WSOP Day 36: Deeb Secures Ninth Bracelet, Martirosian Tops $100K PLO High Roller

Shaun Deeb Breaks the 'Curse'

American poker sensation Shaun Deeb proved that his pursuit of Phil Hellmuth's records is no joke. In Event #74: $1,500 8-Game Mixed, he claimed his ninth gold bracelet along with a $181,625 payday. This achievement matches the recent successes of Benny Glaser and Michael Mizrachi, who also secured their ninths at the 2026 WSOP, tying them with the legendary Johnny Moss for a shared sixth place in the all-time winners list.

This victory is especially valuable as Deeb had already finished second three times this year (including in the WSOPE), prompting chatter in the poker community about a 'curse' supposedly placed on him by wrestler Danhausen.

Deeb's journey on the final day felt like a rollercoaster. He fell to the bottom of the rankings among the last nine players but was saved from elimination by a miraculous hand in 2-7 Triple Draw, where his 2-3-4-5-7 combination doubled him up. This sparked his comeback drive to the top.

In a challenging heads-up battle, he defeated Dean Joe, reclaiming his position atop the 2026 Player of the Year leaderboard, defending last year's title. Immediately after his victory photo, Deeb eagerly registered for another tournament, stating with a smile that the summer is still in the red and the grind continues.

Final Table Results of Event #74: $1,500 8-Game Mixed

Satellite Dream and Martirosian's Dominance in $100K PLO

The summer's priciest Omaha event started with a star-studded lineup. After Day 1 of Event #76: $100K PLO, 50 entries were logged, with 19 players moving to the next phase.

The chipleader is four-time bracelet holder Artur Martirosian, who utilized a re-entry to establish a massive lead. Daniel Negreanu also had a strong start, joining post-dinner and tripling his stack within two hours, securing a provisional fifth place.

Yet, the spotlight was firmly on Phillipp Mellon. Without any official tournament results, Mellon turned a $120 investment in the Landmark satellites into a seat in this prestigious $100,000 buy-in event.

Mellon shocked the pros, even taking the chipleader position early in the day. However, his fairy-tale run ended mid-Day 1 when his two pair clashed with Sergio Martinez Gonzalez's flopped set, resulting in his elimination.

Top 10 Stacks After Day 1 – Event #76: $100,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha

Markus Gonsalves Leads Final Seven

Day 3 of the prestigious $5K 6-max (Event #73) delivered a thrilling ride, reducing the field of 1,402 entries to the final seven. These players are guaranteed at least $130,287, but all have their eyes set on the gold bracelet and the $979,655 prize.

The standout story of the day belonged to Frenchman Jean Lhuillier, who staged an unbelievable comeback. Having lost a massive bluff against Mikolaitis, he was left with a single 25,000 chip. Yet, he rapidly built his stack to 1.2 million chips. His incredible run ended just shy of the final table in 8th place ($98,449).

Several stars exited throughout the day, including the original leader Roeland Peeks in 27th place, and notable names such as Andrew 'LuckyChewy' Lichtenberger (12th place), Josh Arieh (36th place), and Dario Sammartino (41st place).

Final Table Lineup of Event #73: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em

Maxx Coleman in Commanding Lead Before the Finale

The $10K Championship in Stud Hi-Lo (Event #75) drew a total of 190 players, crafting a prize pool of $1,767,000. After Day 2, only 13 contenders remain in the hunt for the gold bracelet, led by two-time WSOP champ Maxx Coleman.

Coleman amassed a towering stack, nearly double that of his nearest competition.

The day was critical, especially with the money bubble bursting. While legends like Phil Ivey (22nd place) and the day's starting chipleader Bryce Yockey (20th place) reached the 29 paid spots, both exited before day's end.

However, the battle for the top prize of $415,648 continues, featuring well-known names like Chris Brewer and Paul Volpe.

Top 10 Stacks After Day 2 – Event #75: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

Actor James Woods in the Hunt for a Bracelet

Event #77: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw, featuring 2-7, A-5, and Badugi, kicked off for lowball specialists. The opening day attracted 508 entries, building a $1,130,300 prize pool. The second day will see 151 players returning, with $223,177 awaiting the winner.

Chipleader Dong Chen from China, who already secured one bracelet this year, is attracting attention. However, even bigger spotlight shines on American actor and producer James Woods, who is proving his reputation as a mixed games expert. He stands in fourth place. Woods already has four cashes at the 2026 WSOP, all in mixed games events.

Among the advancing players are two recent nine-time bracelet winners, Benny Glaser (14th place) and Michael Mizrachi (121st place).

Top 10 Stacks After Day 1 – Event #77: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball

Giant Field in Mini Main Event

Alongside the main events, the "miniature" version of the season's main tournament also confirmed its extreme popularity. Event #72: $1K Mini Main Event saw a total of 12,560 entries after three starting flights, significantly surpassing last year's participation (10,794 entries). The biggest rush came during the final flight 1c, with 5,908 players competing.

In Day 1c, 446 players secured their spots for Day 2, where a total of 934 participants will meet.

The overall chipleader for the last flight was Faroe Islands' Tor Skardi. The competition continues with many seasoned professionals like 2024 Monster Stack winner Pedro Neves, Zdeněk Žiška, Stephen Song, and Alex Livingston.

Sources: WSOP, WSOP Live, X, YouTube