Beyond the thrilling contests for crucial leaderboard points, we witnessed the crowning of three champions. David Peters secured his fifth gold bracelet and a prize of $1,001,391 in the $10K 6-Handed Championship, swiftly dominating the extended day in just 75 minutes.
Joshua Wang made history with his first bracelet win in the $3K PLO 6-Handed, denying poker legend Erik Seidel his eleventh title and taking home $407,137.
Garrett Dwire joins the roster of new victors, conquering the massive field in the $500 Summer Saver, earning $210,000 for his first triumph.
Trio Foxen, Deeb, and Kihara in a Direct Battle for the Throne
The final High Roller of the summer, with its hefty buy-in, delivered exactly what fans anticipated – a direct battle for the WSOP Player of the Year title. As Event #97: $25K H.O.R.S.E. progresses, only 16 finalists remain, competing for $872,052. Among them are the leading trio on the POY leaderboard: Alex Foxen, Naoya Kihara, and defending champion Shaun Deeb.
At the top of the pack are Frenchman Julien Sitbon and Russian pro Alexander Kostritsyn. The stacked final field also includes elite names like Josh Arieh, Qinghai Pan, and Maxx Coleman.
The tournament, which generated a prizepool of $3,478,000, was less kind to Daniel Negreanu. After losing most of his chips to Mike Leah, his frustration was evident, and following a subsequent elimination by Kihara, he promptly exited the playing area. Similarly, Benny Glaser, Phil Ivey, and Phil Hellmuth faced setbacks. Hellmuth attempted to mitigate his losses with smaller bets.
Lost $50,000 on two $25,000 buy ins in @WSOP HORSE (feels like I will win this $25K HORSE tourney in the next 7 years!), but won $2,700 stopping this football w/out it falling off of the edge of the table
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) July 15, 2026
5% rebate!
The small things…#POSITIVITY https://t.co/CX9oXPIDSS
Top 10 Stacks After Day 2 – Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Julien Sitbon |
France |
3,800,000 |
|
2. |
Alexander Kostritsyn |
Russia |
3,205,000 |
|
3. |
Ali Eslami |
USA |
1,990,000 |
|
4. |
Walter Chambers |
USA |
1,885,000 |
|
5. |
Ari Engel |
Canada |
1,860,000 |
|
6. |
Matthew Beinner |
USA |
1,350,000 |
|
7. |
Yueqi Zhu |
China |
1,315,000 |
|
8. |
Naoya Kihara |
Japan |
1,060,000 |
|
9. |
William Kerkaert |
USA |
1,055,000 |
|
10. |
Aaron Kupin |
USA |
950,000 |
The Last Big Chance of Summer
The final tournament with a $5,000 buy-in attracted 884 entries, generating a prizepool over $4 million. After 20 levels of the opening day, only 72 players remain, led confidently by Australian Josh Norvock.
The field features substantial talent. The top ten boasts names like Leo Margets, Adam Hendrix, Cliff Josephy, and Joseph Cheong. Phil Hellmuth continues with a short stack (165,000) as he aims for his 18th bracelet, joined by players like Brian Rast and David Peters in the final day.
Top 10 Stacks After Day 1 – Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Josh Norvock |
Australia |
1,530,000 |
|
2. |
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya |
Georgia |
1,450,000 |
|
3. |
Adam Hendrix |
USA |
1,285,000 |
|
4. |
Jimmy Guerrero |
France |
1,160,000 |
|
5. |
Nick Guagenti |
USA |
1,100,000 |
|
6. |
Cliff Josephy |
USA |
1,100,000 |
|
7. |
Joseph Cheong |
USA |
1,090,000 |
|
8. |
Keith Lehr |
USA |
910,000 |
|
9. |
Leo Margets |
Spain |
850,000 |
|
10. |
Vadzim Lipauka |
Belarus |
830,000 |
Jonathan Little on the Hunt for a Second Bracelet
The participation in Event #98: $800 Deepstack NLH was massive. With 2,036 entries, only 129 finalists remain after a challenging first day, each guaranteed a minimum payout of $1,985. The winner will take home $196,659.
Leading the current standings is Israel’s Kfir Nahum, but the spotlight is on renowned strategist and author Jonathan Little. He concluded the day with the eighth largest stack, putting him in a solid position to add a second gold bracelet to his collection.
Veterans Jason Wheeler and Ryan Laplante also continue in the competition.
Top 10 Stacks After Day 1 – Event #98: $800 Deepstack No-Limit Hold’em
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Kfir Nahum |
Israel |
2,030,000 |
|
2. |
Josei Kamei |
United Kingdom |
1,790,000 |
|
3. |
Atanas Pavlov |
Bulgaria |
1,635,000 |
|
4. |
Ivan Govorov |
Russia |
1,525,000 |
|
5. |
Michael Stein |
USA |
1,500,000 |
|
6. |
Danette Smith |
USA |
1,480,000 |
|
7. |
Ryuta Nakai |
Japan |
1,295,000 |
|
8. |
Jonathan Little |
USA |
1,280,000 |
|
9. |
Brett Richey |
USA |
1,225,000 |
|
10. |
Tristan Mcmillan |
Canada |
1,225,000 |
Sources: WSOP, WSOP Live, X