PokerStars Blog has been at the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) for the past 15 years — and we’re back again for the 2019 renewal too. Here’s where you’ll find all the key info for what’s happening here in Las Vegas.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE – JULY 4
Main Event Day 1B
Start: 12pm
Levels: 5 x 120-minute levels
Dinner (90 mins): 8pm (60 minutes into Level 4)
Finish: 12:30am (approx)
CHECK OUT OUR WSOP IMAGE GALLERY
Starting stack: 60,000
Blinds:
Level 1: 100/200 (ante 200)
Level 2: 200/300 (ante 300)
Level 3: 200/400 (ante 400)
Level 4: 300/500 (ante 500)
Level 6: 300/600 (ante 600)
DAY 1A RECAP
A remarkable 1,336 players entered the $10,000 buy-in Main Event on Day 1A, up from 925 for the same day last year, and suggesting that this year’s tournament could be the largest ever. (The 2006 record of 8,773 still stands.) Bryan Campanello, of Texas, bagged the most at the end of the day, with 417,500 chips. There were 960 survivors.
Top 10 Day 1A stacks:
| Name | Country | Chips | |
| 1 | Bryan Campanello | United States | 417,500 |
| 2 | Raymond Travis Rice | United States | 335,000 |
| 3 | Timothy Su | United States | 297,300 |
| 4 | Quentin Roussey | France | 266,400 |
| 5 | Takehiro Kato | Japan | 259,200 |
| 6 | Harry Demetriou | UK | 252,000 |
| 7 | Craig Chait | United States | 249,600 |
| 8 | Stephen Graner | United States | 247,100 |
| 9 | Mark Zullo | United States | 245,600 |
| 10 | David Lolis | United States | 245,100 |
Bryan Campanello: Day 1A chip leader
Click for full Day 1A survivors list
POKERSTARS AMBASSADORS’ PROGRESS
Igor Kurganov 129,100 (from Day 1A)
Arlie Shaban 113,600 (from Day 1A)
Kalidou Sow 110,000 (from Day 1A)
Chris Moneymaker 95,000 (from Day 1A)
Jennifer Shahade 72,400 (from Day 1A)
Yet to play:
Andre Akkari
Jason Somerville
Maria Konnikova
Ramon Colillas
Liv Boeree eliminated on Day 1A
Muskan Sethi eliminated on Day 1A
RECENT FEATURE COVERAGE
‘Special’ John Cynn sets the ball rolling
The reigning champion joined tournament director Jack Effel to do the “Shuffle up and deal!”
50 Years, 50 WSOP nuggets
Poker historian Martin Harris tells you all the things you didn’t know about the world’s most prestigious tournament
A bracelet, $1m and now a wife
Kainalu McCue-Unciano hijacked his own bracelet ceremony to propose to his girlfriend
RECENT WSOP CHAMPIONS
Jeremy Saderne – Event #69: $1,000 Mini Main Event – $628,654
Rick Alvarado – Event #64: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold’em – $888,888
2019 WSOP Main Event Schedule:
July 3-5 – Days 1A-1C
July 6 – Day 2AB (survivors from Days 1A&1B)
July 7 – Day 2C (survivors from Day 1C)
July 8 – Day 3
July 9 – Day 4
July 10 – Day 5
July 11 – Day 6
July 12 – Day 7 (play to last 9)
July 13 – rest day
July 14 – Day 8 (play to last 6)
July 15 – Day 9 (play to last 3)
July 16 – Day 10 (play to a champion)
All days begin at 12 noon except Day 2 (11am) and Days 8-10 (6.30pm)
Also at the WSOP today:
Event #70: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed – final table
Event #72: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship – final table
Tournament table are spread across the Rio Convention Center
Previous Main Event winners/coverage
| Year | Winner | Players | Prize | |
| 2005 | Joe Hachem | 5,619 | $7.5m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2006 | Jamie Gold | 8,773 | $12m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2007 | Jerry Yang | 6,358 | $8.25m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2008 | Peter Eastgate | 6,844 | $9.15m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2009 | Joe Cada | 6,494 | $8.55m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2010 | Jonathan Duhamel | 7,319 | $8.94m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2011 | Pius Heinz | 6,865 | $8.72m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2012 | Greg Merson | 6,598 | $8.53m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2013 | Ryan Riess | 6,352 | $8.36m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2014 | Martin Jacobson | 6,683 | $10m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2015 | Joe McKeehen | 6,420 | $7.68m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2016 | Qui Nguyen | 6,737 | $8m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2017 | Scott Blumstein | 7,221 | $8.15m | BLOG REPORTS |
| 2018 | John Cynn | 7,874 | $8.8m | BLOG REPORTS |
WSOP photos by Poker Photo Archive