button in Safari
Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event NLH World Championship
Day 9 Completed
2026 World Series of Poker
Event #82: $10,000 WSOP Main Event NLH World Championship
Day: 9
Players Left 7 / 9,208
Filter
Final Table
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Day 1 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table was a lengthy, grueling battle that ended with seven players remaining, all still with a shot at the $10 million first-place prize.
All eyes were on Lucas Jumalon during the ESPN2 livestream. The 22-year-old with minimal live tournament experience entered play with a massive chip lead, and it wasn't all smooth sailing on the first of three days at the final table. But he finished the session in the same position as he started after telling PokerNews he started the day with zero nerves.
"Nah," he replied ahead of the final table when asked if the nerves had kicked in. We’re just gonna go play cards, and whatever happens happens. Let’s go get it done, though.”
The nerveless player had one major setback, and that was against Michael Gagliano, one of the most accomplished players left in the field. "Gags" missed his nut flush draw in a sizeable pot and Jumalon had raised preflop, bet the flop, and bet big on the turn with six-high. But he couldn't pull the trigger on a triple barrel bluff, which allowed Gagliano to take it down with ace-high.
That hand slowed Jumalon down for the next couple of hours. He had been playing aggressive but started tightening up. But Jumalon wasn't phased after ending the day around where he started.
“This is why you build a stack like this," he told PokerNews. "I could have sat and folded, that wasn't gonna be my strategy obviously, but, you know, I'm just thankful to still be in the tournament."
Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Jumalon | United States | 212,000,000 | 85 |
| 2 | Han Feng | United States | 106,500,000 | 43 |
| 3 | Lauri Saaskilahti | Finland | 84,500,000 | 34 |
| 4 | Rami Hammoud | Canada | 45,500,000 | 18 |
| 5 | Michael Gagliano | United States | 42,000,000 | 17 |
| 6 | Jamie Shaevel | United States | 33,000,000 | 13 |
| 7 | Greg Mueller | Canada | 29,500,000 | 12 |
Tight Play at the Start
The play went mostly raise, fold, or raise, call, continuation bet, fold for the first couple of hours. Short stacks didn't get involved much and Jumalon was able to increase his stack above the 129 big blinds he had at the start of play.
Nearly three hours into play, Evagoras Evagorou, the smallest stack entering the final table, moved all in with pocket jacks and was looked up by Jamie Shaevel, who had ace-queen. Evagorou would lose the race to bust when an ace landed on the flop and was out the door in ninth place for $1,000,000.
Despite the disappointing finish, Evagorou, who was the first player from Cyprus to reach the Main Event final table, was proud to represent "the small country of Cyprus."
"It feels great," he told PokerNews, "and I hope to give a message to the young generation — especially the Cypriots — you never stop dreaming. Take small risks and keep becoming better and better every day. Your dreams will come true.”
About an hour later, another potential elimination occurred when Han Feng moved his small stack in with Ax4x and was well behind the AxQx that Mario Boos held. But a 4x on the turn gave Feng a double-up to stay alive.
Feng stole the show with a flashy outfit featuring pink feather boa and an open-shirt showcasing the gym enthusiast's abs. The fit cost him $200, but don't expect anything as flashy in future days.
“I didn’t plan to spin this many chips," Feng said during a media scrum. "I would have had the sickest three-day outfit.”
Experience & Visualization
Greg "FBT" Mueller, the most experienced pro at the table, played tight early in the session. He didn't enter a pot during the first 20 hands dealt, but then picked up pocket kings and four-bet, which forced Rami Hammoud to fold ace-queen preflop.
If Hammoud seemed extra locked in at the final table, it may be thanks to his unique form of preparation. The Canadian told PokerNews' he made cut-outs of each of his opponents and sat down at the table against them to help with "visualizing this moment."
“I would put everyone's face standing up, I would sit down, I would have Jumalon’s rail in my headphones," Hammoud said. "And I would just play it, and I would get so nervous. So now when I’m here, yeah, I’m nervous, but it’s not foreign. It’s not new.”
After several hours with no elimination, Mario Boos bowed out in eighth place with a fitting hand. The French grinder's pocket eights were out-flopped by the king-nine of Lauri Saaskilahti, leading to an outpour of cheers from the Finn's rail.
The six-hour session ended with Feng winning a huge pot with pocket queens against Saaskilahti, who folded to a three-bet on the flop. That left Feng at 106,500,000 chips in second place, trailing only Jumalon, who ended with 212,000,000, good for 85 big blinds.
There are still seven players left, and four of them will come back at 4 p.m. PT on Tuesday (5 p.m. when the livestream starts on ESPN) with under 20 big blinds. Jumalon didn't increase his stack much on the first day of the final table, but he's still out in front.
Mueller ended play with the shortest stack at 29,500,000.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #105: Rami Hammoud was under the gun and raised to 5,000,000. Han Feng in the big blind three-bet shoved to 63,500,000 and got it through as Hammoud folded.
