Andrii Novak Wins 2026 WSOP Online Main Event on GGPoker

Hosted by angel investor and poker pro Jeff Gross joined by the 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, the 2026 WSOP Online Main Event saw the winner take home $3.9m and the gold bracelet that comes with all World Series of Poker victories. The Ukrainian player Andrii Novak started the final table with a convincing lead, but German pro Simon Beckmann came back during the final only for late drama to thrill poker fans around the world watching on the GGPoker YouTube channel.

Novak Starts in Charge

When the final table began, the Ukrainian Andrii Novak was a clear chips leader with 108 big blinds. German pro Simon Beckmann (88BB) was the only player within a three-bet of the leader with the sole Brazilian at the felt, Pablo Silva, next closest on 57 big blinds.

Others such as Novak’s fellow Ukrainian Pavlo Yakovliev (43BB), Spanish player Fernando Liano (42BB) Iranian Arian Hassankashani (34BB), Kazakhstan’s Yuri Nadinsky (26BB), Canadian Charles Boissonniere (26BB) and the short stack, Chinese player Moyan Chen (22BB), were hoping a fast start might earn them a very deep run.

While players jockeyed for position in the early stages, Phil Hellmuth showed viewers the spectacular view of Lake Michigan from his hotel room. Soon, however, it was eyes down for an early bustout, as Brazil’s Pablo Silva endured a miserable final table. All too soon, the South American was languishing among the lower order and when he shoved with ace-queen for around 30 big blinds, Simon Beckmann’s call with ace-king and subsequent elimination of the Brazilian left Silva collecting $491,676 in ninth place.

Eight became seven just a couple of hand later in similar circumstances. Kazakhstani Yuri Nadinsky moved all-in pre-flop with ace-four only to run into the ace-king of Canadian player Charles Boissonniere to cash for $637,476.

Liano Loses Out

With seven players left, the Iranian player Arian Hassankashani was next to depart for $826,555. All-in pre-flop with pocket tens, he lost to the Chinese player Moyan Chen’s pocket jacks with no help coming on the board for the at-risk player. Soon, Ukraine’s Pavlo Yakovliev joined him, winning $1,071,761 when his ace-queen rivered top pair but saw Chen’s pocket sevens make a winning flush with the use of the same card.

A ‘mystery hand’ soon played out, and during it, the chip lead changed hands. Beckmann had eight-seven and Novak ace-deuce of spades. The flop was 9-8-7… all in spades. Somehow the money didn’t go in, probably because both players were extremely deep-stacked. A ten of spades on the turn was a card from the depths of hell for both men, but an eight on the river was manna from heaven for Beckmann. His bet of 21m was precisely made and brilliantly done, being called by Novak as a stunned Hellmuth criticized the action.

“I do not mind the fold here, Jeff,” said the Poker Brat. “You can’t really beat anything at this point. Keep yourself at 109 million and guarantee a top three spot. Just fold.”

Boissonniere’s journey came to an end in fifth place, as the longest-lasting Canadian player at the final table bowed out with a score of $1,389,754. All-in with ace-jack of clubs against Novak’s threes, a jack came on the flop but so too did a three and a king on the turn sent Boissonniere drawing dead to the river before he cashed for $1,389,754.

Novak the New Champion

With four players remaining, the Spanish player Fernando Liano took his leave for a score of $1,802,141. Moments before, Beckmann had donated around 60 million chips to Novak’s stack by shoving pre-flop with ace-four and being called to an expensive double-up by the Ukrainian’s pocket kings. Beckmann then took out Liano when the German’s ace-queen beat the Spaniard’s ace-ten, and just three remained.

The Chinese player Moyan Chen had started the final table in ninth place but ran all the way to third place for an impressive score of $2,336,938. Pairing his nine on a board showing A-T-9-4, Chen shoved and Beckmann called with queen-jack. Any paint would down Chen and a king on the river gave the German a Broadway straight.

Heads-up, Beckman had a lead of 250 million chips to Novak’s 109m, but despite holding almost 70% of the chips in play, the German was unable to get over the line. Novak had taken a few chips by the time Beckmann, possibly frustrated, shoved with queen-five of diamonds. Novak snap-called with ace-king and was delighted to see his gift-wrapped opportunity duly unwrapped, with an ace-high board swapping the lead.

A little later, Beckmann was down to around 12% of his opponent’s stack when he was all-in with queen-seven but again Novak had the goods with ace-jack. After a flop of A-K-4, a ten on the turn meant Beckmann could only survive if one of just three jacks still in the pack came on the river. An offsuit five was the dustiest of bricks, and Andrii Novak stacked up $3,931,259 and the gold bracelet as the winner of the 2026 WSOP Online Main Event, with Beckmann forced to settle for a runner-up prize of $3,030,486.

“Generally speaking, the play was pretty good,” said Hellmuth in summing up the action. “It’s my job to call out what wasn’t – and I did – but Novak probably played the best. He kept himself in there and I would say the one who played the best today won.”

Watch all the action from the 2026 WSOP Online Main Event final table here.