Day 38 of the 2026 WSOP officially kicked off with Main Event Day 1a. Daniel Negreanu won his eighth WSOP gold bracelet, Martin Kabrhel won his sixth career title, and Japanese player Ryuta Nakai led Main Event Day 1a with 323,000 chips.
Published: July 3, 2026Updated: 2026.07.03Category: International News
International Poker NewsWSOP Day 38 | Main Event officially kicks off! Negreanu wins his eighth gold medal, Kabrhel sets a new record of six titles.WSOP Latest NewsWSOP High Stakes Tournament Report
On Day 38 of the 2026 WSOP, the Main Event officially commenced, with Daniel Negreanu and Martin Kabrhel both winning gold bracelets.
The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) is about to reach its most anticipated moment for poker players worldwide—$10,000 WSOP Main Event The curtain has officially risen.
Day 38 was full of exciting moments. Not only did the Main Event Day 1a officially begin, but Daniel Negreanu also won his eighth WSOP gold bracelet, and Martin Kabrhel achieved his sixth career title, making Las Vegas buzz with excitement once again.
The WSOP Main Event has officially begun.
The annual WSOP Main Event has officially begun, with Day 1a attracting [number missing] visitors this year.772 peopleParticipate in the competition.
After five competition levels, a total of 543 contestants successfully completed the bagging process and advanced to the next stage.
From JapanRyuta NakaiIn hot form,323,000He became the chip leader on Day 1a and was the only player to break the 320,000 chip mark.
Nakai has accumulated seven WSOP money line wins this summer, including a $25,000 heads-up championship and a third-place finish, demonstrating excellent competitive form.
Main Event Day 1a Focus Figures
Besides Ryuta Nakai, several other world-renowned professional poker players also successfully completed the first day of the tournament.
Including past Main Event champions:
Joe Cada
Greg Merson
Daniel Weinman
Phil Hellmuth
Damian Salas
All successfully advanced to Day 2.
In addition, renowned athletes such as Scott Seiver, Jeremy Ausmus, Stephen Chidwick, Erik Seidel, and Jason Koon also survived and continue their pursuit of the world championship.
Negreanu finally received her eighth gold bracelet.
Another major highlight of Match Day 38 was Daniel Negreanu's performance.$100,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High RollerHe was successfully crowned king.
In the championship showdown, he defeated Artur Martirosian to win his eighth WSOP gold bracelet and take home the championship ring.$2,257,718Prize money for the champion.
This is Negreanu's most important victory in recent years, proving once again that he still possesses world-class competitiveness and turning his accumulated prize money in this series from negative to positive.
Martin Kabrhel makes history again
Another figure attracting much attention is Czech professional poker player Martin Kabrhel.
He$800 Summer CelebrationHe successfully won the championship, receiving his sixth WSOP gold bracelet.
Even more surprisingly, Kabrhel participated in three different events on the same day and still managed to win the championship despite competing on multiple fronts, once again demonstrating his amazing physical strength and competitive ability.
Mini Main Event produces a million-dollar champion
Another major event – the $1,000 Mini Main Event – also officially concluded today.
Japanese playerDaisuke OgitaHe emerged victorious from a field of 12,560 participants, winning his first WSOP gold bracelet and a $1 million prize.
This is also one of the most important victories for the Japanese team in this WSOP.
Multiple events are being carried out simultaneously.
In addition to the main event, other bracelet events are also ongoing.
$600 Deepstack Championship
Only 50 players advanced after Day 2.
South Korean player Seong Han is currently in the lead, while Lisa Tan is in second place, continuing her march toward her first WSOP gold bracelet.
$3,000 Freezeout
Andrew Moreno advanced to the final day of the tournament with a chip lead, becoming one of the biggest favorites to win.
$10,000 8-Game Championship
With 12 players remaining in the competition, the battle for the championship is about to enter its final climax.
The main event has officially entered World Poker Time.
The real climax of the WSOP every year is always the Main Event.
With Day 1a successfully completed, Day 1b, Day 1c, and Day 1d will proceed in succession.
Thousands of professional and amateur players from around the world will compete for the world championship title.
The curtain has officially risen on the 2026 WSOP Main Event, and many more exciting stories are just beginning.
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