PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (July 9). 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.
Event #87: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha
Day 1a Completed
The first of two flights in Event #87: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha at the 2026 World Series of Poker saw 1,922 entrants reduced to only 288 after the completion of 14 levels. Spanish PLO specialist Lautaro Guerra (1,135,000) bagged and tagged the second-largest stack and will fancy his chances of getting his hands on his second bracelet.
Guerra won his bracelet at the 2023 WSOP Paradise festival after he came out on top in the $100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Super High Roller. He netted $2,126,770 on that occasion. Although taking down this event in Las Vegas won't yield similar results, it will come with a WSOP bracelet, and that's what matters at the end of the day.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Scherer | United States | 1,138,000 | 228 |
| 2 | Lautaro Guerra | Spain | 1,135,000 | 227 |
| 3 | Grant Maruya | United States | 1,071,000 | 214 |
| 4 | Marco Damico | United States | 1,043,000 | 209 |
| 5 | Brian Brunner | United States | 927,000 | 185 |
| 6 | Kee Fredkove | United States | 885,000 | 177 |
| 7 | Tyler Brown | United States | 871,000 | 174 |
| 8 | Bradley Butcher | United States | 869,000 | 174 |
| 9 | Jerry Robinson | United States | 840,000 | 168 |
| 10 | Rehman Kassam | United Kingdom | 810,000 | 162 |
A whole host of stars progressed from Day 1a to the final day's action. They included Tyler Brown (871,000), Ryan Depaulo (619,000), Rob Hollink (578,000), Ludovic Geilich (536,000), Christian Harder (529,000), Sascha Wilhelm (487,000), Dong Chen (468,000), Triple Crown winner Robert Romanello (460,000), Marco Johnson (424,000), Nick Guagenti (402,000), Nick Pupillo (289,000), Robert Mizrachi (288,000), and Christopher Vitch (237,000).
Day 1b shuffles up and deals at 2:00 p.m. local time on July 8. Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates from the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas.
These are the chip counts of the 288 players players who advanced from Day 1a, according to the WSOP LIVE app.
Day 1a of Event #87: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha has now concluded. Of the 1,922 entries, 15% of the field made it through, meaning 288 players bagged to return for Day 2.
Standby for the full chip counts and recap.
The most exciting time in live poker is upon us, with the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event No-Limit Hold'em World Championship now underway.
The WSOP Main Event is considered the most prestigious live poker tournament, drawing thousands of entrants from far and wide, each hoping to become poker's world champion.
The field sizes of the Main Event are massive, despite the five-figure buy-in. With so many of poker's top players in action at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, you're spoiled for choice regarding who to add to your MyPlayers Feed.
The road to success at the World Series of Poker isn’t just built at the tables anymore. In 2026, players are increasingly turning to technology to sharpen their edge, streamline their schedules, and survive the grind of a long Las Vegas summer.
While real-time assistance during play is strictly prohibited, there is a growing ecosystem of tools that players can use away from the table to prepare, study, and stay organized throughout the series.
One of the more recognizable faces in the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event is no longer in contention for the $10 million top prize after conservative commentator and podcast host Tim Pool was eliminated late on Day 2d.
With late registration closed and the field trimmed heading toward Day 3, Pool's Main Event came to an end after a spirited short-stack comeback was halted.
Pool, who has more than 2.6 million followers on X, returned for Day 2d with 94,300 chips after successfully navigating Day 1d. He briefly climbed to around 105,500 before suffering a major setback, later posting on social media that he had run two pair into a set.
The cooler left Pool with just 9,000 chips, seemingly destined for an early exit. However, over the course of the final level, Pool fought his way back to 96,000, giving himself a genuine chance of surviving the day.
Despite being one of the biggest names in the field, Pool wasn't seated on one of the feature tables. Instead, he spent the session battling away in the Horseshoe Blue section.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
For the first time in well over a decade, Brad Booth was back in the World Series of Poker Main Event.
The Canadian, affectionately known as "Yukon Brad," was one of the biggest personalities of poker's boom years. From battling in Bobby's Room to pulling off one of the most memorable bluffs in High Stakes Poker history against Phil Ivey, Booth was never far from the spotlight.
Booth believes the last time he played the Main Event was around 2012, and after years away from the WSOP and a well-documented fall from the high-stakes scene, he's back in poker's biggest tournament with a very different outlook.
"It's been a minute," Booth told PokerNews. "Definitely north of a decade. I was in the woods there for a wee bit."
Earlier this week, the Tournament Directors Association (TDA) held its biennial summit, which debuted back in 2001. The TDA Summit XII was held at the PokerGO Studio and drew more than 200 industry professionals from around the world.
“The goal of the TDA remains that we want a standard set of rules that players, tournament directors, and card room managers can reference,” said TDA board member Matt Savage, who recently appeared on the PokerNews Podcast to talk about the summit.
“It was an eventful meeting again. No major rule changes this time around, but some good tweaks to existing ones,” said famed tournament director and PokerStars Ambassador Kenny Hallaert. “It’s always good for the game of poker to share our experiences from PokerStars events with the rest of the industry and pick up new ideas from other operators.”
Likewise, PokerStars EPT Tournament Director Toby Stone told PokerNews: “The beauty of the TDA Summit is the mutual exchange of knowledge. Our core focus is always on making tournaments safer, fairer, and more enjoyable for the players. While the EPT is proud to already implement a lot of the cutting-edge rules and security measures being discussed, the summit is about lifting the global standard together. A huge congratulations to Matt Savage on 25 years of the TDA. What he started back then has transformed the live poker landscape, and his ongoing work continues to protect and grow the game we all love.”
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