Meet the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event Final Table
2,617 entries. One final table. The record-breaking 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event is down to its last nine players.
For the winner awaits €2,000,000, the largest Main Event prize in WSOP Europe history, built by thousands of now busted hopefuls, who contributed to a record €13,085,000 prize pool here at King's Casino, Prague this week.
Among those eliminated are Annette Obrestad, who stunned with a fairytale comeback run 19 years after her 2007 WSOPE Main Event victory; WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb, who bowed out shortly after surviving the bubble; and multiple-time WSOP champions Josh Arieh and Shiina Okamoto, both wounded by brutal coolers.
Still, some remarkable stories remain.
From a GGPoker qualifier living the satellite dream to a WSOP High Roller champion, let's take a closer look at the final nine who are all looking to etch their names into WSOP Europe history.
2026 WSOP Europe Main Event Final Table
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Eychenne | France | 25,825,000 | 65 |
| 2 | Joona Nyholm | Finland | 3,275,000 | 8 |
| 3 | Chris Hunichen | United States | 19,300,000 | 48 |
| 4 | Hengtao Zhu | Finland | 36,300,000 | 91 |
| 5 | Nikolay Bibov | Bulgaria | 13,200,000 | 33 |
| 6 | Antonio Guimaraens | Spain | 5,700,000 | 14 |
| 7 | Akihiro Konishi | Japan | 14,400,000 | 36 |
| 8 | Marius Kudzmanas | Lithuania | 18,050,000 | 45 |
| 9 | Brandon Sheils | United Kingdom | 20,850,000 | 52 |
Seat 1 - Thomas Eychenne - 25,825,000 Chips
There's a formidable figure in seat 1 in the form of Thomas Eychenne, who has performed quite the recovery act on Day 5 to bag a healthy stack heading into tomorrow's final table.
The Frenchman has shown his class on some of the biggest stages in poker already, and enjoyed a career-best year in 2025 by taking down the €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event for €1,217,175, alongside magnificent deep runs in the 2025 WSOP Main Event (finishing 47th for $200,000), and the $10,000 PLOSSUS at WSOP Paradise (3rd banking $281,000).
After bagging at the end of play on Day 5, Eychenne told PokerNews "I ran so good! It’s funny because you’re never really satisfied. Since EPT Barcelona, I’ve only been losing, so it’s been tough to deal with. So when you run good like today and win all your all-ins, you almost feel like you don’t deserve it, which makes it hard to really enjoy it.
"But of course, I’m very happy. This time it’s my turn again. I’ll need a top-three finish to make up for the downswing," he added.
Finally, asked how he would prepare ahead of tomorrow's final day, Eychenne said, "I’ll review some hand histories tonight to see if I can pick up anything, but otherwise it’s like online: I’ve never been very good at exploits, I’ve always just played my game. And that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow.”
French poker fans everywhere will no doubt be wishing him bonne chance in his pursuit.
Seat 2 - Joona Nyholm - 3,275,000 Chips
A relative unknown in seat 2, in the shape of short-stacked Joona Nyholm. One of two Finn's at the final table, this has been a remarkable WSOPE Main Event run for Nyholm, who, as per The Hendon Mob, currently has under $10,000 in live tournament earnings.
With €140,000 already locked up, Nyholm has already surpassed his entire career earnings many times over with his performance over the last five days, and has proven adept at some poker trickery too, including a nice trap laid with trips on Day 4.
How far can he go on the final day with just 8 big blinds remaining? In this game, don't rule anything out.
Seat 3 - Chris Hunichen - 19,300,000 Chips
Chris "Big Huni" Hunichen in seat 3 hardly needs any introduction. With over $17.6m in career live earnings as of April 2026, Hunichen won his first and only bracelet to date in the 2024 WSOP $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em for $2,838,389.
He’s one of the few at this final table whose career-best score dwarfs even the record-breaking WSOPE Main Event first prize. The one-time bracelet winner has proven he has the stamina for big WSOP runs, finishing 3rd in the 2024 WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller for $2,397,312 and the 2022 edition for $1,931,718 to add to his bracelet victory.
Not all the high-rollers' success has been limited to Las Vegas, however, with Hunichen also taking down the €10,300 EPT High Roller at EPT Barcelona in 2019 for €841,345.
Now, for fans of 'Big Huni', the burning question remains: could it be bracelet no.2 in Prague on Friday?
Seat 4 - Hengtao Zhu - 36,300,000 Chips
Leading the pack is Finnish newcomer Hengtao Zhu in seat 4. A true Cinderella story, the GGPoker qualifier satellited into the event by winning a $10,000 Bracelet Pass online, and hasn't looked back since.
With career live earnings just shy of $40,000, Zhu has already locked up at least €140,000 and is living the dream of every online grinder who enters a satellite tournament: a favorite's shot at a €2,000,000 payday and the chance to hold one of poker's truly great bracelets.
