Lucas Jumalon Leads 2026 World Series Of Poker Main Event Final Table

The final nine players in the 2026 World Series of Poker $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event have locked up their spot at the most coveted final table of the year in poker.

What was once a collection of 9,208 hopefuls is down to a field of less than 0.1% of the group that started the fourth-largest WSOP main event of all time. Each player at the final table is ensured at least $1,000,000 for their efforts, with $10,000,000 and the championship gold bracelet awaiting the eventual champion when the tournament resumes on Monday, Aug. 3.

The story of this final table starts with its youngest member. 22-year-old Lucas Jumalon of Eureka, Washington carries a massive chip lead forward into the 2026 WSOP main event final table, with 194,000,000. That’s more than the next three biggest stacks combined.

Jumalon was all in for his tournament life, and behind, when he flopped trip tens to completely change his trajectory in the tournament, and the course of the tournament for all of his competitors. The young poker professional let out a jubilant roar, surrounded by a large contingent of friends and family as he took over the chip lead of the WSOP main event on day 8.

“Honestly, my friend Big Red’s over there, but we did this a couple months ago in Austin,” Jumalon told Card Player. “He rivered a 10 in a huge six-figure pot, and it was almost the same reaction. It just kind of felt like it was meant to be.”

The Roadblocks To $10 Million

Jumalon has the inside track to the most coveted prize in poker, the oversized WSOP main event bracelet and $10 million. He’ll have to navigate his way past a pair of multi-time bracelet winners and a well-balanced international lineup of experienced competitors.

In the moments after action wrapped up on day 8, Jumalon wouldn’t let the thought of his massive chip lead allow him to get too far ahead of himself.

“We’re just gonna go play cards at the end of the day,” said Jumalon. “Whatever happens, happens. I’ve seen chip leads turn to dust. I’ve seen dust become a chip lead. It doesn’t matter. Anything can happen.”

Jumalon’s toughest competition comes in the form of multi-time bracelet winners Michael Gagliano and Greg ‘FBT’ Mueller. Gagliano, a 41-year-old tournament veteran, has four career WSOP bracelets, with a 2016 live bracelet win and three online victories.

It’s been a long road to this career-defining final table for Gagliano, who has been playing the WSOP main event since his early 20s with little to show for it.

“I think this is my 17th main event, and before last year, I only had one cash and zero day fours,” Gagliano said. “So I had a pretty poor record overall. I made a relatively deep run last year, [finishing in 148th], and then obviously this year, so it can just turn at the tip of a hat like that.”

Gagliano, who works with other poker players as a coach, is still considering his options in terms of how he’s going to handle a couple of weeks off.

“I was not a huge fan of the November 9. It felt like too long of a time period,” said Gagliano. “I think the last couple of years, one or two days off was fine, better than nothing. I think this two weeks will probably be good. It’s slightly awkward; because I don’t know if I should fly halfway across the country and then immediately fly back. I haven’t decided yet.”

Greg Mueller, Elder Statesman

Gagliano, Mueller, and Han Feng are the only players who enter this final table with more than $500,000 in previous live tournament results. Mueller, the oldest player at this final table at 55 years of age, is a three-time bracelet winner with a pair of wins in 2009 and another in 2019. He’s spent the majority of his poker career excelling at mixed games and playing in high-stakes cash-game action.

But the veteran Canadian poker pro who rose to prominence in the early online poker days as a sponsored Full Tilt Poker ‘red pro’ is in the midst of the crowning achievement of his poker career. For all of the heavy-duty action Mueller’s had across his career, the adrenaline was pumping hard on day 8 of the 2026 WSOP main event.

“My tournament life was all in twice,” recalled Mueller. “Today was one of them. It was pocket queens versus ace-king; it was the biggest coin flip of my life, and I won it. And I felt ecstatic, and lucky, and blessed. Both of those times when my chips were all in and called, I won, and that’s what you need to do here.”

As opposed to the deeply mathematical play of some of the younger players at the table, Mueller’s well-honed skills focus on an often under-appreciated element in live tournaments.

