PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (July 11). 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 #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1a Completed
It was the first starting flight of Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship at the 2026 World Series of Poker, with 498 total entries.
By the end of ten levels, just 140 remain and they are led by Hoi Lee. He, along with Alex Difelicele, are the only players above 500,000 chips, good enough for 200 big blinds when they return for Day 2 on Saturday, July 11.
Also advancing is former WSOP Europe Main Event champion and Poker Hall of Famer John Juanda. He's already cashed eight times at this year's WSOP, his best result coming in Event #67: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Championship, where he finished 16th. However, he also finished 18th in the $3,000 Freezeout less than a week ago.
Could another $3,000 tournament give Juanda another deep WSOP run?
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoi Lee | Hong Kong | 517,000 | 207 |
| 2 | Alex Difelicele | United States | 507,000 | 203 |
| 3 | Rogen Chhabra | United States | 478,000 | 191 |
| 4 | Luis Miretti Bonetto | Argentina | 410,000 | 164 |
| 5 | Henry Liang | United States | 405,000 | 162 |
| 6 | Joachim Meisolle | Germany | 368,000 | 147 |
| 7 | Sheldon Gross | United States | 354,500 | 142 |
| 8 | Jiyang Gan | China | 327,500 | 131 |
| 9 | Zheming Zhu | China | 306,500 | 123 |
| 10 | Liam Murphy | United States | 300,000 | 120 |
Other players through to Day 2 are Japan's Jun Obara (220,000), two-time WSOP bracelet winners Tyler Patterson (206,500) and Lukas Zaskodny (182,500), 2023 WSOP Main Event final tablist Steven Jones (196,000), and Jeff Madsen (163,000).
Slightly lower down the counts, you'll also find the trio of Leo Margets, Shiina Okamoto and Shundan Xiao — all separated by just 2,500 in chips. They will have to spin it up on Day 2, but will be happy to have bagged.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the latest from this event before traditional live coverage begins on Saturday at the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas.
Day 1a of Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship has concluded. Of the 498 entries to the flight, 140 bagged to return for Day 2.
The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) kicked off back on May 26, and now it is in the home stretch as June has come to an end and the $10,000 Main Event is underway. More than 70 tournaments have awarded bracelets thus far, and the PokerNews Live Reporting team has been on-site all summer long, capturing the action.
During that time, they've reported on some entertaining hands, bad beats, and more, which we're happy to feature in the latest edition of "Hands of the Week" presented by GTOWizard.
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.
As per the WSOP LIVE app.
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.”
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
The least and most surprising World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion ever is arguably the same person.
Confused? You won't be in a bit. Poker's most prestigious annual event, with the purpose of crowning a 2026 world champion, kicks off today at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Michael Mizrachi, the newest Poker Hall of Famer, won this $10,000 buy-in tournament last summer for $10,000,000.
"The Grinder's" win brought some excitement around the poker community, but it wasn't a huge surprise like some past champs. Mizrachi didn't come out of nowhere before winning the Main Event. He wasn't an accountant who won a cheap online satellite to enter the tournament or some random amateur low-stakes cash game player.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
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