Lucas Jumalon has won the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, defeating Finland’s Lauri Saaskilahti heads-up to claim the World Champion of Poker title, the coveted championship bracelet, and the $10 million first-place prize.
The 22-year-old from Spokane, Washington, emerged victorious at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas after outlasting one of the largest Main Event fields in WSOP history. The tournament attracted thousands of players, each paying the $10,000 buy-in for a chance to compete for poker’s most prestigious title.
Jumalon’s victory capped a dominant run that began with him entering the nine-player final table as the chip leader with 194 million chips. The final table also featured Rami Hammoud, Jamie Shaevel, Greg Mueller, Michael Gagliano, Mario Boos, Han Feng, Evagoras Evagorou, and Saaskilahti.
With millions of dollars at stake and the championship bracelet on the line, Jumalon maintained his advantage throughout the final stages of the tournament before defeating Saaskilahti in the heads-up match to secure the title.
Alongside the championship, Jumalon received the tournament’s top prize of $10 million. Runner-up Saaskilahti earned $6 million, whilst Greg Mueller collected $3.75 million for third place and Michael Gagliano received $2.75 million for finishing fourth.
Han Feng took home $2.25 million for fifth place, whilst Rami Hammoud, Jamie Shaevel, Mario Boos and Evagoras Evagorou each earned at least $1 million for their sixth- to ninth-place finishes.
The win marks the biggest achievement of Jumalon’s poker career and secures his place amongst the winners of the WSOP’s flagship tournament. To capture the title, players must survive more than a week of competition against thousands of opponents before reaching the final table.
The 2026 WSOP Main Event also marked the tournament’s return to ESPN coverage, adding to what organisers described as a memorable conclusion to the annual series.
“Youth is served at one of the most spirited final tables of all time,” said World Series of Poker Chief Executive Officer Ty Stewart. “The 2026 Main Event and its live television coverage reminded us why we love this game and the people who play it.”
At 22 years old, Jumalon also became one of the youngest champions in WSOP Main Event history, just one year older than Joe Cada, who won the tournament in 2009 at the age of 21.
The victory adds Jumalon to the list of players to have won poker’s most prestigious tournament, earning him the distinction of becoming the newest World Champion of Poker.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/08/06/125757-lucas-jumalon-wins-2026-wsop-main-event-takes-home-10m-prize