“The young kids are killers,” said Mueller. “They’re polished. They’re studying GTO, multi-tabling 10 games at once. They play tournaments all the time. I’m on the golf course. They have energy for days. I’ve been on the tour. That’s why there’s a lot of people cheering for me. I’ve been around a long time, and so for me to not be polished the way they are, and then use my live reads and that sort of thing, makes it all that much sweeter.”

Life-Changing Money

Jamie Shaevel

Mueller starts the final table in fourth place, with 48,500,000, and Gagliano’s just behind him in fifth, with 46,500,000. Feng, the 2024 WSOP Circuit Hard Rock Tulsa main event champion, has over $1.8 million in prior scores and 25,000,000 to work with in this event.

The other six players at the 2026 WSOP final table are set to collect more than double their previous live tournament earnings, no matter where they finish. Canada’s Rami Hammoud, a 36-year-old analytics manager for Voldex Games, sits in second place with 79,000,000.

Jamie Shaevel, a 39-year-old from Santa Monica, California, is in third place with 56,000,000. He’s one of millions of players who was inspired by the early ESPN coverage of the WSOP main event.

“I started playing poker in high school as most guys of my era did,” said Shaevel. “It was on ESPN, seeing Chris Moneymaker, and from there, I went to college, and that’s how I met a lot of my friends playing in the dorms. I just got very into it, and I’ve been playing ever since, 20 years, basically.”

After Mueller and Gagliano, Mario Boos, a 32-year-old up-and-coming French pro, sits in sixth with 44,000,000. Finland’s Lauri Saaskilahti, 39, is seventh, with 37,500,000. Feng sits in second-to-last position heading in to the final table.

Evagorou, A Survivor

The shortest stack is Cyprus’ Evagoras Evagorou. The 48-year-old optician had just $133,689 in career tournament earnings before this tournament, and now he’s guaranteed at least $1 million.

He started day 8 with a healthy stack, but after a tough start, Evagorou was fighting for his tournament life through much of the later stages into the night.

“I was trying to make some moves, but it didn’t work out,” Evagorou said. “So I stayed short-stacked, and then I played three all-ins. I enjoyed it so much, the adrenaline was very high, and I won all three all-ins. I stayed here, and I made the final table. So happy, so proud of myself, and this journey will continue.”

Despite less than three weeks off before the final table’s resumption, Evagorou is heading home to Cyprus to get things in order before he plays the biggest final table of his life.

“I am an optician, and I have a business, a practice in Cyprus, and I’ve done this for 24 years,” said Evagorou. “I will go back home on a flight on Wednesday, and I’ll rest at home. There’s some business to sort out, and I’ll bring my family back here with me in August.”

Big Names Fall Early On The March To The Final Table

When action started on day 8, 10 of the final 21 players had at least one WSOP bracelet to their name, and Malcolm Trayner held the chip lead. Trayner took a hit early when he ran pocket queens into the pocket kings of Brock Wilson and A-K suited of Todd Brunson. An ace on the river saw Brunson triple up, while Wilson took down the side pot.

Bracelet winner and World Poker Tour champion Dylan Smith was the first to fall. His A♣J♠ led Jumalon’s K♦Q♦ preflop, but the board brought three diamonds to give Jumalon the pot and the knockout. Smith earned $325,000 as the 21st-place finisher, growing his career haul to more than $6.2 million in the process.

Is This the End of the Will Givens Show?

After a huge collision that went Lucas Jumalon’s (@LukeJu22) way at the start of play, Will Givens and Jumalon clash again. Can Givens return the favor this time around and crack Jumalon’s aces?

The WSOP Main Event stream is LIVE now on… pic.twitter.com/OCfVrleLey

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 13, 2026

Jumalon’s surge up the leaderboard continued when his A♥10♠ outflopped the A♦Q♥ of Will Givens. It was a battle of the blinds that began with a 1,900,000 raise from Jumalon in the small blind. Givens three-bet to 5,800,000 and made the call when Jumalon four-bet jammed for 27,800,000. The board came down 10♥10♣4♠3♥7♠, and Jumalon hit trips to double into the chip lead.

