PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (July 12). 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.
For the World Series of Poker, marathon, unedited live streams are out; tight, narrative-driven episodic television is back in.
That's according to WSOP Chief Operating Officer Gregory Chochon, who recently pulled back the curtain on the brand's ambitious blueprint for the future of poker in a featured interview published by Casinos.com.
The WSOP is radically overhauling its media strategy to recapture the attention spans of today's sports fans. How? By aggressively shifting its focus, aiming to build a media powerhouse modeled after sports leagues like the UFC.
With this as their core aim, Chochon and his team are orchestrating a massive shift in how the WSOP and poker as a whole are consumed, branded, and broadcast.
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The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas continues today. Day 1d of Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em gets underway at 10 a.m. local time on July 11, but the winner won't be announced until July 13.
The Gladiators of Poker is a No-Limit Hold’em tournament that attracts massive fields each year thanks to its low buy-in and juicy structure. A crowd of 20,000+ is expected to compete for this event's bracelet.
Day 1c of Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker had 2,934 entries, bringing the prize pool up to $1,701,828.
The day ended with David Kenniston in the chip lead, according to the WSOP LIVE App. He was followed by Julian Menhardt (2,790,000) and Manuel Luna (2,155,000).
Jay Harwood (855,000), Pete Chen (635,000), and Benjamin Ector (465,000) also found bags further down the chip count listings.
Day 1d kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, when the event will play for 22 levels or down to 15% of the field.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Stack | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Kenniston | United States | 3,155,000 | 79 |
| 2 | Julian Menhardt | Austria | 2,790,000 | 70 |
| 3 | Manuel Luna | United States | 2,155,000 | 54 |
| 4 | Alexander Perez | United States | 2,025,000 | 51 |
| 5 | Johnny Oshana | United States | 2,006,500 | 50 |
| 6 | Michael Teifel | United States | 1,775,000 | 44 |
| 7 | Sacha Bozou | France | 1,760,000 | 44 |
| 8 | Kenneth Baime | United States | 1,750,000 | 44 |
| 9 | Matthew Johnson | United States | 1,665,000 | 42 |
| 10 | Andrew Law | United Kingdom | 1,595,000 | 40 |
The $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em event starts at 10 a.m. local time, with Day 1d taking place on July 11. Each entrant will receive 30,000 chips at the start of play. Late registration remains open for 11 levels and should close right around 4:30 p.m.
Day 1 will run until the field has reached its final 15 percent or 22 levels have been completed, whichever comes later. There will be 30-minute levels on Day 1. Breaks (20 minutes) on Day 1 will occur every four levels or as needed for color-ups, and a 75-minute dinner break is planned for after Level 15 (approximately 6:30 p.m.).
Day 2 is set for 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 12. Levels will jump to 40 minutes, and the day won't conclude until 17 levels have been played. Day 3, on July 13, is the final day when a winner will be crowned. Traditional PokerNews coverage will begin on Day 2.
At the 2025 WSOP, Ian Pelz beat an insanely massive field of 24,629 entries to win $420,680 out of the $6,054,734 prize pool, and of course the bracelet.
Stephen Winters was the 2024 Gladiators of Poker champion. He beat a field with 20,647 entrants for the bracelet and $401,240 first-place prize.
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Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker
Day 1d Started
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