Shaun Deeb Headlines WSOP POY Race Going Into The Summer

The revamped World Series of Poker player of the year race has a familiar face near the top of the leaderboard. Two-time WSOP POY and the defending winner of the award Shaun Deeb left Prague and the 2026 WSOP Europe festival just a hair behind the overall leader.

Deeb had a pair of second-place finishes that improbably both ended with him running into quads, and is the only non-winner from the festival in the top 10 following the 14 qualifying bracelet events in Prague. With 1,340 points, Deeb sits just behind the winner of the WSOP Europe main event in the standings. That player, who has requested anonymity, earned 1,386 points.

Deeb won the 2025 WSOP POY award by the narrowest of margins. He edged out Benny Glaser, who won three bracelets in the summer of 2026, and Michael Mizrachi, who took down both the 2026 WSOP main event and the $50,000 Poker Players Championship (for a record-extending fourth time). Mizrachi’s historic performance saw him inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame on the spot.

Deeb Chasing Back-To-Back POY Victories

As Deeb attempts his title defense and chases a third POY award, he has far and away the most cashes of any player in the top 10, with six. In the reimagined WSOP POY race, the top 15 results for each player will count towards their point total in the race. All live open bracelet events across the three WSOP-branded series will count, while online bracelet events will no longer earn players points in the race.

Mike Leah, who won the €2,750 Rounder Cup no-limit hold’em event in Prague, is in third place in the POY standings. It was the Canadian’s second career bracelet win, joining his 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific high roller victory.

Fahredin Mustafov won his second career bracelet at WSOP Europe, taking down a €2,200 turbo bounty event. He sits in eighth place in the WSOP POY standings after WSOP Europe.

What They’re Playing For

The top three finishers in the 2026 WSOP POY race each win a $100,000 prize package to the 2027 WSOP Paradise festival. Placing anywhere from fourth to 15th in the POY standings earns players a $30,000 package to the WSOP Paradise super main event.

Sixteenth through 50th get a $5,000 WSOP Paradise circuit championship package, with one player in that range randomly drawing an upgrade to the $30,000 package. And those finishing between 51st and 100th get a $2,500 circuit championship ticket, with six players randomly upgraded to the $5,000 package.

Following the 2026 WSOP Europe festival in April, the 2026 WSOP in Las Vegas runs from May 26 to July 15 at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Of the 100 live bracelets on offer, 94 qualify for WSOP POY points. The six that do not, due to their limitations on entry, are the industry employees event, the tag team event, the seniors championship, the ladies championship, the seniors high roller, and the super seniors event. The 2026 WSOP Paradise schedule has not yet been released.

2026 WSOP POY Standings After WSOP Europe

WSOP POY Winners By The Year