Givens was left with just 3.5 big blinds after that, but was not the next to fall. On another table, the chips got in on a 8♦3♣2♣J♠ turn with Brunson’s A♦A♥ facing A♣J♣ for Trayner. The bracelet winner and son of two-time main event champion Doyle Brunson was ahead with one card to come, but the 4♣ rolled off on the end to give Trayner a flush and the pot. Brunson earned $325,000 for his 20th-place showing, the third-largest score of his career.

More Heavy Hitters Head Home

Givens found one quick double after being knocked into the danger zone, but was soon all-in and at risk again. Jumalon opened with A♠A♣ for 1,200,000 min-raise and Givens three-bet jammed for 3,600,000. Lauri Saaskilahti four-bet to 6,000,000 with A♦J♥ and folded when Jumalon five-bet shoved with the covering stack. Aces remained best through a Q♣10♣8♣4♦K♠ runout, and Givens was sent to the rail in 19th place ($325,000). The bracelet winner now has nearly $4.5 million in recorded scores.

The UK’s Tom Clack ran aces and fives into the aces and sevens of Hossein Ensan. The chips went in on the turn, and Clack settled for $325,000 after a blank rolled off on the river.

The coldest of preflop coolers spelled the end of Romain Lewis’ (17th – $410,475) run. He got all-in preflop with pocket kings, only to find himself trailing the pocket aces of Mueller. The 2021 WSOP $10,000 super turbo bounty winner from France was unable to come from behind and instead settled for the third-largest score of his career.

Timing is Everything@RomainLewis is the victim of unfortunate timing on Day 8 of the $10,000 Main Event, getting all his chips in with pocket kings, only to run into the aces of Greg Mueller (@GregFBT).

Is a king in the cards for Lewis, or will he fall short of the final… pic.twitter.com/VL8SrXuTgv

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 13, 2026

Wilson was the next to head to the payout desk. The high-stakes tournament regular got the last of his stack in with K♥J♠, leading the 9♥8♥ of Daniel Savas. The 10♣9♦6♥4♥10♥ runout gave Savas a winning flush to eliminate Wilson in 16th ($410,475). He was supported on the rail by several fellow poker pros, including his girlfriend, Cherish Andrews. The reigning U.S. Poker Open champion now has more than $14.6 million in lifetime cashes to his name.

Deeb Downed After Dinner

The most accomplished WSOP player coming into the day extended the streak of notables being knocked out. Shaun Deeb, a nine-time bracelet winner and two-time WSOP Player of the Year, was among the shorter stacks when the final 15 came back from the dinner break.

Deeb soon made his final stand, getting all-in on a Q♠5♣4♦ with 7♥6♥ against the A♠Q♣ of Hammoud. The K♦ turn left Deeb in need a three or eight on the final card. Instead, the J♦ rolled off to send Deeb packing in 15th place ($410,475).

Shaun Deeb

This score pushed Deeb’s career earnings over the $20 million mark, with nearly $14.7 million of that coming from his success at the series.

Deeb earned 365 WSOP POY points as a result of this deep run in the main, the furthest yet in his vaunted career. He now sits in second place in the standings, trailing current race leader Alex Foxen by 49 points. He didn’t waste any time getting back on the H.O.R.S.E., it seems.

“Thankfully, busted in time to max late reg the $500 double and busted. Now in $25k H.O.R.S.E. Time to get some more POY points,” said Deeb in a social media post shortly after he hit the rail.

A New World Champion Will Be Crowned In 2026

Savas had a big stack for much of day 8, but was ultimately the next to be eliminated. The Californian real estate appraiser ran pocket tens into the pocket jacks of Saaskilahti, losing the majority of his stack. Then, his few remaining big blinds went in with 9-6 on the following hand. Saaskilahti called with A-9 and held to send Savas home in 14th ($410,475). This was just his second recorded score in a bracelet event, and by far his largest poker payday.

