WSOP Main Event Narrows to 21 as Day 8 Gets Underway

The pressure is mounting on the Las Vegas Strip as the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event enters its eighth day. Just 21 contenders remain in the hunt for the $10 million first-place prize and a place in poker history. Action resumes at 11 AM PST with Malcolm Trayner holding the chip lead at 63,200,000 (105 big blinds).

Among the notables still in the field are 2019 Main Event champion Hossein Ensan (29,700,000 chips) and 2025 WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb (31,300,000 chips). The top ten chip counts also include Rami Hammoud (41,500,000), Lucas Jumalon (40,800,000), and Evagoras Evagorou (38,200,000).

Recent bracelet winners added to the series' excitement. Eric Weber of Blaine, Washington turned a $600 buy-in into a $400,000 score, winning the Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em event for his first WSOP bracelet. Matthew Shepsky from Chicago outlasted 4,764 entrants in the $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha to claim $305,000 and his first gold bracelet. British pro Jamie Dwan took the $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em, earning $2,276,691 in one of the toughest fields of the series. Italy's Sergio Benso showcased his Pot-Limit Omaha skills in the unique $1,500 Pick Your PLO event, securing $196,431 and his first bracelet.

The remaining bracelet events are set over the next few days. Event #97, a $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E., kicks off July 13 as the last high-roller opportunity. July 14 features two tournaments: Event #98, an $800 Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em for low-stakes grinders, and Event #99, a $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em expected to attract many Las Vegas-based pros and rising stars. The final bracelet event, Event #100, is a $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold'em on July 15, a one-day race to capture poker's most coveted prize.