Who Will Win the 2026 WSOP Main Event?

The World Series of Poker Main Event is once again ready to crown the next World Champion of Poker. After eight grueling days of play and more than 9,200 players, only nine remain. Each has already secured a seven-figure payday, but there's only one bracelet that truly matters. 

When the final table resumes on August 3, the remaining players won't simply be competing for $10 million. They'll be chasing a place alongside poker's greatest names. With a commanding chip leader, several accomplished professionals, and a handful of dangerous underdogs still alive, the stage is set for one of the most intriguing final tables in recent memory.

How We Got Here

The 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event attracted 9,208 entries, the fourth largest in history. While the field fell short of the record, surviving eight days against more than nine thousand opponents is one of the most difficult accomplishments in tournament poker.

The road to the final table wasn't short on storylines. Established professionals made deep runs, former champions attempted to add another historic title to their résumés, and several lesser-known players emerged from relative obscurity to contend for poker's biggest prize.

The biggest story entering the final table is Lucas Jumalon, the 22-year-old American who dominated Day 8 to finish with 194 million chips, more than double the stack of his nearest competitor. His commanding lead gives him a huge edge, and recent history suggests his lead may be insurmountable.

Meet the 2026 WSOP Main Event Finalists

What makes this year's final table compelling is its mix of established professionals and players chasing the biggest moment of their careers. We have a pair of multi-time World Series of Poker bracelet winners, cash game grinders, and others looking to turn a breakout performance into poker immortality.

Lucas Jumalon (United States) – Can the Chip Leader Finish the Job?

Every final table has a player everyone is chasing, and this year that's Lucas Jumalon. The 22-year-old American enters the final table with more than twice the chips of his closest competitor after a dominant Day 8 performance.

Jumalon comes into the final table in a unique position. While holding the chip lead at the WSOP final table is not a guarantee of a victory, his is not just any chip lead. He has a 76-big-blind chip lead over the rest. Over the last 20 years, three players have come into the final table with a 50+ big blind chip lead, and each of those players (Koray Aldemir, Hossein Ensan, and Joe McKeehan) has gone on to win the main event title.

The biggest question surrounding Jumalon is whether he can handle the pressure that comes with being the overwhelming favorite.

Rami Hammoud (Canada) – Looking to Close the Gap

Rami Hammoud came into Day 8 of the Main Event second in chips and retained that position heading into the final table. He has a poker resume stretching back over a decade, including a WSOP final table appearance in 2024, so he understands the pressure behind his position.

Hammoud doesn't need to force the action immediately, as he has enough chips to put pressure on the smaller stacks, but he also understands that he needs to close the gap with Jumalon early to make a run at the title. Expect a style of play similar to that on Day 8, which should put him in great shape to make the top 3.

Jamie Shaevel (United States) – Cash Game Player With Proven Main Event Track Record

Jamie Shaevel is one of the more interesting stories at the final table, at least in my opinion. While Shaevel is a cash game player by trade, he has a remarkable Main Event record with 10 past cashes. 

Shaevel isn’t your typical tournament grinder with a “there’s always tomorrow” mentality. He makes every decision count, evidenced by his track record in the Main Event. Don’t expect him to make “bold plays” to build a stack. Instead, expect him to attempt to chip up steadily and take advantage of players looking to ladder up.

Cash game players don’t always make the best tournament players, but Shaevel looks to change that perception.

Greg “FBT” Mueller (Canada) – Can He Cap Off the “Comeback?”

Anybody following Greg Mueller’s run in the 2026 Main Event has likely heard that this is a comeback for the three-time bracelet winner. This is easily his best run in the Main Event, and Mueller has even stated that this run is the best moment in his career.

He’s starting the final table in fourth place, but his stack can be a bit precarious. His best route would be to put pressure on the smaller stacks while waiting for a good hand or spot to challenge the chip leaders.

Personal Note: I’ve actually played a few events and even hung out with Greg in the Full Tilt Poker lounge back in the day. We played at the same table and cashed together in a $1,500 Limit event back at the 2026 WSOP. He can definitely be a fun guy at the poker table, and if he is playing his “A-game,” he could finally win the grandest prize in poker.

Michael Gagliano (United States) – Looking for the Biggest Title of His Career

Michael Gagliano is another 3-time WSOP bracelet winner to make this final table and has a tournament resume stretching back to 2008. He also has a pair of WSOP Main Event cashes, including a 148th place finish in 2025.

