PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (July 4). 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.
In the 983rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are at Level 9 Studio in Las Vegas to discuss one of the wilder days in World Series of Poker (WSOP) history!
Not only did the 2026 WSOP $10,000 Main Event officially kick off, complete with Phil Hellmuth's patented circus-like entrance, but both Daniel Negreanu and Martin Kabrhel snagged gold bracelets. That allowed the former to crack the top ten in the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year race, while the latter drew the ire of some fans when he refused to shake the hand of his opponent.
Chad and Mike get into it all, while also thanking sponsor Think Jerky, which you can order here, and shouting out Overlords Caps, of which they're both big fans.
Find out all about those stories and more in this week's episode of the PokerNews Podcast! Oh, and be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
The world of poker strategy has become increasingly solver-driven over the last decade, with players obsessing over balanced ranges, GTO outputs, and technical perfection.
But according to Nacho Cuesta, creator of Master Poker Tells, there’s still a huge part of the game many players are completely overlooking: human behavior.
Cuesta has spent the last five years building what he describes as a structured system for reading live poker tells, breaking down unconscious behaviors into categories including eye movement, betting patterns, verbal cues, and body language. In the process, he says he identified something missing from almost all traditional tells content - structure.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
The road to success at the World Series of Poker isn’t just built at the tables anymore. In 2026, players are increasingly turning to technology to sharpen their edge, streamline their schedules, and survive the grind of a long Las Vegas summer.
While real-time assistance during play is strictly prohibited, there is a growing ecosystem of tools that players can use away from the table to prepare, study, and stay organized throughout the series.
According to the WSOP LIVE app.
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!
Day 1b, the final flight of Event #81: $800 Summer Celebration No-Limit Hold'em, is set to shuffle up and deal at 10 a.m. local time on July 3. Yesterday's flight saw 124 players advance from a field of 2,584, and another big crowd is expected today.
With a starting stack of 40,000 chips and 30-minute levels, the structure moves briskly while late registration is available for the first 12 levels. Those who make it through Day 1b will join the Day 1a survivors on Saturday, July 4, allowing the tournament to crown a champion on Independence Day, during the United States' 250th anniversary celebration.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nino Papava | Georgia | 3,095,000 |
| 2 | Frederick Robitaille | Canada | 2,745,000 |
| 3 | Sander Ressler | United States | 2,365,000 |
| 4 | Vladyslav Shovkovyi | Ukraine | 2,180,000 |
| 5 | Eric Ladny | United States | 1,830,000 |
| 6 | Joseph Cutler | United States | 1,820,000 |
| 7 | Bruno Souza | Brazil | 1,690,000 |
| 8 | Graham Cowan | Australia | 1,595,000 |
| 9 | Matt Solano | United States | 1,590,000 |
| 10 | Noah Curhan | United States | 1,575,000 |
Each starting flight will play 22 levels with 20-minute breaks every four levels and a 75-minute break after Level 16 (≈ 7 p.m.).
The combined field returns Saturday, July 4, at 11 a.m. to play down to a winner. Breaks are 15 minutes every four levels, with a 60-minute break prior to the final table.
Giuseppe Zarbo, a recreational player from Italy, took down last year's Summer Celebration, winning over half a million dollars and his first WSOP bracelet. Following his victory, Zarbo told PokerNews, "It’s incredible, I played well, but I was very lucky. I win coin flip, coin flip, coin flip, then 20/80 percent, 30/70 percent, and on and on.”
This is the third edition of the $800 Summer Celebration. In 2024, the championship stayed in America as Francis Anderson became the inaugural champion.
Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on legends like Daniel Negreanu or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you. No subscriptions, no paywalls - just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most.
It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.
From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.
Event #81: $800 Summer Celebration
Day 1b Started
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