PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 3 (June 8). Until then, we will be keeping readers informed with updates on chip counts and core event statistics, including entries and prize pool. Scroll down to see more.
2026 World Series of Poker
Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em
Day 2c Completed
At the start of Day 2c of Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack there were 1,002 survivors who carried bags over from Day 1c. Over the first few hours, late registrants trickled in, increasing the total number of Day 2c players to 1,438 entries (and 3,332 entries) overall for the D flight).
By the end of the day, just 175 players remained with Vincent Albert of France in the lead with 3,185,000 in chips.
Albert is followed by Salvatore Dicarlo (3,180,000) in second place and Colton Blomberg (3,145,000) in third.
Joao Simao also made the top ten chip counts with 2,945,000 in chips.
Event #18: $1,500 Monster Stack Day 2c Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vincent Albert | France | 3,185,000 | 127 |
| 2 | Salvatore Dicarlo | United States | 3,180,000 | 127 |
| 3 | Colton Blomberg | United States | 3,145,000 | 126 |
| 4 | Valentin Vornicu | United States | 3,015,000 | 121 |
| 5 | Joao Simao | Brasil | 2,945,000 | 118 |
| 6 | Andro Scarpa | Croatia | 2,750,000 | 110 |
| 7 | Daniel Kusnerak | United States | 2,660,000 | 106 |
| 8 | Riley Dieckhoff | United States | 2,615,000 | 105 |
| 9 | Kuanhan Lee | Taiwan | 2,540,000 | 102 |
| 10 | Andrew Dean | United States | 2,440,000 | 98 |
Some other big names to find a bag for Day 3 include Brian Yoon (2,130,000), Jon Kyte (2,125,000), David Peters (1,770,000), Antonio Vargas (1,435,000), Nipun Java (645,000), and Main Event champion Stoyan Madanzhiev (625,000).
All the players who make it through the Day 2 flights will join the combined field on Day 3 to play another 10 levels. Blinds will start at 10,000/25,000 with a 25,000 big blind ante.
Day 3 of the Monster Stack starts at 11:00 a.m. local time on Monday, June 8, which is also when PokerNews' traditional coverage of this tournament begins.
If the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is anything like 2025, it's going to be, to quote Gus Hansen, a “great summer.”
Last year's Las Vegas series had a record 100 gold bracelet events, with a record 234 bracelets awarded throughout the year, including online and multiple live stops.
The 2025 WSOP featured a rare triple-bracelet winner who wasn't even the summer's top performer.
Fewer than 200 players remain on Day 2c and below are some of the largest stacks according to the WSOP LIVE app.
The poker world moves fast and during massive events, it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everyone. Whether you’re following a high-stakes pro, a local hero from your home game, or a family member chasing a bracelet, PokerNews makes it even easier with the new MyPlayers feed — your personalized updates feed for tracking the players you care about in one place.
Build your custom watchlist by clicking the star icon next to a player in the live reporting feed, and they’ll be pinned to the top of chip counts and tracked in a single, real-time feed as the action unfolds.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
20 years after that hand on High Stakes Poker, Daniel Negreanu is still getting coolered by Gus Hansen, and this time at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP).
Playing Day 1 of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, the two poker legends faced off with monsters that saw Hansen rake in a pot against Negreanu with a better full house.
However, unlike that iconic encounter from Season 2 of High Stakes Poker in 2006 (in which the turn card that day gave Hansen quads over Negreanu's boat), on this occasion, Kid Poker had clearly learned his lesson from two decades ago, losing only a small pot instead of going broke after telling the Dane, "Jeez, I'm sorry I didn't raise you!" after the hands were tabled.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.