The World Series has kicked off in Las Vegas: digest May 26–31

"Welcome to WSOP 2026. I wish you all a year as great as my last one — even though it's going to be damn hard to top! Shuffle up and deal!" — reigning world champion Michael Mizrachi opened the series with a speech that was very much his own. His words were followed by the first hands of the series. The opening week immediately delivered several memorable stories.

A Joker in the deck: an opening-day mishap

The start of the series wasn't without its force majeure. On day one of the $550 Mini-Mystery Millions tournament, the dealer spread a… joker on the flop. A deck with an extra card had made it to the table; the hand was immediately stopped and ruled void. Pro Mike Holtz posted a video on X, sparking a wave of jokes. 

From dealer to champion: the first bracelet goes to a croupier

The first bracelet of the 2026 World Series went to an industry employee. The $500 Industry Employees tournament drew 906 registrants, and it was won by dealer Jerome Nepple, who took home $64,083. He also pulled off a rare WSOP feat — holding the chip lead from day one all the way to the final.

Nepple himself called this score life-changing: the prize money is enough to fully clear his debts. Before this triumph, his only official live-tournament cash was a modest $613.

Daniyal Geba conquers a new arena

Canadian poker player Daniyal Geba rewrote his career by winning the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max. The victory earned him his debut gold bracelet and a hefty $503,000. In total the tournament attracted 570 entries, forming a prize pool of $2,622,000.

For Geba this is his biggest result: until this Friday his total live earnings hadn't reached $2 million. The Canadian had stormed this event three years in a row — after finishing 6th in 2024 and 23rd in 2025, he finally claimed the championship. The title gained an extra historic touch from the fact that the game took place in the new 25,000-square-foot Thunderdome / Mothership / Arena

Ren Lin: $19.5M in winnings and still no gold

The main headliner of the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Max final table, China's Ren Lin, fell just short of the top 3, finishing fourth ($166,448). The gold bracelet once again slipped away from the high roller. With a fantastic $19.5M in career winnings, Lin still remains without a bracelet.

Still, the player isn't discouraged and was back in the game as early as Saturday. His goal for 2026 is to claim both "Player of the Year" titles (from both WSOP and GPI). The first step has been taken, with POY points already in the bank.

Sensation of the week: 90-year-old Perry Green at the final table

The biggest sensation of the series' start was the performance of 90-year-old Perry Green. The three-time WSOP champion (the very same legendary player who lost the 1981 Main Event heads-up to Stu Ungar) reached the final of a major tournament for the first time since 2015. In the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better event, which gathered 828 participants, Green finished sixth and earned $30,973. 

"The players are very strong now, all technically sharp. I, on the other hand, play more on intuition," the veteran admitted after busting.

The winner of this tournament was Jason Daly, who captured the third bracelet of his career.

A bit personal: Daniel Negreanu is expecting his first child

And for Daniel Negreanu it was a special week. KidPoker and his wife Amanda announced they are expecting their first child. The couple turned to surrogacy: the boy is due in late November.

"This is going to be the best Christmas," the seven-time champion summed up.