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After the first ten levels of the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event, EPT champion Aliaksei Boika topped the 336 players who bagged chips when play wrapped up inside King's Casino at Hilton Prague.
Boika, who has more than $2 million in WSOP earnings, was one of just two players to surpass the 400,000 mark, finishing the night with 424,500. Daan Mulders was the only other player to cross that threshold, bagging 416,500.
Two-time WSOP bracelet winners Antonio Galiana and Yuliyan Kolev also secured top-ten stacks, while perhaps the most recognizable name among the leaders was Erick Lindgren, who also owns two WSOP bracelets.
Through the opening stage of the event, 803 entries have already been recorded in the series’ marquee tournament, with players chasing a share of the €10 million guaranteed prize pool. With more flights still to come, that figure looks certain to be surpassed, and the record field of 817 entries, set in 2023, is undoubtedly under threat.
The reduced €5,300 buy-in has played a major role in boosting turnout, while the move to Prague — the historic City of Spires — has made the event far more accessible to international players.
WSOPE Main Event Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aliaksei Boika | Belarus | 424,500 | 212 |
| 2 | Daan Mulders | Netherlands | 416,500 | 208 |
| 3 | Antonio Galiana | Spain | 399,000 | 200 |
| 4 | Niklas Deitmer | Germany | 398,000 | 199 |
| 5 | Sooraj Sairam | India | 385,500 | 193 |
| 6 | Georgios Zisimopoulos | Greece | 368,000 | 184 |
| 7 | Yuliyan Kolev | Bulgaria | 366,000 | 183 |
| 8 | Erick Lindgren | United States | 356,500 | 178 |
| 9 | Aleksandar Kozomara | Montenegro | 354,000 | 177 |
| 10 | Mahersh Selvakumaran | Netherlands | 353,000 | 177 |
How the Day Started
Before cards were in the air, Annette Obrestad, the first-ever WSOPE Main Event winner and still the youngest bracelet winner in WSOP history, was given the honor of delivering the traditional "Shuffle up and deal."
Obrestad, who returned to the felt in December after an eight-and-a-half-year break, said she was thrilled to be back on one of poker’s biggest stages.
"Just being here and being able to play again, it's going to be so awesome. Thank you to the WSOP for flying me out and giving me this chance again," Obrestad told a packed room. "Good luck everybody, except for when you're playing against me of course. Let's just get this party started, shuffle up and deal!"
Despite taking a hiatus from poker, Obrestad proved she could still hang, and navigated the opening ten levels, finishing the session with 189,000, putting her in the top third of survivors.
Kings Cracked for First KO
Weijiang Hu was the unfortunate soul to be take the "First Eliminated Player" title.
His pocket kings were cracked by the flopped set of threes that belonged to Evan Muschetto. The latter put in a check-raise on a 9-5-3 flop, which Hu called.
After Muschetto continued firing on a brick turn, Hu jammed for just under starting stack and quickly saw the bad news.
There was no saving grace on the river for Hu and his cowboys were sent into the muck.
Flopped Quads in Five-Bet Pot
Pocket kings appeared to be the unlucky hand in the opening levels, and Frederik Reinert found that out in fairly amusing fashion.
After his five-bet was called by Kasparas Klezys, the chips piled in on a J-7-7 flop.
Reinart turned over his overpair but was basically drawing dead as Klezys held the other two sevens in his hand.
A king on the turn brought on the prospect of one of the worst beats imaginable, but Klezys survived to get back to starting stack.
Reinert (79,000) and Klezys (91,500) did both manage to make over the first hurdle, so at least both players have an enjoyable Day 1a anecdote.
Kabrhel Raises Eyebrows
As expected, a part of the day became the Martin Kabrhel show, but not everyone appeared pleased with the five-time bracelet winner's antics.
David "ODB" Baker, a four-time bracelet winner with nearly $10 million in The Hendon Mob cashes, seems to be at wits end with Kabrhel.
Baker tweeted that Kabrhel has been "screaming every 2 minutes," which has led to player complaints and the floor managers to issue warnings.
"ODB's" sentiments have been shared by many others, including Texas poker player Kimberly Stone who called for the WSOP to "please put him on official warning and start issuing immediate punishment."
Main Event players can expect more of the same tomorrow, as Kabrhel burned through several bullets, failing to find an end of night bag.
Plan for Day 1b
Day 1b begins at noon local time, and like Day 1a, players must make it through ten 60-minute levels to bag chips for Day 2. Each player is given a 60,000 starting, and blinds start at 100/200 and a 200 big blind ante.
Late registration remains open throughout the flights and will close at the end of Level 12, two levels into Day 2. Players are allowed up to two reentries per flight.
Main Event Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1b | April 4 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| 1c | April 5 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| 2 | April 6 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| 3 | April 7 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| 4 | April 8 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| 5 | April 9 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| 6 | April 10 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews to keep up with all the action from the 2026 WSOP Europe festival.
