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.
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.
ESPN is ramping up its WSOP Main Event coverage this year, the first year the Bristol, CT-based sports network has aired poker's premier tournament since COVID.
The $10,000 buy-in World Championship event begins July 2 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, and runs through Aug. 5, with a three-week break when the final table is reached. Poker fans who watched the WSOP on ESPN before it moved to CBS Sports Network from 2021-2025 will notice some similarities to the broadcasts of old, and a new, enhanced Main Event television and livestream schedule.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
There are 100 bracelet-awarding events on the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule, but every poker player dreams of becoming the champion of just one of those tournaments: the $10,000 WSOP Main Event. Unfortunately for some, the $10,000 buy-in puts the 2026 WSOP Main Event out of reach, which is where satellites come into their own.
In 2003, the aptly-named Chris Moneymaker, then an accountant from Atlanta, Georgia, won a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat via an $86 buy-in satellite online at PokerStars. Moneymaker outlasted 838 opponents, including defeating seasoned pro Sammy Farha heads-up, to win the WSOP Main Event and kickstart the phenomenon that would be called the Moneymaker Effect.
Fast forward to today, and hundreds, if not thousands, of players will head to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas hoping to win their way into the 2026 WSOP Main Event for a fraction of the $10,000 asking price. The 2026 WSOP Main Event satellites run from July 1-7 and come in buy-ins of $150, $260, $585, $1,100, and $2,200.
The excitement of the Main Event arrives a few days early as Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold'em returns 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.
Today is the third and final starting flight. Day 1a drew 2,599 entries, while Day 1b attracted 4,053 players. Day 1c could be larger than both flights combined.
Yesterday's Day 1b saw only 295 of the 4,053 starters advance to Day 2. Switzerland's Karim Ghozlani (3,750,0000) bagged up the chip lead and came out on top of some legitimate poker stars.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karim Ghozlani | Switzerland | 3,750,000 | 94 |
| 2 | Mohammad Habib Nia | United States | 3,650,000 | 91 |
| 3 | Bartlomiej Kijak | Poland | 3,430,000 | 86 |
| 4 | Maksim Petrov | Estonia | 3,215,000 | 80 |
| 5 | Bart Lybaert | Belgium | 2,600,000 | 65 |
| 6 | Ricky Flora | United States | 2,350,000 | 59 |
| 7 | Hyong Kim | United States | 2,290,000 | 57 |
| 8 | Kyle Hughes | United States | 2,265,000 | 57 |
| 9 | Seiji Sasaki | Japan | 2,120,000 | 53 |
| 10 | Guilherme Bernardino | Brazil | 1,965,000 | 49 |
Flight C kicks off at 10 a.m. 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.). Players eliminated in Flight A and/or B may enter Flight C today. 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.
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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!
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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.
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Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event
Day 1c Started
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