PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (June 9). 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 #30: $1,500 Limit Hold’em 7-Handed
Day 1 Completed
Event #30: $1,500 Limit Hold'em 7-Handed drew in a crowd of 510 entrants to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, but only 105 of those starters bagged and tagged chips at the close of play. While it was Laura Wolkoff who, according to the WSOP LIVE app, bagged 312,000 chips and the title of chip leader, it is the man in second place in the counts who caught the eye.
Ronnie Bardah (296,000) has an excellent record for reaching the money places in the WSOP Main Event. He is also a dab hand at Fixed Limit Hold'em events, too. In 2012, Bardah won a bracelet in the $2,500 Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event. The following year, he finished third in the $5,000 Limit Hold'em. Bardah navigated to back-to-back $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship final tables in 2023 and 2024. Now he's on course for yet another deep run in this format.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laura Wolkoff | United States | 312,000 | 26 |
| 2 | Ronnie Bardah | United States | 296,000 | 25 |
| 3 | Yuxi Huang | China | 295,000 | 25 |
| 4 | Gregory Sessler | United States | 287,000 | 24 |
| 5 | Ni Hansen | United States | 270,000 | 23 |
| 6 | Michael Solheim | United States | 266,000 | 22 |
| 7 | Robert Albrecht | United States | 254,000 | 21 |
| 8 | Bradley Jansen | United States | 254,000 | 21 |
| 9 | Ryan Lawrence | United States | 240,000 | 20 |
| 10 | Robert Rowland | United States | 230,000 | 19 |
If Bardah is to come out on top in this event, he's going to have to clash with some talented poker players along the way. Yuxi Huang (295,000) and Bradley Jansen (254,000) return in the top 10, while David Bach (211,000), Dong Chen (209,000), Dara Taherpour (165,000), and Christian Roberts (163,000) are in the top 25.
Day 2 also sees the likes of Yuri Dzivielevski (154,000), Patrick Leonard (142,000), Eli Elezra (109,000), Maxx Coleman (78,000), Todd Witteles (75,000), Ian Johns (61,000), and Robert Mizrachi (52,000) return for another 10 levels of min-bet action.
The 105 Day 1 survivors return to their seats from 1:00 p.m. local time on June 9. Another 10 levels are planned, which should edge this event close to its final table. Join PokerNews then if Fixed Limit Hold'em is your game of choice.
Here are the chip counts of the 105 players who progressed to Day 2, according to the WSOP LIVE app.
You can pretty much go ahead and pencil in Shaun Deeb (and a few others) among those who will, to quote Jason Somerville, “run it up” this summer at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP). But there are others who will shine during poker's most prestigious series, some of whom just might win their first bracelet.
The WSOP Player of the Year race, won by Deeb last year, began with WSOP Europe earlier this year. Deeb kickstarted his title defense with six cashes and two runner-up finishes in Prague. Many of the summer grinders didn't travel across the pond, including Daniel Negreanu.
Despite the head start, the reigning POY is no lock to win it again. There are others who figure to factor into the race. Or, at the very least, post impressive results in Las Vegas.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
The total prize pool for this event is $677,025. The top 77 players will make the money, with $133,704 set aside for the outright winner.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $133,704 | 10 -11 | $8,791 |
| 2 | $88,053 | 12 -14 | $6,951 |
| 3 | $59,247 | 15 -20 | $5,638 |
| 4 | $40,732 | 21 -27 | $4,693 |
| 5 | $28,626 | 28 -34 | $4,012 |
| 6 | $20,576 | 35 -41 | $3,525 |
| 7 | $15,134 | 42 -48 | $3,186 |
| 8 -9 | $11,396 | 49 -77 | $3,034 |
In the 971st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow come to you from the floor of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) where they discussed one of the most viral hands of the summer, one involving Bobby James and Ricky Landais that has been called one of the worst bad beats ever!
They then discuss Martin Kabrhel's premature celebration, give you a good news update on Jeremy Ausmus vlogging credentials, and a poker curse from WWE superstar Danhausen. Other stories include highlights from the Mixed Game Festival XIV, choosing a winner for the signed Daniel Negreanu autographed book (plus a new giveaway), and the return of the famous PokerNews segment, The Chainsaw Report, featuring Allen Kessler.
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.
According to the WSOP Live app.
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