Relentless Summer Run Propels Shaun Deeb to Number One in WSOP POY Standings

mrinal-gujare
By Mrinal Gujare
17 Jul 2026
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Mrinal Gujare 17 Jul 2026
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  • Shaun Deeb leads 2026 WSOP POY, narrowly ahead of Naoya Kihara.
  • Alex Foxen falls to third; top players like Negreanu and Arieh remain contenders.
  • WSOP Paradise will host the decisive next round in the POY race.
Shaun Deeb
Image by Eloy Cabacas / Pokernews
Shaun Deeb holds a narrow Player of the Year lead over Naoya Kihara as the summer WSOP concludes. Former leader Alex Foxen dropped to third, while stars like Daniel Negreanu and Josh Arieh remain in contention heading into WSOP Paradise.

The race for the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year (POY) title concluded its summer stretch in spectacular fashion. The sweat came down to the final event, where four of the top five contenders in the standings made deep runs in the exact same tournament, shaking up the leaderboard before the series shifts to its next phase.

Alex Foxen, who maintained his hold on the leading position for the majority of the summer WSOP, fell to third place following the final events. Foxen enjoyed a highly productive summer, racking up 14 cashes over the course of the 2026 series.

Stepping into the spotlight instead is Shaun Deeb, who now goes into WSOP Paradise holding the narrowest of leads. Deeb sits at the top with 3,410 points, closely pursued by Naoya Kihara, who commands 3,388 points. 

Kihara put together an incredibly consistent summer with 18 cashes, and despite finishing ahead of Deeb in that final summer event, he could not quite secure enough points to leapfrog him for the number one ranking.

Deeb’s Relentless Summer Campaign

Shaun Deeb approached the summer with a clear and literal motto: "I want to play everything." True to his word, Deeb fired a staggering 122 entries across the bracelet events. 

While he only recorded five total cashes during the summer, he made them count by consistently placing in the top 20 throughout his deep runs.

His standout performance came in the world's most prestigious tournament, the $10,000 Main Event. After eight exhausting days of play, Deeb navigated the massive field to finish in 15th place, taking home $410,475. His calm demeanor immediately following his elimination surprised many fans. 

Demonstrating his dedication to the POY race, Deeb registered for two additional tournaments just 10 minutes after busting out of the Main Event to keep accumulating points.
Behind the top three, a long list of elite poker players remain firmly in contention for the title. Among the big names chasing the leaders are Josh Arieh, Daniel Negreanu, and Michael Mizrachi. Negreanu secured 14 cashes over the summer stretch, matching the 14 cashes earned by Arieh. 

Mizrachi also remains in the hunt, booking seven cashes during the 2026 summer series. Other prominent players still in the mathematical mix include Jesse Lonis, Eelis Pärssinen, Benny Glaser, Nick Schulman, and Calvin Anderson.

The battleground now moves to WSOP Paradise later this year. Because the WSOP Paradise schedule is historically geared more toward no-limit hold'em high-roller tournaments rather than a heavy mix of variants, poker insiders note that it would be unwise to bet against a player of Foxen’s caliber making a comeback. 

The official schedule for WSOP Paradise is slated for announcement around the start of August, coinciding with the kickoff of the WSOP Main Event final table.
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