PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 3 (June 22). 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 #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker
Day 1a Completed
From a field of 1,752 players, just 460 remain after the opening flight of Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker.
They are led by WSOP bracelet winner Will Givens, who will return with 187 big blinds for Day 2a on Thursday.
Also sitting inside the top 10 is two-time WSOP Main Event final tablist Mark Newhouse, who is one of four players who bagged over 300,000 in chips.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Will Givens | United States | 374,500 | 187 |
| 2 | Alex Kim | United States | 345,000 | 173 |
| 3 | Mark Newhouse | United States | 308,500 | 154 |
| 4 | Thomas Goldsborough | United States | 301,000 | 151 |
| 5 | John Herring | United States | 289,000 | 145 |
| 6 | Jaime Kaplan | United States | 284,000 | 142 |
| 7 | Ronald West | United States | 280,000 | 140 |
| 8 | Stanislav Koleno | Slovakia | 274,500 | 137 |
| 9 | Lucy Lamperouge | United States | 262,000 | 131 |
| 10 | Gael Ruiz | France | 241,000 | 121 |
Other notables advancing include former WSOP Main Event runner-up Tony Miles (152,500), Mikiyo Aoki (152,000), Niall Farrell (141,000), Joe Serock (140,500), Michael Gathy (133,000), WSOP Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo (119,000), Brian Hastings (78,500) and PokerStars Ambassador Ben Spragg (53,500).
The surviving players will return for Day 2a on Thursday, June 18 with ten levels scheduled. The field will combine on Monday, June 22 with Day 3 when PokerNews live update coverage of this event will begin.
Day 1a of Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker has now concluded. A total of 1,752 entries were made to the flight and, of those, 460 players have bagged to return for Day 2.
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 per the WSOP LIVE app.
The poker world moves fast and during massive events, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everyone. Whether you’re following a high-stakes pro, a local hero from your home game, or a family member chasing a bracelet, PokerNews makes it even easier with the new MyPlayers feed — your personalized updates feed for tracking the players you care about in one place.
Build your custom watchlist by clicking the star icon next to a player in the live reporting feed, and they’ll be pinned to the top of chip counts and tracked in a single, real-time feed as the action unfolds.
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
In the 975th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway is on vacation so Mike Holtz and Ben Ludlow take over by inviting their friends Justin Young and Art Parmann, hosts of the popular Table 1 Podcast.
What is the Table 1 Podcast? According to them, it’s “a podcast where we talk poker, gambling, and all manner of life experiences on and off the felt. Sometimes we have famous guests who do it with us. Join us for a laugh or three!”
It is a poker podcast collaboration and a great opportunity for the PokerNews Podcast audience to learn about another great show in the space. Justin & Art discuss the genesis of the show, their high-stakes cash game hosted at ARIA's Table 1, and some of their favorite memories and guests on the show.
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.
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.
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
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