PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (June 12). 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.
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?
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.
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
What Are the Biggest Wins in WSOP History?
As football's most legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, once said, "Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing."
Forget the bad beats, one-outers, and misclicks—at the World Series of Poker, success is measured in green (and gold). From its inception in 1970 to the record-breaking 2024 edition, the series has seen some of poker's most unforgettable victories and created hundreds of millionaires.
Thanks to the poker boom (among other factors), it’s no shock that all of the WSOP’s biggest payouts have come in the last 25 years. The Main Event fields have exploded, and the rise of high-stakes tournaments has sent prize pools soaring to new heights.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
As football's most legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, once said, "Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing."
Forget the bad beats, one-outers, and misclicks—at the World Series of Poker, success is measured in green (and gold). From its inception in 1970 to the record-breaking 2024 edition, the series has seen some of poker's most unforgettable victories and created hundreds of millionaires.
Thanks to the poker boom (among other factors), it’s no shock that all of the WSOP’s biggest payouts have come in the last 25 years. The Main Event fields have exploded, and the rise of high-stakes tournaments has sent prize pools soaring to new heights.
Welcome back to PokerNews for continued coverage of the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Today sees the start of Event #35: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed), an event that has a storied list of winners including seven-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh, four-time bracelet winner Phil Hui, and two-time bracelet winner Dylan Weisman.
Action kicks off on June 10 at noon, with the day scheduled to play 17 levels with 20-minute breaks after three levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 9 around 6:40 p.m.
Players will start with 25,000 in chips, action will begin at 100/100/100, and levels will last 40 minutes before increasing to 60 minutes on Days 2 and 3.
The Day 1a and Day 1b fields will combine for Day 2 on Friday, June 12, at noon local time. Day 2 will play for ten levels with 15-minute breaks after every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 23 around 6:30 p.m.
Traditional PokerNews coverage will begin on Day 2.
Last year's event drew a record 1,564 players and saw Matt Vengrin winning his first bracelet and $306,791. There is a storied list of winners in this event including:
| Year | Entries | Winner | Country | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,564 | Matt Vengrin | United States | $306,791 |
| 2024 | 1,469 | Dylan Weisman | United States | $294,311 |
| 2023 | 1,355 | Sean Troha | United States | $298,192 |
| 2022 | 1,438 | Phil Hui | United States | $311,782 |
| 2021 | 821 | Josh Arieh | United States | $204,766 |
| 2019 | 1,216 | Ismael Bojang | Austria | $298,507 |
| 2018 | 799 | Ryan Bambrick | United States | $217,123 |
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 #35: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day 1a Started
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