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The 2026 Goliath is once again on track to set a new attendance record, marking what would be the 13th consecutive year of growth for the Grosvenor-run £200 buy-in tournament. Four of the nine scheduled Day 1 flights have now been completed in Coventry, with a combined total of 6,174 entries recorded so far, not including players signed up for upcoming flights.
That figure already surpasses the total field size of every Goliath held between 2011 and 2016, underlining how dramatically the event has grown since its inception. The inaugural 2011 Goliath drew 1,765 entrants in total, a number matched almost exactly by Day 1a alone this year, which saw 1,744 players compete before being narrowed down to 105 survivors.
Neil Rowicki led the Day 1a counts with 1,330,000 chips, ahead of Deniz Orhan and John Bassett. Day 1b attracted 1,473 players, with only 84 advancing and the chip lead going to a player known only as “N.S.” who bagged 1,435,000 chips.
Day 1c brought in 1,525 entrants, the largest flight so far, with 95 progressing to Day 2. Anonymous player “P.M.” topped that flight and currently holds the overall chip lead of the tournament with 1,765,000 chips.
Day 1d saw 1,432 players compete, with 95 surviving to Day 2. Vasilica Balan finished on top with 1,200,000 chips, narrowly ahead of Gabriel Parsons and Sanjay Ranchhoddas, both of whom also cleared the one-million mark.
Five flights remain, starting with Day 1e later today. Organizers expect Day 1h on July 31 to be especially busy, and players are encouraged to register early through Grosvenor’s Live Poker app or via GGPoker, which offers a 20% cash boost on winnings.
