PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 3 (June 18). 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.
Since 2023, Santhosh Suvarna has battled against the best players in the world. His fearless attitude, combined with his affable nature, has propelled him to over $20 million in career earnings, with the vast majority coming in just the last three years.
Fast forward to 2026, and Suvarna is now the first Indian to win three live WSOP bracelets. Here, PokerNews takes a look back at his WSOP history and how he's come to be a recurring fixture in these big buy-in events.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
Brayden Lou managed to improve on an already outstanding year with a remarkable victory in the $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em at the 2026 World Series of Poker.
After weeding his way through a field of 4,100, the inexperienced Lou wrestled the crown away from Jason Hoffman heads-up to claim the $196,066 winner’s share of a $1,701,500 prize pool.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Lou said. “I guess I can scratch this off my bucket list. I ran well, played well. That’s how it usually goes for tournament winners.”
Not that Lou would know, considering he won a gold bracelet in just his fourth ever live tournament.
Event #46: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship
Day 2a Started
Welcome to Day 2a of Event #46: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship, which kicks off today at 11 a.m. local time. Yesterday's Day 1a saw 3,539 players turn out in force, but only 795 advanced to Day 2a.
This event follows a similar structure to the COLOSSUS and Monster Stack: Day 1a survivors face off today in Day 2a, while Day 1b survivors will advance to Day 2b tomorrow. Those who progress from both Day 2s are combined for Day 3 on Thursday, June 18. PokerNews traditional coverage of this event begins on Day 3.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Johnson | United States | 434,100 | 174 |
| 2 | John Esposito | United States | 395,000 | 158 |
| 3 | Albert Sanchez | United States | 376,000 | 150 |
| 4 | Manfred Wolf | Germany | 372,000 | 148 |
| 5 | Michel Leibgorin | France | 340,000 | 136 |
| 6 | Christopher Caruso | United States | 312,000 | 124 |
| 7 | Yeghishe Keleshian | United States | 312,000 | 124 |
| 8 | Clifton Carpenter | United States | 302,000 | 120 |
| 9 | Philip Vitale | United States | 285,000 | 114 |
| 10 | Ramon Martinez | United States | 266,000 | 106 |
They will play ten 60-minute levels today with 15-minute breaks after every two and a one-hour dinner break after Level 16 (about 5:30 p.m.). Survivors will bag up their chips after Level 20 and enjoy a day off, then return Thursday, June 18, for Day 3.
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.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of all bracelet events at the 2026 WSOP.
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