PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (June 23). 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 #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em
Day 1 Completed
The stars turned out in force for Day 1 of Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em. By the time late registration ended, 1,736 players had bought in. Fifteen levels later, only 312 of those starters had chips requiring bagging up.
Slovenian superstar Blaz Zerjav (893,000) is, according to the WSOP LIVE app, the overnight chip leader. Zerjav is a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, having captured two bracelets last summer. He came out on top in the $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed event for $1,734,717 and followed that up by winning the $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blaz Zerjav | Slovenia | 893,000 | 149 |
| 2 | Gonzalo Lopez | Argentina | 873,000 | 146 |
| 3 | Leonidas Arpino | Argentina | 787,000 | 131 |
| 4 | Rachid Amamou | Switzerland | 723,000 | 121 |
| 5 | Koki Koyanagi | Japan | 716,000 | 119 |
| 6 | Agharazi Babayev | Azerbaijan | 675,000 | 113 |
| 7 | Ozgur Arda | Turkey | 660,000 | 110 |
| 8 | Mauro Ferreira | Portugal | 641,000 | 107 |
| 9 | Henry Ihrig | United States | 588,000 | 98 |
| 10 | Zachary Donovan | United States | 549,000 | 92 |
Dozens of top-tier players will join Zerjav when Day 2 shuffles up and deals on June 23. Roman Hrabec (346,000), Josh Reichard (344,000), Artur Martirosian (285,000), Martin Jacobson (244,000), Damian Salas (224,000), Martin Kabrhel (217,000), Leo Margets (166,000), Matthew Wantman (147,000), Calvin Anderson (119,000), Chad Eveslage (108,000), and Aleksejs Ponakovs (92,000) are just a selection of those to look out for live reporting updates on Day 2.
Speaking of which, Day 2 shuffles up and deals at 1:00 p.m. local time on June 23. Players return to Level 16, meaning blinds are 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. Ten levels are planned, and PokerNews will be on hand to bring you all of the action.
These are the chip counts for the 312 players who advanced to Day 2, according to the WSOP LIVE app.
Day 1 of Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em has now concluded. Of the 1,736 entrants to the flight, 312 have bagged to return for Day 3.
Standby for the full chip counts and recap.
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.
The total prize pool for this event is $3,862,600. The top 261 players are set to make the money, with $555,198 reserved for the outright winner.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $555,198 | 27 -35 | $16,758 |
| 2 | $370,037 | 36 -44 | $14,036 |
| 3 | $267,938 | 45 -53 | $11,911 |
| 4 | $196,225 | 54 -62 | $10,243 |
| 5 | $145,365 | 63 -71 | $8,928 |
| 6 | $108,946 | 72 -80 | $7,890 |
| 7 | $82,616 | 81 -89 | $7,069 |
| 8 | $63,399 | 90 -98 | $6,424 |
| 9 | $49,241 | 99 -116 | $5,921 |
| 10 -11 | $38,713 | 117 -143 | $5,538 |
| 12 -13 | $30,814 | 144 -170 | $5,256 |
| 14 -17 | $24,835 | 171 -261 | $5,005 |
| 18 -26 | $20,271 |
Late registration closed at the end of the final break of Day 1. Here are the top chip counts following that break, according to the WSOP LIVE app.
The poker community asked, and the WSOP listened.
In a major shake-up to the Poker Hall of Fame, the induction process is shifting away from its traditional "winner-takes-all" format. A brand-new voting system has been introduced, paving the way for up to six of the eight nominees to be inducted in a single year.
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Poker Hall of Fame. Once the public determines the top eight nominees, the final decision will rest with the 33 living Hall of Fame members.
Twenty years after his iconic WSOP Main Event victory, Jamie Gold is making another deep bracelet run, this time in honor of his veteran father.
Gold, whose $12 million Main Event payday remains the second-largest in WSOP history, sits among the chip leaders with just 80 players remaining from 4,478 entries in the annual WSOP $500 SALUTE to Warriors event. This year's tournament will donate more than $180,000 to the USO, which supports the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families.
"My dad was in the service, so I always like to play this Salute to Warriors event," the former world champion explained. "It's never easy with 4,500 entries. I'll be happy if I just make the final table, and then of course I'll feel like I have to win it! One goal at a time."
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