WSOP Day 51: Hellmuth's Dream of 18th Bracelet Shattered as POY Race Intensifies

History Rewrite on Hold

One of the final tournaments of the summer was Event #99: $5K 8-Handed, which attracted 884 entries, but all eyes were on one man – Phil Hellmuth. He entered the final table as the chipleader, and as his opponents fell, the possibility of a record-breaking 18th bracelet seemed ever closer. However, Darren Rabinowitz stood in his way, delivering a heroic performance in the heads-up.

Hellmuth managed to turn the tide in his favor with a straight, gaining a significant lead, but Rabinowitz cracked him with relentless pressure. In the final hand, Hellmuth called an all-in on the turn with bottom pair (A-2) on a 2-8-9-4 board, but Rabinowitz had the top pair (9-7). The river wasn't in Hellmuth's favor, leaving the legendary “Poker Brat” to settle for a bitter second place and a prize of $464,286.

Results of the Final Table Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em

Kostritsyn's Return to Glory

The final High Roller in mixed games was conquered by Russia's Alexander Kostritsyn. After a long hiatus from live tournaments, he snagged his first bracelet in Event #97: $25K H.O.R.S.E. along with a prize of $872,052.

This tournament was crucial for the POY standings, as the then-leader Alex Foxen was knocked out on the final table bubble, leading to his drop in the rankings.

Results of the Final Table Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.

Thrilling POY Race Shifts to WSOP Paradise

The end of summer in Las Vegas brought dramatic shifts in the WSOP Player of the Year rankings. Japan's Naoya Kihara scored big points with a third-place finish in the $25K High Roller, but only the top 15 results count, and the standings after all summer events favor the defending champion.

Shaun Deeb reclaimed the top spot with his eighth-place finish in the same event, narrowly edging out his competitors. Meanwhile, Alex Foxen, who led for most of the series, dropped to third.

The differences in the top three are minimal, and the title will be decided at the upcoming WSOP Paradise stop in the Bahamas.

However, nothing is decided yet, and strong performances in WSOP Paradise could allow other players to enter the race for the coveted title.

Current WSOP Player of the Year 2026 Standings (Top 10):

Nishant Sharma and She Wong Claim Maiden Bracelets

The last day of WSOP 2026 saw Nishant Sharma and She Wong celebrating their first career bracelets.

Event #98: $800 NLH Deepstack marked a personal triumph for Indian player Nishant Sharma, as he topped a field of 2,036 entries to bag $196,659.

The final gold bracelet of this year's Vegas series went to She Wong. In the rapid Event #100: $1K Super Turbo, he outlasted 1,699 entries and couldn't hide his emotions, revealing he’d waited years for this moment.

Although the summer part in Las Vegas has ended, the most important moment of the year is yet to come. The final table of the Main Event, where $10 million is up for grabs, will be played between August 3rd and 5th.

Sources: WSOP, WSOP Live, X