PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 3 (June 15). 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 #34: $500 COLOSSUS
Day 1a Completed
Day 1a of Event #34: $500 COLOSSUS No-Limit Hold'em, the first of four scheduled flights, saw 2,684 players descend on the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. However, at the end of the 15th level, only 501 of those starters had chips requiring bagging and tagging.
According to the WSOP LIVE app, Joseph Ozimok (1,065,000) is the Day 1a chip leader, and one of only two players to finish the flight with a seven-figure stack. If Ozimok's name rings a bell, it is because the Pennsylvania native put together an impressive run in the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Ozimok's deep run ended in a 12th-place finish, earning him $560,250.
Texan John Hardie (1,046,000) bagged up the second-largest stack on Day 1a. Hardie already has a trio of 2026 WSOP cashes to his name, having reached the money in the $550 Mini Mystery Millions, the $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, and $1,500 Dealer's Choice events.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Ozimok | United States | 1,065,000 | 133 |
| 2 | John Hardie | United States | 1,046,000 | 130 |
| 3 | Arash Vaziri | United States | 996,000 | 125 |
| 4 | Giuseppe Lomuscio | United States | 852,000 | 107 |
| 5 | Kennii Nguyen | United States | 818,000 | 102 |
| 6 | Xingwei Chen | China | 808,000 | 101 |
| 7 | Serhii Koreniev | United States | 782,000 | 98 |
| 8 | Vitaliy Gordeychuk | United States | 779,000 | 97 |
| 9 | Andreas Frohli | Austria | 735,000 | 92 |
| 10 | Michael Byers | United States | 730,000 | 91 |
$25K Fantasy Draft pick Andreas Frohli (735,000) bagged up a top 10 stack and is now poised for a deep run in this event. Others who progressed to Day 2a included Sandro Carucci (644,000), Justin Arnwine (612,000), Justin Fawcett (545,000), Sam Razavi (385,000), "Captain" Tom Franklin (327,000), and Alex Keating (180,000).
The 501 surviving players are back in action at 11:00 a.m. local time on June 11 where they will play another 12 levels. An hour earlier, at 10:00 a.m. local time on June 11, Day 1 of the COLOSSUS shuffles up and deals, and should see another massive field created.
Here are the chip counts at the end of Day 1a, according to the WSOP LIVE app.
There are 100 bracelet-awarding events on the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule, but every poker player dreams of becoming the champion of just one of those tournaments: the $10,000 WSOP Main Event. Unfortunately for some, the $10,000 buy-in puts the 2026 WSOP Main Event out of reach, which is where satellites come into their own.
In 2003, the aptly-named Chris Moneymaker, then an accountant from Atlanta, Georgia, won a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat via an $86 buy-in satellite online at PokerStars. Moneymaker outlasted 838 opponents, including defeating seasoned pro Sammy Farha heads-up, to win the WSOP Main Event and kickstart the phenomenon that would be called the Moneymaker Effect.
Fast forward to today, and hundreds, if not thousands, of players will head to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas hoping to win their way into the 2026 WSOP Main Event for a fraction of the $10,000 asking price. The 2026 WSOP Main Event satellites run from July 1-7 and come in buy-ins of $150, $260, $585, $1,100, and $2,200.
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
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.
As players gathered around the feature table for the restart of the $50,000 High Roller final table, Anatoly Zlotnikov had one last item on his pre-game checklist.
A few minutes before cards went in the air, the Russian wandered over to Phil Hellmuth and asked the WSOP's all-time bracelet winner for a good-luck fist bump.
Given the heater he's been on lately, it's hard to imagine Zlotnikov needing any extra luck.
The 32-year-old returns to the final six with more than half the chips in play and nearly three times as many as his closest challenger, Santhosh Suvarna. Yet despite sitting in one of the most commanding positions of the summer, plenty of poker fans are still asking the same question:
Who exactly is Anatoly Zlotnikov?
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
After several days of play and nearly 12,000 entries, only eight players remain in the $1,500 Monster Stack.
Each is guaranteed $190,000, but all eyes are on the $1,302,125 top prize and the WSOP gold bracelet that comes with it.
Before the final table gets underway on stream at 5:30 p.m. local time, here's a closer look at the eight players still in contention.
In the 970th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway welcomes a special guest to Level 9 Studio in 91-year-old Vince Burgio, a legend of poker in the 1990s.
One of the most accomplished and feared poker players from 1990 to 2005, Burgio won a World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet in 1994, the same year he made the final table of the WSOP Main Event. Burgio talks about his success at the WSOP, as well as in popular tournament series of the day like the Poker Hall of Fame Classic, Four Queens Poker Classic, and more.
Burgio also brought in some cool pieces of poker history to show off, including his bracelet, several trophies, poker chips, and lots of silver. Plus, several poker stars stop by to offer their thoughts on Burgio, including Allen Kessler, Phil Hellmuth, and Daniel Negreanu.
Here's your opportunity to hear stories from a poker legend who helped bridge the gap from the old days of Texas road gamblers through to the Poker Boom.
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