PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (July 1). Until then, we will keep readers informed with updates on chip counts and core event statistics, including entries and the prize pool. Scroll down to see more.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
In the 980th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway, Mike Holtz, and Ben Ludlow are joined by Hayden "Big Red" Hetland at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas.
The quartet discusses the latest stories from the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP), starting with the controversial "dead hand" ruling made against Patrick "Pads" Leonard. Not only will you see videos of what happened, but Chad also caught up with Pads for an exclusive interview to discuss the aftermath.
From there, it's a discussion about an X-rated card protector, the eight Poker Hall of Fame nominees, and big bracelet wins by Josh Reichard and Eelis Parssinen. Speaking of big wins, Benny Glaser got the job done in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship (PPC), giving him his ninth bracelet in 11 years! It also came just a year after he shipped an incredible three bracelets. See PokerNews' winner interview with Glaser, who was clearly emotional after the victory.
Finally, the crew thanks sponsor Think Jerky, which you can order here.
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.
When Adrian Mateos won 2026's WSOP $250k Super High Roller, he became the youngest player in history to reach six WSOP bracelets at just 31 years old.
His $4.33 million score was the second-largest cash of the Spaniard's career. The first? It came less than a month ago at Triton Montenegro, where he banked $6.37 million in the $200k Invitational, meaning Mateos has won a scarcely believable $10.7 million in just 28 days.
With Mateos climbing from ninth to fifth on poker's all-time money list in the last six months alone, and after defeating one of the most stacked final tables in WSOP history (featuring Phil Ivey, Bryn Kenney, Jason Koon et al), it sparked a debate around the PokerNews water cooler: Are we watching the best player in tournament poker right now?
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
This year's nominees for the Poker Hall of Fame have been announced, with the eight individuals now heading to the living members of the Hall for voting.
Each member can vote for up to four nominees, and anyone receiving votes from 22 or more members earns an automatic induction. This change, from a previous "winner-takes-all" format allowing for only one induction per year, was announced earlier this month.
Five of the eight nominees are first-time nominees, having met the minimum age requirement of 40. Eight-time WSOP bracelet winner Shaun Deeb headlines these players; he is joined by Jason Koon, Isaac Haxton, Chris Moorman, and Justin Bonomo.
The excitement of the Main Event arrives a few days early as Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold'em returns to the WSOP schedule on June 28 at the 2026 World Series of Poker hosted by the Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas. This tournament serves as the ultimate mass-participation event, offering the "Main Event experience" at a fraction of the cost.
With three starting flights and a massive 60,000-chip starting stack, the Mini Main Event is a lock to be one of the largest-field events of the summer. Players from across the globe will descend on Las Vegas with hopes of turning a $1,000 buy-in into a massive six-figure payday and a coveted gold bracelet.
The 2026 Mini Main Event kicks off with Flight A at 10 a.m. on June 28, followed by Flights B and C on the following days at the same time. Players will navigate 22 levels on Day 1, each lasting 30 minutes. The rapid-fire nature of the levels ensures the field narrows quickly, while the 60,000-chip stack provides plenty of early play.
Late registration remains open for 12 levels (until approx. 5 p.m. for each starting flight). Players eliminated in Flight A may reenter Flight B or C, and those out in B may reenter Flight C. The field combines on Wednesday, July 1, at 11 a.m. to play down to a winner.
The Mini Main Event is the "everyman's" championship. It mirrors the Main Event's energy and prestige but is accessible to recreational players. With a first-place prize that often approaches $1 million, it represents one of the best ROI (Return on Investment) opportunities of the entire series.
In 2025, Martin Kabrhel conquered a massive 10,794-entry field to earn $843,140. The sheer scale of the event makes it a marathon of endurance. “Everybody loves me!” Kabrhel joked, adding that he'd have liked the bracelet to have “a few more diamonds on it.”
In 2024, Georgios Skarparis won this tournament for $554,925 when he defeated a field of 6,076 contenders. The previous year, the Mini Main drew 5,257 entrants, who created a $4,678,730 prize pool. America's Brad Gafford came out on top, raking in $549,555 and his first WSOP bracelet.
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 #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event
Day 1a Started
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