button in SafariLucas Jumalon Goes Wire-to-Wire at Final Table for 2026 WSOP Main Event Title
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Defending champion Michael Mizrachi passed the torch to Lucas Jumalon, the 2026 WSOP Main Event winner who went wire-to-wire at the final table.
"The Grinder," last year's winner, announced "shuffle up and deal" to kickstart the heads-up match between two players — Jumalon and Lauri Saaskilahti — one spot away from poker's most coveted title.
Jumalon and Saaskilahti returned to action Wednesday evening as the lone remaining participants in the $10,000 Main Event, which started on July 2 with 9,208 players. Jumalon, a 22-year-old from Spokane, Washington, attempting to become the second-youngest World Champion ever, entered the final table on Monday with a massive chip lead. That lead wasn't in danger at any point through the first two days at the final table.
Saaskilahti, a Finnish player with only $138,000 in prior live tournament cashes, came into the finale looking to give Jumalon a run for his money, and he nearly did.
Despite perpetually holding onto the chip lead, Jumalon never let himself celebrate. The west coaster channeled his inner Kobe Bryant by declaring that the job wasn't finished. But the recent Grand Canyon University graduate let himself feel all the emotions after closing it out on Day 11.
"It's a pure feeling of euphoria," he told PokerNews. "(I feel like) I'm going to wake up tomorrow and be like are we are we playing again today you know like I I just I kind of take that mentality with everything and you know like I love this game so much and it's given me so much and given me so many great people. I just can't be more thankful."
2026 WSOP Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Jumalon | $10,000,000 | United States |
| 2 | Lauri Saaskilahti | $6,000,000 | Finland |
| 3 | Greg Mueller | $3,750,000 | Canada |
| 4 | Michael Gagliano | $2,750,000 | United States |
| 5 | Han Feng | $2,250,000 | United States |
| 6 | Rami Hammoud | $1,750,000 | Canada |
| 7 | Jamie Shaevel | $1,500,000 | United States |
| 8 | Mario Boos | $1,250,000 | France |
| 9 | Evagoras Evagorou | $1,000,000 | Cyprus |
A Heads-Up Match Meant to Be
There were decorated players at this year's final table. That included two longtime American pros in four-time bracelet winner Michael Gagliano and three-time bracelet winner Greg Mueller, as well as rising Houston pro Han Feng, who some viewers observed to be the most technically equipped at the final table, and cash game specialist Jamie Shaevel in his eighth in-the-money Main Event appearance.
Yet it seemed like destiny for the heads-up match to come down to Jumalon and Saaskilahti, two relatively inexperienced players both with previous career-high scores in the five-figure range. The two predicted as much earlier in the event after they tangled together on Day 5 with hundreds of players remaining.
As PokerNews' David Salituro reported, Saaskilahti moved all in against Jumalon and forced a fold with what some speculated was a bluff. Saaskilahti showed a six after the hand and later told PokerNews he held pocket sixes.
"We had a super fierce battle on (Day 5) ... and then we kind of made jokes that, you know, it would be cool if we were heads up," Saaskilahti told PokerNews. "I'm very, very happy for him, I know how much this means for him. So congrats to him."
Though it wasn't the result he wanted, the 40-year-old father still had six million reasons to be grateful for his Main Event run. "I cannot be too disappointed, you know, second place, six million .... (It is) maybe not life-changing money, but it's I mean, financially my long-term goal is to to build generational wealth."
Players Come Out Aggressively
Neither player came out playing passively. Jumalon drew early blood a few hands into the match with a preflop raise, large-sized continuation bet, and a half-pot turn bet that took down the pot. The chip leader then took another meaningful pot with middle pair in a non-raised preflop hand.
Jumalon was the early aggressor, similar to what he'd shown the first two days at the final table. But Saaskilahti was far from passive, even in some instances where he held weak hands.
Things started to go downhill for Saaskilahti in a limped preflop pot when he flopped middle pair and continued betting big on the turn and river, only to get called down by Jumalon, who turned a bigger pair and extended his lead.
Jumalon began to pick on his opponent, but then it all turned around in the matter of one hand. With the big blind at 4,000,000, Saaskilahti raised to 10,000,000 from the button with ace-ten, only to be forced to decide if he wanted to call off his entire stack of 131,000,000 when Jumalon, who was behind with ace-nine, jammed.
Saaskilahti tanked for a minute before deciding it was time to gamble, except he was gambling with the best hand. He felt good about the flop when both players paired the ace because he had the stronger kicker. But the nine on the turn brought Jumalon to within one card away from being crowned Main Event champion. And then a diamond on the river gave Saaskilahti the pot.
Just like that, one river card completely changed the trajectory of the tournament. Jumalon's chip lead, for the first time at the final table, was threatened. But only briefly.
Closing it Out
Jumalon held a comfortable chip lead until that point. It became apparent that Saaskilahti was going to be a difficult opponent to push around. But that didn't stop the eventual champion from playing aggressively.
The biggest hand at the final table occurred within minutes after Saaskilahti nearly doubled into the chip lead. The board showed 4♣A♠K♠J♠6♠ and there was 100,000,000 in the pot. Jumalon, with the Q♠ in his hand, bet 180,000,000, leaving his opponent with just eight big blinds behind.
Saaskilahti, a 40-year-old who had already locked up a mid-seven-figure score, went into the tank with what would essentially be the Main Event title on the line. He had an inferior hand — J♦3♦ — and if he were to call, he'd drop to a 12-1 chip disadvantage.
After much thought, he finally decided that there was a strong possibility Jumalon was bluffing. He was wrong. The runner-up made the call, a call that will likely be questioned for weeks to come on social media, and saw his championship dreams dwindle.
"I made a hero call, it didn't go my way this time," Saaskilahti said about the pivotal hand.
Moments later, Saaskilahti had a shot to double-up. He was all in preflop with ace-seven and slightly ahead of king-six. But a six hit on the flop and a second one on the turn locked up the hand and the tournament for Jumalon, who secured the bracelet and the $10,000,000 prize.
Jumalon, the fourth consecutive American to win the Main Event, had the chip lead during every hand at the final table. The Pride of Spokane went on a final table run that was reminiscent of Joe McKeehen in 2015 with such a dominant performance.
Jumalon joins the likes of Mizrachi, Phil Hellmuth, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson among those who've won poker's most prestigious tournament.
"I'm Incredibly Proud of Him"
Jumalon had his rail with him throughout the final table, and what a rail it was. There were poker pros like Brandon Sunshine and Patrick Leonard (who coached the 22-year-old ahead of the final table), and Jumalon's college classmates, who chanted "GCU! GCU!" in support of the recent business administration graduate who they came up playing quarter games with.
There were also Jumalon's parents and brothers. His mother, Robin Jumalon, who pushed her son to graduate earlier this year before going all-in on poker, got teary-eyed as she discussed her son's accomplishment.
"I'm incredibly proud of him," Robin Jumalon told PokerNews. "It was a lot of hard work to get here. And he's represented himself and his city and his friends so phenomenally. I couldn't be more proud."
Mom says Jumalon got his love of poker from dad, who he played in home games with as a kid growing up. Robin, meanwhile, was the one who was "very intent on making sure he finished the university."
"So he did get his degree in May."
When asked about having the unwavering support of his family, Jumalon was speechless.
"I don't have an answer for you honestly," he said, "like it's just so awesome. I'm so blessed."
And everyone wants to know, what does a 22-year-old plan to do with $10 million?
"I'm going to need a couple of days (to think about it)," Jumalon said, "but nothing too rash."
*Images courtesy of the WSOP.
