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.
2026 World Series of Poker
Chip Counts
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.”
As per 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 is underway 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.
Have you heard about MyStack by PokerNews? It is a free-to-use tool built into the PokerNews website that puts you in control of your chip counts on our live reporting pages. MyStack directly connects you to PokerNews live reporting pages, making you an even bigger part of the action in the events you play.
MyStack is a free poker tool and PokerNews activates MyStack for every event it is live reporting from, regardless of that tournament's buy-in. 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!
When he wasn't milking cows on his family dairy farm in Windsor, Texas, Mason Vieth was playing poker at the nearest casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
"I grew up milking the cows and playing poker at WinStar World Casino," the former dairy farmer told PokerNews. "I would stay up all night playing poker, then go milk them, then go back. Three days in a row most of the time. No sleep."
Those hard-earned poker chops are now paying off for Vieth, better known as "Milkman," — as embroidered on his royal blue cap —who is one of 533 players who advanced to Day 5 of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
PokerNews caught up with Vieth during a break on Day 4 as he chased his first bracelet and life-changing money in an event that will award $10 million.
The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas is gearing up for Event #92: $3,000 T.O.R.S.E.. This three-day tournament starts at 2 p.m. local time on July 10, with a bracelet winner determined on July 12.
T.O.R.S.E. is a newer form of poker that plays like the old-school H.O.R.S.E. game, but hold’em is eliminated in favor of 2-7 triple draw, and was first featured at the 2025 WSOP.
📌 Event Snapshot
- Event: #92 – $3,000 T.O.R.S.E.
- Date(s): July 10-12
- Time: 2 p.m. local time
- Buy-In: $3,000
- Format: Mixed
- Late Registration: Open for 10 levels (approximately 11 p.m.)
- Reentries: one per player
- Starting Stack: 40,000 chips
- Levels: 40 minutes for Levels 1-6, 60 minutes for Levels 7+
- 2025 Winner: Ryutaro Suzuki ($273,386)
- 2025 Field Size: 522
- 2025 Prize Pool: $1,393,740
Structure and Schedule
The $3,000 T.O.R.S.E. event starts at 2 p.m. local time on July 10, with players receiving 40,000 starting chips. Blind levels are 40 minutes for Levels 1-6 and 60 minutes the rest of the way. Day 1 will play 12 levels, with 15-minute breaks every two hours of play. There will not be a dinner break on Day 1. Registration is open for 10 levels until about 11 p.m.
Day 2 on July 11 will have a 1 p.m. start and play 10 more levels. There will be 15-minute breaks every two levels, and a 60-minute dinner break will be added after Level 18 at about 8:45 p.m. Traditional PokerNews coverage will begin on Day 2.
Day 3 on July 12 will play to a winner and have 15-minute breaks every two levels.
Past Champions & History
Ryutaro Suzuki, at the 2025 WSOP, was the first-ever $3,000 T.O.R.S.E. bracelet winner. The champion took home $273,386 for beating out 522 entrants.
Event #92: $3,000 T.O.R.S.E.
Day 1 Started