WSOP 2026 Day 41: Von Kriegenbergh Bags Main Event Day 1d Lead

By Mrinal Gujare

06 Jul 2026

Mrinal Gujare 06 Jul 2026

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4,694 entered WSOP Main Event Day 1d; Taylor von Kriegenbergh leads chips.
Zixuan Liu wins first WSOP bracelet and $219,391 in Event #85.
1,366 join $600 Ultra Stack; 98 advance to next round.

Image by Eloy Cabacas / Pokernews

Day 41 of the 2026 WSOP saw 4,694 players enter Day 1d of the $10,000 Main Event, with Taylor von Kriegenbergh leading 3,638 survivors. Meanwhile, Zixuan Liu won Event #85, earning his first gold bracelet and $219,391.

The 41st day of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) featured only three events on the official schedule. While that might suggest a quieter day on paper, the action at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas was incredibly busy as Day 1d of the Main Event took center stage, drawing thousands of competitors to the tables.

Only one gold bracelet was awarded on July 5. Zixuan Liu emerged victorious in Event #85: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em, capturing his first career bracelet along with a top prize of $219,391. Following his win, Liu shared that he plans to allocate a portion of his prize money to buy a new car for his supportive wife.

Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship continued with Day 1d, attracting a massive field of 4,694 entrants who chose this specific flight to begin their tournament run.

Thanks to the deep blind structure of the event, a total of 3,638 players successfully navigated the day and bagged up chips at the conclusion of play.

Taylor von Kriegenbergh, a native of Massachusetts, accumulated the largest stack of the flight, finishing with 312,800 chips. Although von Kriegenbergh has earned significant poker accolades, he has yet to win a gold WSOP bracelet.

A total of 11 former WSOP Main Event champions managed to advance from Day 1d into Day 2d. Max Neugebauer led this group of past champions, bagging an impressive stack of 198,700 chips. The other former winners who progressed include:

Stoyan Madanzhiev (121,000)
Jonathan Tamayo (109,300)
Ryan Riess (106,800)
Scott Blumstein (105,600)
Simone Andrian (97,200)
Joe McKeehen (75,000)
Hossein Ensan (50,000)
Chris Moneymaker (39,500)
Alexandros Kolonias (36,700)
Robert Varkonyi (33,100)

These 11 players are aiming to join the exclusive group of two-time Main Event champions. The survivors from Day 1d will have a break before returning to action at 11:00 a.m. local time on July 7 for Day 2d.

Running alongside the Main Event was the opening flight of Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em. The first of three scheduled starting flights drew 1,366 entrants.

After 22 levels of play, only 98 players successfully bagged and tagged chips for the next stage of the tournament. Among those who advanced from this initial flight were Ryan Bambrick, Naoya Kihara, and Ian Simpson.

July 6 marks the 42nd day of the 2026 WSOP, with two events on the schedule. The day begins with Day 1b of Event #86: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em. One hour later, Day 2abc of Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship will shuffle up and deal.

A total of 2,468 players are scheduled to return for Day 2abc at 11:00 a.m. local time. Ryuta Nakai of Japan will lead the returning field with 323,000 chips, followed closely by Yulian Bogdanov with 315,000 chips and Igor Pansovoi with 300,300 chips.

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