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WSOP PoY 2026 With $1M on Top
- Shaun Deeb leads the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year race by a narrow margin, pursued closely by Naoya Kihara and William Foxen.
- $1 million in leaderboard prizes and the prestigious Binion Cup will go to the season's best performers at WSOP Paradise.
- Only each player's 15 best results count, making every event at the Bahamas finale crucial for determining the final standings.
The race for the 2026 World Series of Poker Player of the Year title is heading for a dramatic grande finale in the Bahamas.
Shaun Deeb is Shaun Deeb and Shaun Deeb does what Shaun Deeb does!
He is, of course, in the lead just before Naoya Kihara and William Foxen, with just 29 points separating the top three and $1 million in leaderboard prizes awaiting the season's best performers.
WSOP Paradise is the decider - whose name will we see on top?
Shaun Deeb is Shaun Deeb and Shaun Deeb does what Shaun Deeb does!
He is, of course, in the lead just before Naoya Kihara and William Foxen, with just 29 points separating the top three and $1 million in leaderboard prizes awaiting the season's best performers.
WSOP Paradise is the decider - whose name will we see on top?
What Is the WSOP Player of the Year?
The World Series of Poker Player of the Year (POY) is an annual competition that rewards the most consistent performers across eligible WSOP bracelet events.
Introduced in 2004, when Daniel Negreanu became its first winner, the award recognises players who accumulate the most points based on their tournament finishes, field sizes and buy ins.
Unlike winning a single bracelet, claiming the POY title requires sustained success across multiple tournaments and poker formats.
For 2026, the competition includes results from WSOP Europe, the summer WSOP in Las Vegas and WSOP Paradise, with each player's 15 best results counting towards the final standings. The overall winner receives the prestigious Player of the Year title and the newly introduced Binion Cup.
Introduced in 2004, when Daniel Negreanu became its first winner, the award recognises players who accumulate the most points based on their tournament finishes, field sizes and buy ins.
Unlike winning a single bracelet, claiming the POY title requires sustained success across multiple tournaments and poker formats.
For 2026, the competition includes results from WSOP Europe, the summer WSOP in Las Vegas and WSOP Paradise, with each player's 15 best results counting towards the final standings. The overall winner receives the prestigious Player of the Year title and the newly introduced Binion Cup.
Shaun Deeb Chasing Historic Third POY Title
Defending champion Shaun Deeb currently leads the standings with 3,410 points, but his advantage could hardly be smaller.
Japan's Naoya Kihara sits just 22 points behind on 3,388, while American high roller William Foxen occupies third place with 3,381 points.
Deeb is chasing a third Player of the Year title, having previously won the award in 2018 and 2025. Another victory would put him alongside Daniel Negreanu as a three time winner of the prestigious competition.
Negreanu himself remains in contention. The Canadian poker legend, who won the award in 2004 and 2013, currently occupies sixth place with 2,698 points.
Speaking about the upcoming finale, Negreanu said:
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
British mixed game specialist Benny Glaser is also in the running, sitting 11th with 2,554 points, while Finland's Eelis Pärssinen occupies eighth place.
WSOP Player of the Year 2026: Current Top 15
| Rank | Player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaun Deeb | USA | 3,410 |
| 2 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | 3,388 |
| 3 | William Foxen | USA | 3,381 |
| 4 | Justin Liberto | USA | 2,827 |
| 5 | Joshua Arieh | USA | 2,750 |
| 6 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | 2,698 |
| 7 | Jesse Lonis | USA | 2,674 |
| 8 | Eelis Pärssinen | Finland | 2,638 |
| 9 | Michael Moncek | USA | 2,592 |
| 10 | Joshua Reichard | USA | 2,575 |
| 11 | Benny Glaser | UK | 2,554 |
| 12 | Nick Schulman | USA | 2,552 |
| 13 | Calvin Anderson | Mexico | 2,365 |
| 14 | Martin Zamani | USA | 2,280 |
| 15 | Lucas Jumalon | USA | 2,271 |
$1 Million on Top
Beyond the prestige of claiming the title and the newly introduced Binion Cup, the 2026 competition features a $1 million leaderboard prize pool distributed among the top 100 players.
Unlike a traditional cash prize pool, the rewards consist of tournament packages and entries into future WSOP events.
The top three finishers will each receive a $100,000 WSOP Paradise package, while players finishing between fourth and 15th will collect packages valued at $30,000.
The complete prize structure is as follows:
Additional random draws will award one $30,000 package upgrade among players finishing 16th to 50th and six $5,000 package upgrades among those finishing 51st to 100th.
| Final Position | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $100,000 Paradise Package + POY Title |
| 2nd to 3rd | $100,000 Paradise Package |
| 4th to 15th | $30,000 Super Main Event Package |
| 16th to 50th | $5,000 Circuit Championship Package |
| 51st to 100th | $2,500 Circuit Championship Ticket |
Additional random draws will award one $30,000 package upgrade among players finishing 16th to 50th and six $5,000 package upgrades among those finishing 51st to 100th.
WSOP Paradise Offers $120 Million in Guarantees
The final stage of the POY race will take place during one of the largest tournament festivals on the international poker calendar.
WSOP Paradise 2026 features 20 gold bracelet events and an extraordinary $120 million in guaranteed prize pools.
The headline attraction is the $26,000 Super Main Event, carrying a $50 million guarantee.
Other major tournaments include the $10,000 GGMillion$ Championship with $20 million guaranteed and a $250,000 Pro Am event offering a $10 million guarantee.
Other major tournaments include the $10,000 GGMillion$ Championship with $20 million guaranteed and a $250,000 Pro Am event offering a $10 million guarantee.
With several major high roller and mixed game tournaments on the schedule, players chasing leaderboard positions will have multiple opportunities to improve their standings.
Only each player's 15 best eligible results count towards the final POY total, introducing another strategic consideration for those competing in numerous events.
Paradise Parlay, Another $1M
The Player of the Year competition is not the only additional incentive awaiting successful WSOP players in the Bahamas.
The returning WSOP Paradise Parlay promotion offers a separate $1 million guaranteed prize pool for players who reached a WSOP bracelet final table or won a bracelet during 2026, whether live or online.
Eligible players can earn additional rewards based on their achievements at WSOP Paradise.
For example, a player who reached a bracelet final table earlier in 2026 could receive an additional $250,000 for winning the Paradise Super Main Event.
Previous bracelet winners could earn as much as $500,000 for the same achievement.
Previous bracelet winners could earn as much as $500,000 for the same achievement.
The promotion also offers smaller rewards for registering in the Super Main Event and reaching final tables during the festival.
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