Meet the 9 Players at the 2026 WSOP Main Event Final Table
After 9,208 entries, the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event has slowly eroded the field down to just nine players.
They’ll gather again on August 3rd, and whittle down the crowd even more until we have a champion.
Every player has locked up a million dollars already, but massive pay jumps lie ahead, with $10,000,000 for the eventual victor.
22-year-old Lucas Jumalon sits in first place, holding on to over one-third of the chips in play.
| Place | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Jumalon | United States | 194,000,000 |
| 2 | Rami Hammoud | Canada | 79,000,000 |
| 3 | Jamie Shaevel | United States | 56,000,000 |
| 4 | Greg Mueller | Canada | 48,500,000 |
| 5 | Michael Gagliano | United States | 46,500,000 |
| 6 | Mario Boos | France | 44,000,000 |
| 7 | Lauri Saaskilahti | Finland | 37,500,000 |
| 8 | Han Feng | United States | 25,000,000 |
| 9 | Evagoras Evagorou | Cyprus | 22,500,000 |
Lucas will be flanked by a colorful mix of nationalities and experience levels when play resumes. The final nine are comprised of four Americans, two Canadians, one French, one Finnish, and one Cypriot player. If anyone other than a US or Canadian player wins, it will be the first time in WSOP history.
We’ll tell you about each finalist, how they reached the remaining nine players, and a bit about their poker background.
#1. Lucas Jumalon – 194,000,000 Chips
- Country: United States
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2025 – WSOP Circuit
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$180,888
- Biggest Win to Date: $22,945
- Share of Chip Count: 35.1% (194,000,000)
The Main Event Run
At just 22, Jumalon, nobody is set up better to win the 2026 Main Event. But if you looked for him on the early rankings, you’d never predict it. He entered on Day 1b and wound up in second last place out of 759 surviving players. He came into Day 2abc with just 7,400 chips, less than 10 big blinds. Not hopeless, but close. From then on, Lucas enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top spot.
- Day 3 – 449th place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 39th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 38th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 10th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 3rd place out of 21
- Day 8 – 1st place out of 9
Lucas Jumalon’s Background
Compared to some of the old-school players, Lucas is in his poker infancy. The recent Grand Canyon University business administration and data analytics graduate has already gone where 99% of players won’t even get to be on the rail. His best cash was just $22,945 in Las Vegas at a $400 No Limit Hold'em event. Even if Jumalon somehow busts in 9th place, the Main Event payday is about to make that $22,000 feel like a sticky cup holder’s loose change.
A win would make him the second-youngest Main Event champion ever. Let’s see if he can hold on to his lead over the finish line.
#2. Rami Hammoud – 79,000,000 Chips
- Country: Canada
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2018 WSOP Circuit – Atlantic City
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$512,438
- Biggest Win to Date: $123,386
- Share of Chip Count: 14.3% (79,000,000)
The Main Event Run
Rami Hammoud doesn’t have a near-tournament-death story like Jumalon. The worst he’s finished amongst the pack was near the middle, on Day 1c (and later on Day 5), before hovering around the top 15% of the field on Day 2abc and Day 3.
- Day 3 – 218th place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 121st place out of 533
- Day 5 – 89th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 6th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 2nd place out of 21
- Day 8 – 2nd place out of 9
Rami Hammoud’s Background
This is the Canadian’s first Main Event rodeo, but definitely not his first rodeo. His Hendon Mob, which started tracking in 2018, shows several big-field successes, like 12th of 20,647 in the $300 Gladiators of Poker and 5th of 4,571 in Salute to Warriors. He’s also no stranger to the World Series, cashing 13 WSOP events in 2024 and 10 events in 2025. This is his first 2026 WSOP cash in Vegas, but he did score about $40,000 from four Canadian WSOPC events.
Along with Greg Mueller, Rami is representing Canada in what may become the country’s first Main Event win.
#3. Jamie Shaevel – 56,000,000 Chips
- Country: United States
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2009 – 40th Annual WSOP Main Event
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$451,177
- Biggest Win to Date: $54,851
- Share of Chip Count: 10.1% (56,000,000)
The Main Event Run
Jamie Shaevel bought into the Main on Day 2abc and hovered around the middle of the pack for his first few days. It wasn’t until Day 6 that Jamie secured a comfortable leader’s chip stack. He now sits in the third position among the nine players on the Main Event final table.
