World Series of Poker Digest: 5 - 11 July
Week seven of the 2026 WSOP will go down in history, defined by record-breaking fields, Chris Moneymaker's bubble drama, crucial breakthrough victories, and the elimination of poker's biggest stars.
This year's World Series of Poker Main Event officially field 9,208 players, making it the fourth largest in WSOP history. The prize pool reached an impressive $85,625,100, with 1,382 players making the money and securing a minimum cash of $15,000. Organisers confirmed that this year's champion will take home exactly $10,000,000, while every final tablist is guaranteed at least $1,000,000.
Significantly, the 2026 Main Event set major demographic records. Representatives from 111 countries packed the tables, marking an all-time high for the series. The international player share reached 38.8%, with France leading the charge behind the USA with 296 runners. Female participation also smashed historical records, fielding 431 entrants.
Penalties and the Main Event Bubble
The raw tension at the Main Event tables sparked a series of high-profile incidents. Mike Matusow was hit with a one-orbit penalty during Flight 2abc for exposing a hole card at the TV table. Playing a pot against Stephen Ross, Matusow let his emotions show after a long tank on the river and turned his card over, prompting the dealer to immediately call the floor.
By far the most dramatic moment of the week came on the money bubble. The bubble-boy status was split three ways, including the legendary 2003 champion Chris Moneymaker. In the decisive hand, Moneymaker check-called every street and looked up Antonio Vargas's river shove hoping for a chopped pot, only for his opponent to turn over pocket aces. Saying their goodbyes alongside Chris were Stoyan Madanzhiev and Zhaken Seitbekov.
Photo: Eloy Cabacas
The Phil Hellmuth Prop Bet
The Hellmuth family's run in the Main Event ended in disappointment. Day 3 saw both Phil Hellmuth and his eldest son, Phillip Hellmuth III, hit the rail.
Photo: Luther Redd
The elimination of Phillip III officially sealed a prop bet loss for Phil Hellmuth against Shaun Deeb and Jason Mo. The dispute erupted back in June, when Hellmuth Senior publicly defended his son's decision to sell Main Event action at a premium markup. Hellmuth put up $14,000 on his son making the money (ITM), while Deeb and Mo agreed to pay out the equivalent of Phillip III's final winnings. Since Phillip III busted before the bubble, Deeb and Mo secured the $14,000 win.
The family's last hope rested on younger son Nicholas Hellmuth. He managed to navigate into Day 4 with a critically short stack of 7 BBs, but was busted in the first half of the session, though he managed to lock up a min-cash of $15,000.
New Blood Ascends the Poker Pantheon
The side events crowned impressive young champions at this year's World Series.
Photo: Eloy Cabacas
South Africa's Adriaan Jacobs, aged just 21, shipped Event #78: $600 Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em, pocketing $282,817 in a field of 5,177 runners. Having celebrated his birthday right before the series, Jacobs became one of the youngest bracelet winners in poker history. His trip to Las Vegas was a birthday gift from his father.
Photo: Jess Beck
Another massive field of 8,007 entries in the $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em fell to Eric Weber. He secured a career-best score of $400,000 and his maiden bracelet. Right after his win, Weber confessed that he had planned to fly home the day before but had to cancel his tickets after making the final day.
The State of Play Ahead of the Next Phase
At the time of writing, Day 5 of the Main Event has officially wrapped up, leaving just 174 players out of the original 9,208 in contention. All remaining players have locked up a minimum of $65,000, but the real battle for the final table and the $10,000,000 top prize begins on Day 6.
Over the previous stages, the field has been heavily thinned out, losing key favourites along the way.
Photo: Regina Cortina
The most significant blow for the Russian-speaking community was the elimination of Artur Martirosyan. The Russian elite pro was holding a dominant position, starting Day 5 third in the overall chip counts with a massive 175-BB stack. However, a series of costly showdowns decimated his stack, leading to his exit. Meanwhile, the tournament also lost its defending champion — 9-time bracelet winner Michael Mizrachi saw his back-to-back title hopes dashed in 229th place.
Despite these bust outs, several members of the Russian-speaking community remain in contention. Returning for Day 6 are Dan Stavila (90 BBs), Vladimir Belekhov (19 BBs), Alexey Boyko (13 BBs), and Igor Soyka (4.5 BBs). At the same time, some of the game's biggest heavyweight names have powered through with commanding stacks.
The poker media's focus is locked on Shaun Deeb and a duo of 'poker royalty' offspring — Todd Brunson and Daniel Hachem, who are making synchronized deep runs. Alongside them, reigning Aussie Millions champion Malcolm Trayner has established a stronghold near the top of the counts with 135 BBs.
With the record-shattering registration days behind us, the stage is set to determine the final table line-up, where millions of dollars await. We are also close to crowning a champion in the prestigious $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em.
Follow the action to its thrilling conclusion with PokerFlow — we will keep you updated with real-time coverage from the floor!
