Final Nine Set to Battle for the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event Bracelet

From complete amateur to renowned player: the nine finalists of the 2026 €5,300 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event may come from very different backgrounds, but one thing is certain: one of them will see his career change forever after being crowned the new WSOP Europe Main Event champion today.

From a record-breaking field of 2,617 entries which generated a total prize pool of €13,085,000, they are now just a few steps away from the finish line, where a €2,000,000 top prize and a WSOP gold bracelet await.

So, who will it be? Over the past two days, Hengtao Zhu has looked like the clear favorite after bagging the chip lead twice. Even though he says he is trying “not to put too much pressure” on himself, the Finnish GG qualifier will start the final table with 36,300,000, more than any other player.

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

Following in Zhu’s footsteps are strong contenders, starting with Thomas Eychenne. The Frenchman has one of the best résumés at this final table, with an EPT Barcelona win in 2025, a seventh-place finish in the 2023 PSPC Main Event, and many other results. Known in France for his €10 to €1,000,000 bankroll challenges, “LaWatch” could double it with a WSOPE victory. If he runs as well as he did on Day 5, when he went from the shortest stack to 25,825,000 in just a few hands, that feat could quickly become a reality.

The other players however won't let him win so easily, especially Brandon Sheils, who made of the WSOP bracelet his ultimate goal. He came close this summer with a fifth-place in the $5,000 6-max. And with more than 360 live cashes in his career, Sheils his surely one of the most experienced player at the final table that he'll start with 20,850,000.

The only American at the table, Chris Hunichen, will bring his 19,300,000-chip stack into the final table with the support of a whole country behind him. “Big Huni” already knows what it feels like to win a WSOP title after taking down the $100,000 High Roller in 2024, but capturing a Main Event would be the next step. If he wins, he could record a sixth seven-figure cash to add to his impressive €17,000,000 in live earnings.

Marius Kudzmanas is also a bracelet winner as he already won two, both online. He came close to victory in Prague in 2022 with a runner-up finish in the €10,300 EPT High Roller, making the Lithuanian a player to watch with his 18,050,000-chip stack.

Playing his first event in Europe, Akihiro Konishi could become the first Japanese player to win a WSOPE Main Event and only the second Asian player to do so after John Juanda in 2008. He will start the final table with 14,400,000, just a few blinds more than Nikolay Bibov (13,200,000), who could emulate fellow Bulgarian Fahredin Mustafov, winner of the €1,300 WSOPE Turbo Bounty earlier in the series.

Finally, amateur Spanish player Antonio Guimaraens (5,700,000) and Joona Nyholm (3,275,000) will return as the two shortest stacks. Both are “living the dream” and could see their lives change in just a few hours.

Play resumes at noon local time with 56 minutes remaining at 200,000/400,000 and a 400,000 big blind ante. The tournament will then continue with 90-minute levels until a champion is crowned.

They have all already secured a minimum cash prize of €140,000, the only goal now for the nine finalists is the bracelet and the €2,000,000 first-place prize.

All the action can be followed on the WSOP live stream (with a delay) and through PokerNews’ live coverage.