- Day 3 – 705th place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 247th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 119th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 12th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 15th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 3rd place out of 9
Jamie Shaevel’s Background
Even though Jamie Shaevel is more known as a cash-game specialist rather than a tournament player, he’s clearly got an affinity for the $10,000 Main. He first cashed in the 2009 Main Event, finishing in 305th place for just under $30,000. This year will mark his 8th Main Event cash, and it’s going to dwarf all the others combined. He's said the Main Event is essentially the only tournament he plays each year, saying, “There's nothing even close to it."
#4. Greg Mueller – 48,500,000 Chips
- Country: Canada (born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland)
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2003 – 34th Annual WSOP Main Event
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$3,540,270
- Biggest Win to Date: $460,841
- Share of Chip Count: 8.8% (48,500,000)
The Main Event Run
Greg “Full Blown Tilt” Mueller was in the top 25% on Day 1d, top 36% on Day 2d, then jumped up to the top 2% on Day 3, really getting into his stride. It’s not clear what happened on this day, but we can assume the turns and rivers were on his side (not to discount his skill).
- Day 3 – 41st place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 118th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 40th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 24th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 19th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 4th place out of 9
Greg Mueller’s Background
Mueller is one of the more seasoned MTT players at the final table, with many millions of dollars more in lifetime earnings than his peers. His story couldn’t sound more stereotypically Canadian, going from pro ice hockey defenceman to winning his first WSOP bracelet in 2009 in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em championship. Just 11 days later, in a $1,500 Limit Shootout, he won his second bracelet. His third came in 2019 from a WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event.
Greg is one of the two Canadians in the final nine and might be feeling the pressure from carrying his country’s Main Event hopes and dreams.
#5. Michael Gagliano – 46,500,000 Chips
- Country: United States
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2009 – 40th Annual WSOP Main Event
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$2,296,144 live (Over $8,000,000 according to his website)
- Biggest Win to Date: $448,463
- Share of chip count: 8.4% (46,500,000)
The Main Event Run
Just like Greg Mueller, Michael "Gags30" Gagliano knows what playing WSOP events is like, and it’s showing. The only moment he came close to the back of the pack was on Day 4, when he dropped into the lowest 10% of the field. Apart from that, this performance has been strong. Michael entered on Day 1b and was unquestionably a contender once Day 5 arrived.
A friend asked when he’d be happy during the Main Event, and Michael prophetically replied, “When there’s nine left. I feel like it’s finally done.”
- Day 3 – 189th place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 489th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 29th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 19th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 14th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 5th place out of 9
Michael Gagliano’s Background
This is the kind of player you expect to battle through thousands of players to the Main Event final table, but the variance rarely lets them through (until now). With four WSOP bracelets, Michael runs a poker coaching and consulting service, apparently with over 50 students who’ve been under his wing since 2010. He’s also an online pro, with PokerStars SCOOP and WCOOP titles under his belt to match the jeweled WSOP bracelets from the live world.
If he wins, Gagliano is the kind of player we won’t be surprised to see in that position.
#6. Mario Boos – 44,000,000 Chips
- Country: France
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2023 – WSOP International Circuit
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$239,888
- Biggest Win to Date: $54,659
- Share of Chip Count: 8.0% (44,000,000)
The Main Event Run
Mario Boos did not immediately rise to the top. When he entered on Day 1d, he finished closer to the bottom at 3,266th out of 3638. It’s not exactly the start you’d imagine for someone who’d survive the next seven days and be part of only nine surviving competitors. But after accumulating a mass of chips on Day 5 and sitting in the top 3% of players, he’s had a strange hold on his final table seat.
There was a huge moment for Boos on Day 8, where he flipped with TdTc against Han Feng’s AcKh. His Main Event life was on the line, but it turned into a double-up when his pair held. Feng survived until the final nine, but Boos almost ended his run right there.
- Day 3 – 96th place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 296th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 6th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 4th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 11th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 6th place out of 9
Mario Boos’ Background
No bracelets, no six-figure scores, but suddenly, Mario is sitting in poker’s biggest tournament with a million-dollar payday locked in. He’s the only French player at the Main Event final table, and his ultra-supportive rail is guaranteed to get behind him on August 3rd. With over 60 recorded cashes, this WSOP run is about to 5x his total earnings, even in a worst-case scenario.
