PokerNews live coverage of this event will begin on Day 2 (July 15). Until then, we will keep readers informed with updates on chip counts and core event statistics, including entries and the prize pool. Scroll down to see more.
The final nine players in poker's biggest tournament, the WSOP Main Event, have officially been set.
Twenty-two-year-old Lucas Jumalon leads the way after a stunning Day 8 performance saw him build a towering stack of 194,000,000 chips. He will return on August 3 in pole position, just eight eliminations away from becoming poker's newest world champion.
Behind him sit Rami Hammoud and Jamie Shaevel, who round out the top three, while the most decorated players remaining are Canada's Greg Mueller with three bracelets, and America's Michael Gagliano, with four.
The penultimate event on the schedule of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas is Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em. This one begins at 2 p.m. on July 14, and those who navigate to Day 2 return to the tables at 1 p.m. on July 15.
Expect a fair number of high-profile players and a total prize pool that will likely exceed $3,000,000. Players will be eager not only to scoop one of the last remaining WSOP bracelets on offer, but also to add points to their WSOP Player of the Year tally. This event could prove pivotal in determining the top 100 on the leaderboard heading to the conclusion of the POY race at WSOP Paradise in December, with players finishing in those positions being awarded tickets and packages to future WSOP events worth up to $100,000.
The action in Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em kicks off at 2 p.m. on July 14. Late registration will be available until the end of Level 12, with one reentry permitted per player.
Blind levels are 30 minutes throughout the tournament, and players will start with a 50,000-chip stack. Every two hours (four levels), there will be a 15-minute break in the proceedings, except after Level 12, when the break will last 20 minutes.
After 20 levels, all remaining players will bag their chips and then return for Day 2, which starts at 1 p.m. on July 15. Once again, there will be 15-minute breaks every four levels until the event plays down to a winner. Traditional PokerNews coverage will begin on Day 2.
The reigning champion for the $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em event is Andrew Ostapchenko. The American overcame a field of 735 to secure a payday of $606,849.
Other winners from recent years include Alex Keating, Michael Wang, Boris Kolev and Carl Shaw.
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Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
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