How is success measured in poker? For players, it’s money won, trophies collected, and the respect of their peers. For operators like the World Series of Poker, it’s measured by how many players fill the seats, and the 2026 WSOP Europe at King’s Casino in Hilton Prague has had no shortage of traffic.
But the figure everyone is watching is the total for the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event, which gets its Day 1b flight underway at noon local time. The series’ marquee tournament kicked off on Friday with 803 entries, just 14 shy of the record mark of 817 set in 2023. That milestone is expected to fall as soon as cards go in the air today, with attention then turning to whether the €10 million guarantee will be reached.
2023 WSOPE Main Event Champion Max Neugebauer
From Day 1a, 336 players successfully navigated the opening hurdle, led by Aliaksei Boika, who bagged the overnight chip lead with 424,500. While no tournament is won on Day 1, several big names have already positioned themselves well. Former WSOP Europe Main Event champions Annette Obrestad (189,000), Max Neugebauer (123,000), and Simone Andrian (82,000) all advanced with workable stacks.
Rising talents including Frank Cucchiara (348,000), Nicholas Seward (297,500), and Zdenek Zizka (195,000) also made strong starts, while seasoned pros such as Nacho Barbero (289,500), Patrick Leonard (247,500), and online poker star Niklas Astedt (237,000) remain firmly in the hunt.
Those players have already cleared the first stage and secured their place in Day 2. Now, the focus shifts to those returning after falling short on Day 1a, along with a fresh wave of hopefuls looking to join them.
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
Plan for Day 1b
Day 1b gets underway at noon local time, with players starting with 60,000 chips and blinds set at 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante. Each starting flight features ten 60-minute levels.
Players will receive a 15-minute break every two levels, along with a one-hour dinner break at the end of Level 6. Late registration remains open throughout all starting flights and will close at the end of Level 12, two levels into Day 2. Players are permitted up to two reentries per flight.
A total of 15% of the field will finish in the money. From Day 2 onward, blind levels increase to 90 minutes.
2026 WSOP Europe Main Event Schedule
The remaining schedule for the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event is as follows:
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, PokerNews will be on the floor throughout the tournament, bringing live updates until the next WSOP Europe Main Event champion is crowned.
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