Not long after that, Jumalon won a massive pot with a set of jacks against the pocket queens of Trayner to extend his chip lead.

The next key hand saw Ensan three-bet jam his last 26.4 big blinds over Saaskilahti’s button min-raise holding A♠Q♣ in the small blind. Gagliano woke up with K♠K♣ and called. Saaskilahti got out of the way, setting up an all-in confrontation with Ensan’s tournament life hanging in the balance.

The flop came down Q♠5♣4♦ to give Ensan additional paths to a double up, but the K♦ turn slammed the door on those dreams. The A♥ on the end was a mere formality, ensuring the 2019 WSOP main event champion fell in 13th place ($510,000). The 2015 European Poker Tour Prague main event winner now has over $15.5 million in career earnings after this latest impressive performance in the big dance.

Gagliano Grows, Galiana Gone

The tournament clock was stuck on a dozen for a while. During that stretch, Gagliano strung together a few big pots to see him continue his climb up the leaderboard.

Antonio Galiana

He then scored a big knockout, with his A♦K♣ holding against the A♠Q♦ of two-time bracelet winner Antonio Galiana. Gagliano opened to 2,500,000 from the cutoff and Galiana three-bet to 14,000,000 off of a stack of 24,000,000. Gagliano four-bet shoved and was eventually called. The board came down 10♣5♠3♦6♣6♥ and Gagliano’s superior side card earned him the knockout.

Galiana settled for $510,000 as the 12-place finisher. This was his second-largest score yet, trailing only the $582,008 that came with his second bracelet, won in the 2025 $5,000 no-limit hold’em eight-max.

Gagliano’s surge soon took a hit, though, when his A♠K♥ lost a big flip to the Q♠Q♥ of Mueller. Neither player connected with the ten-high runout and Mueller doubled to nearly 47 big blinds.

Final Two Eliminations Of The Night

Tolga Karakaya’s last hand saw him commit his stack preflop with A♣10♥. He ran into J♠J♥ for Shaevel. Karakaya flopped top pair, but failed to improve any further on a final board of 10♦5♣2♠2♥4♠. The 33-year-old financial consultant from Bad Homburg, Germany, earned $750,000 for his 11th-place showing. It was by far his largest score yet.

The final ten were then moved onto the main stage, with Jumalon out in front and Boos on the short stack. Evagorou found a quick double up through Trayner to leave the Australian bracelet winner’s stack in tatters.

He was ground down to just a few big blinds, and then found a huge chunk of his stack forced into the pot in the big blind. Jumalon opened to 3,000,000 from middle position with K♣Q♦ and Trayner called the min-raise with J♣4♣. The flop came down 8♠8♥4♥ and Trayner shoved for his last 3,000,000. Jumalon called and the turn brought the 9♠. Trayner would double on anything but a king, queen, or nine on the river. The 9♣ on the end counterfeited his pair, giving Jumalon nines and eights with a winning king kicker.

Trayner took home $750,000 as the 10th-place finisher. The 26-year-old poker pro from Brisbane now has over $3.8 million in career cashes.

A Brief Break In The Action

For the first time since 2016, there will be an extended break before the WSOP main event final table resumes on Aug. 3. The first two nights of action air on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4 starting at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The finale of the 2026 WSOP main event airs starting at 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 5 on ESPN.

In between now and the start of the final table, edited episodes of the first eight days of the 2026 WSOP main event will air on ESPN2 on Tuesday nights.

Play will resume on Monday, Aug. 3 with 56:40 remaining in level 39, with blinds of 1,000,000-1,500,000 and a 1,500,000 big blind ante.

Here is a look at the complete chip counts heading into the final table of the 2026 WSOP main event:

Remaining payouts up for grabs in the 2026 WSOP main event:

Photo credits: WSOP / Lennart Hennig, Alicia Skillman, Monique Marestein, Tyler Abrams