button in SafariPoker's Toughest Tournament Returns as WSOP Gets Ready for $50K PPC
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The tournament many players consider the toughest in poker gets underway on Sunday as the $50,000 Poker Players Championship returns to the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Now in its 16th edition, the PPC has become one of the most coveted titles in the game, with only the WSOP Main Event rivaling it in prestige for many of poker's elite.
Over five days, a field packed with mixed-game specialists and Hall of Famers will battle across nine disciplines in pursuit of the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy and a place alongside some of the game's greatest champions.
The seven-handed tournament rotates between No-Limit Hold'em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Pot-Limit Omaha, Limit Hold'em, No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and 2-7 Triple Draw. Players begin with 300,000 chips and face 100-minute levels throughout the event.
Another Chapter in PPC History
The PPC debuted in 2010 as an eight-game mix and has evolved into the nine-game format used today after No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw returned to the rotation in 2021. Over the years, the event has been dominated by some of the game's most accomplished players.
Michael Mizrachi captured a record fourth PPC title in 2025, adding to victories in 2010, 2012 and 2018. His four wins account for half of his eight WSOP bracelets and have helped him accumulate more than $6 million in earnings from the event alone.
Brian Rast has won the title three times, in 2011, 2016 and 2023, while Dan "Jungleman" Cates became the only player to successfully defend the championship when he went back-to-back in 2021 and 2022. Daniel Negreanu ended an 11-year bracelet drought with victory in 2024.
“There is one event in the world I want to play more than any and I wanted to win more than any, and it’s this one. This is the one,” Negreanu told PokerNews after his victory two years ago.
“Obviously, the Main Event is special in a different way. But this one is all the best players in the world, pro-heavy field, playing 100-minute levels, days and days of grind, 12 hours a day. So to come out on top, you can’t fluke that.”
Only two players have won their first bracelet in the event. Matthew Ashton did so in 2013 after topping a record field of 132 entrants for $1,774,089, while Elior Sion joined him in 2017.
Mizrachi also owns five final table appearances, the most of any player, while Rast, Phil Ivey and Ashton each have four.
Two women have cashed in the event's history. Melissa Burr finished seventh in 2014, and Esther Taylor came within two spots of the title last year, taking third place for $595,136.
2026 Poker Players Championship Schedule
- Date: June 21-25, 2026
- Start Time: 2 p.m. local time
- Format: Nine-game mix
- Starting Stack: 300,000
- Level Length: 100 minutes
- Late Registration: Open through the start of Level 10 on Day 2 (approximately 7:30 p.m.)
- Reentry: None
The first three days feature six levels each, with Day 4 scheduled to play down to the final five players. A new champion will be crowned on June 25.
Last year's edition attracted 107 entries and generated a $5,082,500 prize pool, with Mizrachi earning $1,331,322 for his historic fourth title.
Who will emerge from another star-studded field and add their name to one of poker's most exclusive honor rolls?
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and complete coverage from every stage of Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
All PPC Winners
| Year | Event Name | Entrants | Winner | Prize | Second |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 107 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,331,322 | Bryn Kenney |
| 2024 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 89 | Daniel Negreanu | $1,178,703 | Bryce Yockey |
| 2023 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 99 | Brian Rast | $1,324,747 | Talal Shakerchi |
| 2022 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 112 | Dan Cates | $1,449,103 | Yuri Dzivielevski |
| 2021 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 63 | Dan Cates | $954,020 | Ryan Leng |
| 2019 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 74 | Phil Hui | $1,099,311 | Josh Arieh |
| 2018 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 87 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,239,126 | John Hennigan |
| 2017 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 100 | Elior Sion | $1,395,767 | Johannes Becker |
| 2016 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 91 | Brian Rast | $1,296,097 | Justin Bonomo |
| 2015 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 84 | Mike Gorodinsky | $1,270,086 | Jean-Robert Bellande |
| 2014 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 102 | John Hennigan | $1,517,767 | Brandon Shack-Harris |
| 2013 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 132 | Matthew Ashton | $1,774,089 | Don Nguyen |
| 2012 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 108 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,451,527 | Chris Klodnicki |
| 2011 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 128 | Brian Rast | $1,720,328 | Phil Hellmuth |
| 2010 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 116 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,559,046 | Vladimir Shchemelev |
| 2009 | $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. | 95 | David Bach | $1,276,802 | John Hanson |
| 2008 | $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. | 148 | Scotty Nguyen | $1,989,120 | Michael DeMichele |
| 2007 | $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. | 148 | Freddy Deeb | $2,276,832 | Bruno Fitoussi |
| 2006 | $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. | 143 | David "Chip" Reese | $1,716,000 | Andy Bloch |