Speaking to PokerNews after the close of play, Zhu said, "I feel really good. I'm very happy and very grateful to be on the final table. I've been very lucky, I had good value hands and I know that there are a lot of better players than me, but I try not to take too much stress on myself for tomorrow."
Perhaps the modest Zhu is correct that there are better players than himself in the field; however, when a player of Chris Hunichen's caliber calls you "too f****** good," you're certainly a force to be reckoned with.
Seat 5 - Nikolay Bibov - 13,200,000 Chips
Representing the Bulgarian poker community at the WSOPE Main Event final table is Nikolay Bibov in seat 5. With a healthy 33 big blinds to go to battle with tomorrow, Bibov has already added at least a career-best payday to his recorded $120,000 in live tournament earnings.
With a resume that includes a 46th-placed finish at the 2019 WSOP Millionaire Maker for $47,820, Bibov has recorded cashes all over the world, with a decent number of those in his native Bulgaria.
It all could have been so different, however, after hitting a crazy one-outer on Day 3 for his tournament life, Bibov doubled up and hasn't looked back since. Should the runouts prove as kind on Friday, he may be calling himself a WSOP Europe Main Event champion yet.
Seat 6 - Antonio Guimaraens - 5,700,000 Chips
Seat 6 belongs to another short-stack in the form of Spanish-based Antonio Guimaraens.
With a couple of cashes to his name at the 2025 EPT Prague a few months ago, Guimaraens is continuing his affinity with 'The Golden City' this week, and has already gone better than a 110th-place finish in the EPT Main Event for €11,050, coupled with €12,840 for finishing 26th in the €2,700 PokerStars Open High Roller at the same festival.
It was a fighter's display from Guimaraens on Thursday's Day 5, landing big double after big double. A few more of those on Friday, and his love affair with the Czech capital may grow even deeper.
Seat 7 - Akihiro Konishi - 14,400,000 Chips
Akihiro Konishi from Japan is your man in seat 7, with 36 big blinds to spin up on Day 6's final day.
With live tournament cashes all over the world, from Las Vegas to Phnom Penh, the globetrotting grinder has just under $280,000 in live earnings as of April 2026, and has already secured a career-best result with his performance in this WSOPE Main Event.
Now, Konishi can add WSOP Europe to the huge list of major festivals he's cashed in, which also includes the WSOP, APPT, WPT, Triton ONE, and many more. How much that cash will be remains to be seen.
Seat 8 - Marius Kudzmanas - 18,050,000
Another double WSOP bracelet winner in the field, Marius Kudzmanas in seat 8, will be looking to add another serious piece of hardware to his collection on Friday's final day.
The Lithuanian has twice tasted WSOP online glory, including in 2023 when he took down the $1,000 DOUBLE CHANCE NLH for $145,523 at WSOP Online, but don't let that fool you into thinking he's a purely online grinder.
Kudzmanas has shown his undoubted ability in the live streets here in Prague this week, and has too many big event scores, notably a 2nd place in the 2022 €10,300 EPT Prague High Roller for €339,830, for anyone to consider this a fluke.
Still, a WSOP Europe Main Event has the potential to be the biggest of the lot, and he's certainly a player to watch when cards go in the air for the final time in this event tomorrow.
Seat 9 - Brandon Sheils - 20,850,000 Chips
Finally, in seat 9 comes Brandon Sheils, a poker player, coach, and content creator with over $2.7m in live tournament earnings as of April 2026.
A well-known personality in British poker, Sheils is no stranger to running deep in big events, including a 5th-placed finish at the 2025 WSOP $5,000 6-Handed for $203,292, and a runner-up spot here in Prague at the EPT Mystery Bounty two years ago.
The man from Birmingham would also complete a quickfire double at the GUKPT in London in January, winning the Main Event and High Roller in a matter of days, but his biggest career score so far is the £1,100 partypoker MILLIONS Dusk Till Dawn in September 2018 for £180,000.
Speaking to PokerNews after play wrapped, Sheils said, "I feel great... I'm trying to keep my emotions, not be too volatile. You don't want to think too far ahead... I want to be here, I want to enjoy the experience. I try to be balanced, like in everything."
He continued, "I've probably played more WSOP live events in the last 6/7 years than anyone else in this room... I don't have a bracelet yet... I want to win a bracelet; it's more important to me than the money."
2026 WSOP Europe Final Table Payouts
Alongside one of the most coveted bracelets in tournament poker, here are the cash payouts final nine are playing for when play gets underway on Friday:
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | €2,000,000 |
| 2 | €1,200,000 |
| 3 | €800,000 |
| 4 | €575,000 |
| 5 | €425,000 |
| 6 | €320,000 |
| 7 | €245,000 |
| 8 | €185,000 |
| 9 | €140,000 |