Hand #106: Lucas Jumalon was first to act and raised to 5,000,000 with 7♥7♣. The action folded to Rami Hammoud in the big blind who tossed in a calling chip.
The 8♦4♥6♣ flop gave both players a gutshot. Hammoud checked, Jumalon bet 4,500,000 and Hammoud found the call.
The J♦ turn meant Jumalon was still well ahead. Hammoud checked and Jumalon sized a bet of 9,000,000, which led to a fold from Hammoud.
Hand #107: Lucas Jumalon received a walk in the big blind.
Hand #108: Han Feng picked up Q♦Q♣ in middle position and bet 5,000,000. Saaskilahti defended his big blind.
The flop was 7♠2♣3♣. Saaskilahti checked, Feng made a continuation-bet of 3,500,000 and Saaskilahti raised to 15,000,000. Feng's reply was a three-bet to 30,000,000. The Finn went into the tank before folding and a big pot was pushed the way of Feng.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #100: Han Feng K♣J♣ opened to 5,000,000 on the button. Rami Hammoud A♣2♠ three-bet to 17,500,000 from the small blind.
Lucas Jumalon folded A♦10♥ in the big blind before Feng four-bet all in for 50,000,000. Hammoud folded.
Hand #101: Michael Gagliano raised to 5,000,000 from under the gun with K♥Q♥ and took down the pot.
Hand #102: Jamie Shaevel opened to 6,000,000 with A♦K♣ from early position and took down the pot.
Hand #103: Michael Gagliano limped the small blind Q♠9♥ and Greg Mueller checked his big blind with Q♣8♣
The flop was 10♦6♥3♥ and both players checked to see the K♥ on the turn. Gagliano bet 3,000,000 and Mueller folded.
Hand #104: Lucas Jumalon opened to 5,000,000 with K♦9♠ and took down the pot.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #96: Rami Hammoud raised to 5,000,000 in the cutoff with K♥Q♦. The rest of the table elected to muck and he took the blinds.
Hand #97: Lauri Saaskilahti on the button raised to 60,000,000 with K♣Q♠. No one wanted to call, and he too scooped the blinds.
Hand #98: Michael Gagliano on the button held A♥10♦ and moved all-in for 30,000,000. Both blinds folded and the blinds were snatched up preflop once again.
Hand #99: Lucas Jumalon raised from early position with A♣8♦ to 5,000,000. Lauri Saaskilahti three-bet to 12,500,000. Jumalon pumped his rail up and then folded.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #95: Mario Boos opened to 14,000,000 and called a raise from Lauri Saaskilahti for Boos' last 16,500,000.
Mario Boos: 8♥8♦ 
Lauri Saaskilahti: K♥9♣
Saaskilahti spiked a nine on the A♠9♠2♦ flop with Boos drawing thin to stay alive.
The turn was the 10♣ and the river the 10♠ with the Frenchman sent home in eighth place, taking home $1,250,000 for his efforts.
Boos spoke to Jeff Platt after his elimination, explaining that his rail had been "the best support he could imagine."
"I think I played well," he said. "I just played my game during the entire tournament and it worked."
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #93: Jamie Shaevel shoved for 27,000,000 on the button with K♦Q♦ and took down the pot.
Hand #94: Han Feng raised to 5,000,000 with K♠9♣ on the button and the blinds both folded.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #88: Michael Gagliano received a walk in the big blind.
Hand #89: The action folded to Michael Gagliano in the small blind who jammed with 9♥8♣. Mario Boos in the big blind folded and Gagliano won two in a row.
Hand #90: Lucas Jumalon from middle position raised 5,000,000 with Q♣6♥. His bet got through and he took the blinds.
Hand #91: Han Feng under the gun raised to 5,000,000 with A♥J♠ and Jamie Shaevel with Q♦Q♣ in the big blind moved all-in for 19,500,000. Feng folded and Shaevel took the pot.
Hand #92: Rami Hammoud under the gun raised to 5,000,000 with K♥J♦ and everybody folded.
Level 41
: Blinds 1,000,000/2,500,000, 2,500,000 ante
Hand #84: Greg Mueller shoved his button for 41,500,000 with A♦9♣ and took down the pot.
Hand #85: Lucas Jumalon 5♥5♣ raised to 5,000,000 and Rami Hammoud defended his big blind with 5♠4♠.
The flop came 10♠8♥4♣ and Hammoud checked. Jumalon continued for 4,000,000. Hammoud check-raised to 14,000,000 with Jumalon folding.
Hand #86: Lucas Jumalon received a walk in the big blind.
Hand #87: Han Feng opened to 5,000,000 in the cutoff with 9♠9♦. Lucas Jumalon three-bet to 15,000,000 from the small blind with A♥3♠.
Feng four-bet shoved for 46,500,000 and Jumalon folded.