Gagliano has the experience necessary to compete in the pressure cooker of the final table. Still, he needs to be active early to keep his stack from falling into the danger zone. Expect him to try and leverage his experience to work his way up the ladder and into contention.

Mario Boos (France) – Go Big or Go Home

Judging from his interview with PokerNews after making the final table, Mario Boos could go on an epic run at the final table or be the first one out. He said his main goal is to win the bracelet, and that pay jumps aren't that important.

This will make him dangerous at the final table. With 29 big blinds, he is technically in the danger zone, but a couple of big hands or a key double-up makes him a legitimate threat. If there was one player I expect to be all-in in the first 10 hands, it's Boos. This is his first Main Event cash, and his “go big or go home” mentality could create a dramatic come-from-behind win or put him first on the rail.

Lauri Saaskilahti (Finland) – Looking to Become First Finnish World Champion

Lauri Saaskilahti has already made history in this year’s Main Event. He is the first Finnish player ever to reach the final table, but he has a long way to go to become Finland’s first World Champion of Poker.

Saaskilahti starts with 25 big blinds, and while he doesn’t need to start insta-shoving, he will need to be active to keep from becoming the short stack. Of all the players at the final table, Saaskilahti has the least amount of tournament experience. Will this lack of experience hinder his ability to compete, or will he be enough of a wild-card to put together a lucky run?

Han Feng (United States) – Can He Grind His Way Out of the Hole?

Looking at Han Feng’s tournament resume, you’d think that he’s been playing a decade or longer. Instead, his tournament resume stretches back just five years, with just shy of $2 million in tournament earnings.

While he has the experience, he doesn’t have the chips right now. He is the second shortest stack with 17 big blinds and will need to make some moves early to have a shot at contention. With his background, he knows what needs to be done. The key will be whether he can execute.

Evagoras Evagorou (Cyprus) – The Ultimate Underdog

Evagoras Evagorou is the first player from Cyprus to make the WSOP Main Event final table. Unfortunately, his run starts with him being the short stack. With just 15 big blinds, he can’t just sit around if he hopes to compete for a bracelet.

Evagorou appears to be on the run of a lifetime. He has four WSOP cashes, all this year. His deep run in the $600 Deepstack Championship seems to have set him up for this run. Evagorou is the ultimate underdog here as no player in recent history has come back from the short stack to win the WSOP Main Event. The question now is whether Evagorou will take his shot at the bracelet or try and ladder up to a larger payday.

What's at Stake?

Every player is guaranteed at least $1 million, with first place taking home $10 million. The money alone isn't what makes the WSOP Main Event special.

Winning the Main Event means earning the title of World Champion, capturing poker's most prestigious gold bracelet, and forever becoming part of the game's history. Every champion joins an exclusive club that includes legends such as Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Moneymaker, Joe Hachem, and countless other players whose victories have helped shape modern poker.

The career impact can be just as significant. Main Event champions often receive sponsorship opportunities, invitations to some of the world's most exclusive tournaments, increased media attention, and instant recognition wherever poker is played. For professionals, it can define an entire career. For recreational players, it represents the ultimate dream of turning one incredible tournament run into poker immortality.

Jumalon Odds-On Favorite, But FBT May Spoil the Party

Predicting the winner of the WSOP Main Event is never easy, but this year’s final may be a bit of an exception. Lucas Jumalon enters as the dominant favorite thanks to his overwhelming chip lead. Recent history suggests that his lead all but cements his victory, but the poker gods can be fickle.

Many of the remaining players have enough chips and experience to change the tournament with a single well-timed double-up. Veterans like Greg Mueller and Michael Gagliano bring years of tournament success to the table, while several of the shorter stacks remain dangerous enough to reshape the leaderboard if the cards fall their way.

If I were putting money on the Main Event, I’d put money on Jumalon and Mueller. Jumalon has already shown he has the aggression necessary to control the final table. As long as he makes good decisions and avoids massive coolers, he is as close to a “sure thing” as you can get.

However, as I have personal experience with, Greg Mueller has the experience and pedigree necessary to rise up and take the title from Jumalon. Mueller will likely put everything he has into this run, and if he happens to make it heads-up against Jumalon with a reasonable stack, we could see him win his fifth bracelet on the grandest stage of all.