Every story has to have an ending, and for one man tonight, the WSOP Main Event script will have had one glorious final chapter. Lucas Jumalon has led the final table’s multi-layered story from the opening line to the final paragraph. But is there a twist in the tale? Finnish player came from nowhere on the penultimate day of the drama in Las Vegas and is one heads-up comeback away from achieving his poker dreams.

One will fall, the other will attain poker immortality.

Shaevel Falls Early

“I’m sad right now but… it’s been beyond a dream come true.”

Yesterday’s opening day of the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event finale saw just two players eliminated, as Evagoras Evagorou from Cyprus won $1,000,000 in ninth place and the French player Mario Boos banked $1,250,000 in eighth. On the second of three final table days, there were far more bustouts, with five players’ dreams ending in the Paris Ballroom, Las Vegas.

The first of those dreams to die belonged to Jamie Shaevel. The Los Angeles cash game legend came into play with the least experience in tournament terms but managed to survive until the final seven, earning himself $1,500,000. All-in with king-six, Shaevel lost to Lucas Jumalon’s king-ten, the chip leader’s stack making the decision an easy one and the board doing nothing to save the at-risk player from a one-way trip to the rail.

“I’m definitely very emotional,” Shaevel told Jeff Platt on ESPN. “I’m sad right now, but also it won’t take long for me to appreciate everything that’s happened. It’s been beyond a dream come true. The sheer number of people who’ve flown from all four corners of the country, called, texted, whatever. Every possible method of telling me they’re watching and rooting for me. I’m touched.”

Paying tribute to L.A. Lakers legend Kobe Bryant by wearing his ‘eight’ shirt, Shaevel said his final table performance was all about the NBA icon Bryant’s attitude to sport.

“Growing up and watching Kobe and embracing and appreciating ‘Mamba Mentality’ shaped who I am,” he said. “The jersey I wore was given out at the memorial game after Kobe passed. It’s very special to me, so I thought if I’m going down, I’d like to go down wearing this.”

Hammoud and Feng Fail to Progress

“Do you want me to call?”

Next to go was the disappointing Rami Hammoud. Having enjoyed a run to the final table that was all-action, the Canadian’s performance once he reached the final nine was all Shawshank and no redemption. Starting the final yesterday second in chips, Hammoud’s dwindling stack went in sixth place for a score of $1,750,000 when his queen-jack lost to Jumalon’s ace-five, the chips making the hand a standard all-in and call.

“[I have] a lot of gratitude – what an experience to share this with all my friends and family,” Hammoud said in the aftermath. “This will change my life. Imposter syndrome is a big thing for me, [so] to be able to see myself compete at the highest level under the pressure is massive for me… and the money’s pretty nice too, man!”

Soon, Han Feng joined him on the rail. The table’s big entertainer departed in fifth place for $2,250,000 after a stunning hand got everyone on ‘Poker Twitter’ talking. Feng raised to 6 million, but Lauri Saaskilahti re-raised it to 50 million, only for Greg Mueller to then go into the tank with pocket jacks.

“Let’s gamble.” The Finnish player said, goading his opponents.

“Do you want me to call?” Mueller asked Saaskilahti, the dealer reminding him that talk wasn’t allowed in a three-way all-in.

Mueller found the correct fold but only because he was behind Feng, who called with pocket aces. Saaskilahti turned over pocket nines but after a flop of T-8-3 in diamonds, of which Feng had the ace, a jack on the turn left Mueller silently cursing. He wasn’t complaining about the river, as a queen landed to give the Finnish player Saaskilahti the straight and send Feng home.

“It’s fine, man, it happens. I’m all good,” said Feng after the fact to Jeff Platt, who asked the charismatic player where he’d be going next. “[EPT] Barcelona,” he said. “It was already booked.”

Experience Counts for Nothing

“When I’m at the table, I’m just trying to make the best decision in that moment.”

With just four players left, the most experienced player at the felt got unlucky to leave. Four-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gagliano earned $2,750,000 in fourth place after departing with the best hand pre-flop. All-in with king-queen, he lost to Jumalon’s king-jack when a jack landed on the turn and was rueful about his chances afterwards.

“I wish I did a little bit more, but you do what you can with what you’re dealt,” ‘Gags’ said. “I don’t think I would have changed any decision at this final table. I was happy with how I played. Sometimes that’s how it goes. When I’m at the table, I’m just trying to make the best decision in that moment, in that spot, with the hands I’ve been dealt and the action that’s happening. When I focus on that, I have my best results.”

Gagliano was joined on the rail soon after by the only other players at the final table who had won a bracelet previously. Greg Mueller came into play a three-time bracelet winner but the Canadian fell two places short of adding the one they all want to win. On a paired-ace-high board where a four flopped, Saaskilahti’s overbet shove on the river with kings teased Mueller into a call with just ten-four for second pair on the flop, leaving Mueller to collect $3,750,000 but no gold this time.

By winning that hand, the Finnish player Saaskilahti has put himself back into real contention, with his stack of 225 million chips behind Jumalon’s 328 million but by no means out of the fight. Going into the heads-up with all the momentum, Saaskilahti will be hard to stop and when the chip leader Jumalon was asked about his heads-up game, his reply, “You guys are just gonna have to stay tuned and find out”, hinted at as much nerves as excitement.

Neither Lucas Jumalon or Lauri Saaskilahti have ever won a WSOP bracelet before. Tonight, one of them will be crowned as the new world champion, taking home $10,000,000 and becoming a part of poker history forever.

WSOP 2026 $10,000 Main Event World Championship Final Table:
Place	Player	Country	Chips/Prize
1st	Lucas Jumalon	United States	328,000,000
2nd	Lauri Saaskilahti	Finland	225,000,000
3rd	Greg Mueller	Canada	$3,750,000
4th	Michael Gagliano	United States	$2,750,000
5th	Han Feng	United States	$2,250,000
6th	Rami Hammoud	Canada	$1,750,000
7th	Jamie Shaevel	United States	$1,500,000
8th	Mario Boos	France	$1,250,000
9th	Evagoras Evagorou	Cyprus	$1,000,000