The 2026 World Series of Poker is well and truly underway. The summer series kicked off only a few days ago, but we can already feel the buzz that comes with it every year.
It is, after all, the biggest yearly event in all of poker!
As I write this, we are four days deep into the 2026 WSOP, and the first couple of bracelets (out of 100 total) have already found their new owners. The prestigious $25k Heads Up Championship has gotten underway as well, and live streams from Paris and Horseshoe have kicked in.
It’s a lot for just a few days, but it’s the nature of the beast. If you haven’t been able to keep up with all of it, here’s your quick recap of the first week of the 2026 World Series of Poker.
2026 WSOP Week 1 Bracelet Winners
| Event | Winner | Prize Money | Total Entries |
| #2 – $5,000 8-Handed NLHE | Daniyal Gheba | $502,985 | 570 |
| #3 – $500 Industry Employees | Jerome Neppl | $64,083 | 906 |
| #4 – $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo | Jason Daly | $191,362 | 828 |
First Summer Bracelets Are Awarded
Many things have changed about the World Series of Poker over the years, but there is one constant that remains. A majority of players arriving in Las Vegas dream about leaving the city with at least one gold bracelet to show for their efforts.
In its first few days, the 2026 WSOP made that dream come true for three players.
Jerome Neppl triumphed in the $500 Industry Employees event, coming out on top of the field of 906 players and claiming just over $64,000 for his victory. Neppl is a poker dealer hailing from New Mexico, and to say this was his best career cash is an understatement. Prior to this win, he only had $613 in live tournament winnings!
Daniyal Gheba took down Event #2 – $5,000 8-Handed NLHE. He outlasted every single player in the 570-strong field to pick up just over $500k and his very first WSOP bracelet.
Rounding up the short list of this week’s bracelet winners is Jason Daly. He gets the honor of taking down the first non-Hold’em event of the summer after winning Event #4 – $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo. The tournament attracted quite a number of players, with over 800 contenders joining the action. Daly outlasted them all to win his third career bracelet and just over $190,000 in prize money.
We’ll have a couple of more winners today, as Event #5 – $5,000 PLO and Event #6 – $1,500 Seven Card Stud are down to the final few players.
The $25k Heads Up Championship Commences
The first of what we could classify as “major” events of the 2026 World Series of Poker started today as the $25,000 Heads-Up Championship got underway.
This tournament always attracts some of the biggest names in all of poker, and it was no different this time around. Day 1A saw the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Doug Polk, Brock Wilson, and the reigning WSOP Main Event champion, Michael Mizrachi, join the action.
The play started with 64 contenders and, after three rounds, there are only eight remaining. They are:
- Alex Foxen
- Daniel Negreanu
- Dimitar Danchev
- Henri Puustinen
- Barak Wisbord
- Michael Mizrachi
- Cary Katz
- Justin Saliba
However, this is not the final list for Day 2. This year, the WSOP decided to add another starting flight, so today, there will be Day 1b. Those who were eliminated yesterday will be allowed to try again, and we’ll likely see some fresh faces in the mix.
All 16 players progressing to Day 2 will return to continue their hunt for the title on Saturday, May 31.
WSOP Live Streams Are Here
The World Series of Poker promised us the best coverage this year, and from everything we’ve seen so far, it looks like they’ll come through on that promise.
Live streaming started yesterday, with the first day of the $25k Heads-Up Championship, and it is now set to continue for the full seven weeks. Every single day, there will be a live stream going, and you can tune in for free on the WSOP official YouTube channel.
Jeff Platt explained that there will usually be one tournament in focus, but the production crew also has the ability to add other streams to the mix, so if there is something interesting happening on the outer tables, we’ll be able to catch glimpses of it.
The 2026 World Series of Poker is finally here, and we are all excited for it. The first week was busy, but it’s nothing compared to what’s ahead. We’ll try our best to bring you weekly recaps of all things WSOP and help you get up to speed as the action heats up.
