News
2026 WSOP PLAYER OF THE YEAR TO CULMINATE AT WSOP PARADISE
Las Vegas, Nevada (October 7, 2026) – The World Series of Poker (WSOP®) today announced that the hotly contested 2026 WSOP Player of the Year (POY) race will officially be decided at WSOP Paradise, which serves as the dramatic season finale of the annual poker calendar. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Bahamas, WSOP Paradise will not only host the largest guaranteed prize pools of the year but will crown the ultimate champion of the 2026 poker season.
WSOP’s Player of the Year competition dates back to 2004, when Daniel Negreanu captured his first of two POY titles. With POY points now unified across the summer WSOP in Las Vegas, WSOP Europe, and WSOP Paradise, the race has never been more prestigious. A massive $1M Leaderboard Prize pool is up for grabs for the Top 100 players, making the final stretch in the Caribbean crucial.
At the top of the leaderboard, defending 2025 POY champion Shaun Deeb is narrowly holding the #1 spot, looking to capture a historic third POY title. Right on his heels are Japanese standout Naoya Kihara and high-roller regular William Foxen, separated by less than 30 points. With heavyweights like Daniel Negreanu, Joshua Arieh, and Nick Schulman all currently sitting inside the top 15, the final bracelet events in the Bahamas will guarantee a thrilling sprint to the finish line.
Current 2026 WSOP Player of the Year Top 15:
|
Position |
Name |
Points |
|
1 |
Shaun Deeb (United States) |
3,410 |
|
2 |
Naoya Kihara (Japan) |
3,388 |
|
3 |
William Foxen (United States) |
3,381 |
|
4 |
Justin Liberto (United States) |
2,827 |
|
5 |
Joshua Arieh (United States) |
2,750 |
|
6 |
Daniel Negreanu (Canada) |
2,698 |
|
7 |
Jesse Lonis (United States) |
2,674 |
|
8 |
Eelis Jaakko Eino Paerssinen (Finland) |
2,638 |
|
9 |
Michael J. Moncek (United States) |
2,592 |
|
10 |
Joshua Reichard (United States) |
2,575 |
|
11 |
Benny Glaser (United Kingdom) |
2,554 |
|
12 |
Nicholas Schulman (United States) |
2,552 |
|
13 |
Calvin Anderson (Mexico) |
2,365 |
|
14 |
Martin Zamani (United States) |
2,280 |
|
15 |
Lucas Jumalon (United States) |
2,271 |
Historic Prizes on the Line
The Top 100 finishers will share $1,000,000 in prizes, which will help fuel future tournament play. The overall POY winner, alongside the 2nd and 3rd place finishers, will receive a massive $100K Paradise Package. Players finishing 4th through 15th will lock up a $30K Super Main Event Package, with further packages and championship tickets distributed down to 100th place.
As the race moves to its ultimate destination, players are already gearing up for the final showdown.
"WSOP Paradise is the perfect setting for a dramatic finish to the year," said eight-time WSOP bracelet winner, two-time former WSOP POY champion, and current #6 in the standings, Daniel Negreanu. "I'm sitting a few hundred points back, but with big points available in the Bahamas, capturing a third Player of the Year title is absolutely within striking distance. It all comes down to how I perform in the season finale."
Lucas Jumalon, the 2026 WSOP Main Event champion who is currently in 15th spot on the leaderboard, added: "I’ve been on an incredible journey this year, and it isn’t over yet. Knowing that the Player of the Year race will be decided in the Bahamas just adds to the anticipation. I'm excited to get to WSOP Paradise, play my best poker, and hopefully climb even higher up the ranks."
The Ultimate WSOP Parlay Promotion
Making participation in the season finale even more attractive is the unprecedented WSOP Parlay promotion. Any player who has reached a WSOP bracelet event final table - whether at a live stop or online - over the course of 2026 is eligible to participate. There is an astonishing $1,000,000 in extra parlay prizes up for grabs for these proven finalists when they compete in the Bahamas. For full details on the WSOP Parlay promotion, please visit: https://x.com/WSOP/status/2098094658652196888.
Secure Your Seat Today
Players hoping to make poker history do not have to wait to secure their spot. Online satellites for the record-breaking WSOP Paradise $50M-guaranteed Super Main Event are currently running at GGPoker, giving players from around the world the chance to win their way into the biggest event of the winter. For more information on WSOP Express at GGPoker, please visit: https://ggpoker.com/tournaments/wsop-express/.
Additionally, players looking to bypass the registration lines can register directly for all WSOP Paradise events using the WSOP LIVE app.
For more information on WSOP Paradise, including the full tournament schedule and hotel accommodations, please visit: https://www.wsop.com/news/2026-wsop-paradise/. Players should also follow @WSOP on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram or check WSOP.com for more news and updates.
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About World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker® is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event and poker brand in the world, having awarded more than $4 billion in prize money over the past six decades. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament dating back to 1970. In 2026, the flagship event in Las Vegas attracted a record-setting 251,899 entrants and awarded more than $469 million in prize money. The WSOP portfolio of events includes approximately 50 WSOP Circuit Events annually across five continents, WSOP Europe (since 2007), WSOP Paradise (since 2023) and the record-breaking WSOP Online festival. International satellites to WSOP live events are hosted exclusively at GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room. For more information, please visit www.wsop.com.
Media Contacts:
Paul Burke (press@wsop.com)
