a.m. local time on June 7, with players starting their quest for WSOP glory with a 25,000 starting stack. The plan is to complete 22 levels, each spanning 30 minutes, with a 20-minute break every four levels. Whoever reaches the end of Level 14 (approx. 6 p.m. local time) will head for a well-deserved 75-minute dinner break.
It is an 11 a.m. local time start on Monday, June 8, for the second and final day of this event. Levels remain at 30 minutes throughout, with 15-minute breaks every four levels. The tournament director will announce any plans for a dinner break during play.
In 2025, Craig Savage left a trail of 5,081 opponents in his wake as he turned his $500 investment into his first bracelet and $229,628 in prize money. Savage defeated Tony Harrison heads-up for the title, resigning the runner-up to a still impressive $152,874 consolation prize.
PokerNews traditional coverage of the $500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout 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.
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Event #25: $500 Freezeout No-Limit Holdem
Day 1 Started
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