Jumalon Remains Leader as Nine Play to Seven in WSOP Main Event

The World Series of Poker Main Event played down from nine to seven on Tuesday night as this year’s World Championship finalists jockeyed for position under the bright lights in Las Vegas. The chip leader heading into play was the U.S. player Lucas Jumalon and while he still leads from the front heading into the final two days, the field has caught him a little in the past 24 hours.

Jumalon’s Early Momentum Lost

Day 1 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table was a dramatic one. Getting off to a fast start will have been the plan for Lucas Jumalon, who came into the final table with all the momentum, having enjoyed a superb Day 8 of the Main Event. Outlasting legends like Shaun Deeb, Hossein Ensan and Brock Wilson, all of whom fell on the last day before the final, Jumalon took over from the downed former Aussie Millions winner Malcolm Trayner as chip leader with nine left.

Jumalon’s lead initially looked like growing as the 22-year-old dominated the early orbits of the final as players battled to put themselves in a position to win the $10 million top prize in two days’ time. Jumalon’s relentless betting post-flop was impressive, but the talented four-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Gagliano won at showdown with ace-high after Jumalon had pulled the trigger with bluffs on the flop and turn but couldn’t commit to the triple barrel on the river.

With his early exuberance punctured, Jumalon dropped back in terms of aggression. Playing tighter, Jumalon was no longer the most active player at the table, as Han Feng (below) started to climb. Wearing an open white shirt and pink feather boa, Feng was resplendent in appearance and added to his visual flair with some impressive moves at the felt.

Evagorou Departs to Cheers

“Take small risks and keep becoming better and better every day. Your dreams will come true.” ~ Evagoras Evagorou

The Cypriot player Evagoras Evagorou began play as the shortest stack and eventually, after three hours of play, was the first player to bust. All-in with pocket jacks, he was called by Jamie Shaevel with ace-queen and an ace came on the flop to leave the record-breaking first Cypriot ever to reach the final table on the rail with his fans, winning $1,000,000 in the process.

“I hope to give a message to the young generation, especially the Cypriots, [that] you never stop dreaming,” he said to reporters after his exit. “Take small risks and keep becoming better and better every day. Your dreams will come true.”

Han Feng was all-in and at risk of elimination with the worst hand as he committed his stack with ace-four only to run into Mario Boos’ ace-queen. A four on the turn changed everything, however, leading to jeers from the French section of the Paris Ballroom as Mario Boos regrouped. Feng was on the charge and the unique character, who attracted a lot of betting activity on Polymarket in the weeks leading up to the final, justified that interest, bouncing from eight in the chipcounts up the leaderboard.

Boos Busted in Eighth

“I didn’t plan to spin this many chips!” ~ Han Feng

As Feng – and his feather boa – flourished, Mario Boos went in the opposite direction, eventually busting in eighth place for $1.25 million. All-in with pocket eights, Boos lost to Lauri Saaskilahti’s king-nine, the flop vaulting the Finnish player into the lead as he paired and Boos never being able to retake the lead in the hand.

When the dust settled on a dramatic and long day at the final table felt, Jumalon still led his remaining six opponents. But whereas before the final table he had 129 big blinds, the American will only return tonight with 85 bigs as he bids to make the podium places.

“We’re just gonna go play cards, and whatever happens happens,” the leader said. “Let’s go get it done, though. This is why you build a stack like this. I could have sat and folded, that wasn’t gonna be my strategy obviously. I’m just thankful to still be in the tournament.”

The surprise element of the final table, Han Feng, was delighted with taking 43 big blinds through to the penultimate day of the marathon event.

“I didn’t plan to spin this many chips,” Feng said as he was beset by microphones at the conclusion of the day’s action. “I would have had the sickest three-day outfit.”

Feng may yet get to wear three outfits, sitting on 106.5 million chips, just over halfway to Jumalon’s pile of 212 million. Behind the top two, the Finnish player Lauri Saaskilahti’s late surge and elimination of Mario Boos saw him pile up 84.5 million chips. The Canadian Ravi Hammoud came into play on 79 million but ended on just 45.5 million as his tactic of erecting cardboard cut-outs of his opponents and sitting with them while playing a soundtrack of Jumalon’s rail through his headphones failed to push his chances on.

Hammoud’s stack is worth 18 big blinds, with Michael ‘Gags’ Gagliano on 17 big blinds, stacking up 42 million chips. Jamie Shaevel (33m/13BB) has work to do but it is the three-time WSOP event winner Greg Mueller from Canada who will start with the lowest stack. His pile of 29.5m chips equates to just 12 big blinds and the uncharacteristically quiet man will need to bring the noise on Day 10 of the WSOP Main Event to have any chance of winning the World Championship.