Day 1b of the $500 Summer Saver Gets Underway at 10 a.m. Today
The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas is preparing for Day 1b of Event #95: $500 Summer Saver No-Limit Hold’em. The second and final flight for this event kicks off at 10 a.m. local time on July 13.
The surviving players from each of the two starting flights will return on July 14 for the final day to battle it out for one of the last remaining bracelets at this year’s World Series. Traditional PokerNews coverage will begin on Day 2.
After previous editions were held online, the $500 Summer Saver makes its live WSOP debut in 2026. With two reentries per flight, there are several opportunities for players to run up a stack in one of the lowest-buy-in events of the series.
Yesterday's Day 1a drew 1,414 entrants, but only 192 advanced to Day 2. Among those who progressed were Martin Kabrhel, Terence Reid, and Andreas Frohli.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ryan Stiner | United States | 1,800,000 | 90 |
| 2 | Garrett Dwire | United States | 1,450,000 | 73 |
| 3 | Nikolai Dizon Mollat | United States | 1,230,000 | 62 |
| 4 | Martin Kabrhel | Czech Republic | 1,075,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Theodore Doukas | Canada | 1,005,000 | 50 |
| 6 | Terence Reid | United States | 1,000,020 | 50 |
| 7 | Nathaniel Zoller | United States | 940,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Jesus Martinez | United States | 935,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Nobuaki Sasaki | Japan | 915,000 | 46 |
| 10 | Georgios Sourlas | Greece | 895,000 | 45 |
📌 Event Snapshot
- Event: #95 – $500 Summer Saver No-Limit Hold’em
- Date(s): July 12-14
- Time: 10 a.m. local time
- Buy-In: $500
- Format: No-Limit Hold’em
- Late Registration: Open for 12 levels (until approximately 5 p.m.)
- Reentries: two per flight
- Starting Stack: 50,000 chips
- Levels: 30 minutes
- 2025 Winner: N/A
- 2025 Field Size: N/A
- 2025 Prize Pool: N/A
Structure and Schedule
The $500 Summer Saver No-Limit Hold’em event starts at 10 a.m. local time on July 12, with players receiving 50,000 starting chips. Blind levels are 30 minutes for the entire tournament. Day 1b will play 20 levels, with 20-minute breaks every four levels. There will be a 60-minute dinner break after Level 16 (around 7 p.m.). Registration is open for 12 levels, until approximately 5:00 p.m.
Day 2 will begin on Tuesday, July 14, at noon and play until a champion is crowned. There will be 20-minute breaks every four levels, and a dinner break at a time to be determined later.
Past Champions & History
While this is the first live version of the event, last year’s online edition of the $500 Summer Saver saw Andrew Rosen take home $103,454. Rosen, from the United States, beat a field of 1,763 entrants to win his first-ever WSOP bracelet.
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