A Frenchman has never won the WSOP Main Event, and never even been a runner-up. 2026 could be the year.
#7. Lauri Sääskilahti – 37,500,000 Chips
- Country: Finland
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2026 (This 2026 WSOP Main Event)
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$138,453
- Biggest Win to Date: $83,116
- Share of Chip Count: 6.8% (37,500,000)
The Main Event Run
Lauri was handed a lifeline on Day 7, spiking an ace on the river to stay alive. Arriving as one of the nine finalists, this moment is guaranteed to be etched deep into his memory. Not that he hasn’t made some big calls, but it was almost over if the poker gods hadn’t stepped in. Sääskilahti entered the Main on Day 1d, finished 449th out of 3,638, and really started to lock in his position after Day 3.
- Day 3 – 893rd place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 38th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 43rd place out of 174
- Day 6 – 29th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 17th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 7th place out of 9
Lauri Sääskilahti’s Background
First WSOP cash ever, in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world. It just doesn’t get any more magical than that. Lauri’s Hendon Mob is a curious one, with only nine cashes on record, all in Barcelona except for one. This doesn’t mean he hasn’t been crushing smaller events that didn’t make it to Hendon, but he’s flying a lot more under the radar than his tablemates.
It appears that Lauri is Head of Sales at the Mondi Group, a packaging and paper company based in Vienna.
#8. Han Feng – 25,000,000 Chips
- Country: United States
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2022 – 53rd Annual WSOP Main Event
- Total tournament Winnings: ~$1,993,830
- Biggest Win to Date: $159,805
- Share of Chip Count: 4.5% (25,000,000)
The Main Event Run
Han Feng is the player who brought Mario Boos back to life on Day 7, but even that loss couldn’t dampen his chances. Feng has been a serious contender every day of the Main Event, never really falling into the bottom half of the field.
- Day 3 – 514th place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 24th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 11th place out of 174
- Day 6 – 17th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 12th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 8th place out of 9
Han Feng’s Background
Han is one of the more professional players on this Main Event roster, with a GPI award and over 160 recorded cashes in the bank. He’s also got the earnings to prove that this performance is no fluke or sunrun. In 2024, he came 286th in the Main, and in 2023, he came 396th. Neither finish is front-page poker news material, but those are still relatively deep runs in through a massive field.
He’s made it to the final nine, but with less than 5% of the chips in play, the battle is uphill.
#9. Evagoras Evagorou – 22,500,000 Chips
- Country: Cyprus (the first Cypriot ever at a WSOP Main Event final table)
- Cashing in WSOP Events Since: 2026 (first WSOP cashes this summer)
- Total Tournament Winnings: ~$253,488
- Biggest Win to Date: $54,659
- Share of Chip Count: 4.1% (22,500,000)
The Main Event Run
In the first Main Event he’s played, Evagoras has made it through thousands of players to sit at the final table. He’s the only player from Cyprus to ever reach it. Evagoras had healthy performances on Day 1d (1,399/3,638) and Day 2d (600/2,034), before getting very comfortable chip leads over the field on Day 4 onwards.
- Day 3 – 893rd place out of 1,389
- Day 4 – 38th place out of 533
- Day 5 – 43rd place out of 174
- Day 6 – 29th place out of 62
- Day 7 – 17th place out of 21
- Day 8 – 9th place out of 9
Evagoras Evagorou’s Background
It might be his first Main Event experience, but this isn’t Evagoras’ first tournament. He’s been cashing in tournaments since 2009, mostly in Cyprus, until this year. And what a run it’s been. The Main Event will be his fourth cash, and though it will overshadow every other score, he did make 15th in the $600 Deepstack Championship.
Basically neck and neck with Han Feng, Evagoras will have to be on guard as the Main Event resumes.
From a country of less than 1 million, it would be historic for him to rise up and claim victory. There might not be another Cypriot in this position for a while.
Interested in the other champions from the 2026 World Series of Poker? We've collected them all in one place.
Browse every bracelet event, except for the Main Event, and see who overcame the odds to score a victory.
