button in Safari5 Poker Pros Not Named Shaun Deeb Who Could Dominate the 2026 WSOP
You can pretty much go ahead and pencil in Shaun Deeb (and a few others) among those who will, to quote Jason Somerville, run it up this summer at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP). But there are others who will shine during poker's most prestigious series, some of whom just might win their first bracelet.
The WSOP Player of the Year race, won by Deeb last year, began with WSOP Europe earlier this month. Deeb kickstarted his title defense with six cashes and two runner-up finishes in Prague. Many of the summer grinders didn't travel across the pond, including Daniel Negreanu.
Despite the headstart, the reigning POY is no lock to win it again. There are others who figure to factor into the race. Or, at the very least, post impressive results in Las Vegas. These five pros are proven crushers, but only have one combined bracelet, a number that just might rise significantly in a matter of weeks.
Chino Rheem
Chino Rheem has been competing at the WSOP for years and has 14 final table appearances with more than $4 million in cashes. But he's still searching for that elusive first bracelet. If pre-WSOP performance is any indication, this just might be the year.
The three-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion already had $900,000 in live tournament cashes in 2026 at the start of May. He booked a PGT win in February and already has 13 final table appearances in 2026.
Rheem, a longtime grinder from California, booked three cashes at the 2025 WSOP Paradise series in the Bahamas, including a fourth-place finish. He appears to be poised to get over the hump and win a bracelet, and maybe even give Deeb a sweat in the POY race.
Brock Wilson
The couple of Brock Wilson and Cherish Andrews combined to win three titles at the recently completed U.S. Poker Open. Wilson, the overall series champion, won two of those, and they aren't his only wins in 2026.
Wilson has five tournament victories just four months into the year, and nearly $2 million in cashes. But, like Rheem, he's among the best of the best to have never won a bracelet. Don't expect him to remain on that list much longer.
The high-stakes pro with four WSOP Circuit rings has been on the verge of winning a bracelet for a while. If pre-WSOP momentum matters, this will be his year.
Cherish Andrews
Andrews is the only bracelet winner on the list. She won an online event four years ago in Pennsylvania. Her second bracelet could make her the first woman to win an open bracelet event in Las Vegas since Leo Margets took down the $1,500 The Closer in 2021.
Andrews is a three-time Circuit ring winner and has eight final table appearances in WSOP bracelet events. She's put up consistent results across all tournaments since 2022 and seems poised for a big summer that wouldn't surprise many if she factored into the POY race or won a bracelet.
The poker pro from PA took down a $5,100 No-Limit Hold'em event at the U.S. Poker Open last month, her sixth final table appearance in 2026.
Viktor 'Isildur1' Blom
Viktor "Isildur1" Blom is no longer just an online poker legend. He's made a name for himself in the live tournament scene the past few years, including last summer when he was in contention for Player of the Year for weeks.
The Swedish high roller recently spun $13,000 into over $1.7 million playing high-stakes cash games online, perhaps a tune-up for this summer in Las Vegas. Blom reached four final tables at the 2025 WSOP, then a runner-up finish at WSOPP. He's clearly showing signs of becoming a dominant force at the World Series of Poker.
Will Blom win his first bracelet and will the 2026 WSOP become the Summer of Isildur? The odds seem high.
Brandon Wilson
Brandon Wilson has become an elite high roller the past two years. He's currently leading the 2026 GPI Player of the Year standings, a spot he'll likely become familiar with for years to come.
The Chicago pro finished second in two Triton Poker events in March for a combined $3 million. He has over $14 million in live tournament cashes in less than three years, and has become one of the best tournament players in the world in short time.
Wilson is going to win many bracelets in his poker career, and there's a strong possibility he'll get at least one this year.
