2026 WSOP Data Recap | Only 3 of the Top 10 Prize Money Players are from the US; 251,899 Attendances Set a New Record

On July 24, 2026, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) released several key statistics for its Summer Las Vegas series. Apart from the Main Event, which was postponed to its final table, all 99 live bracelet events have produced champions.

This year's WSOP attracted a record-breaking 251,899 entries, setting a new single-season record; the total prize pool reached $469,975,059, ranking second in history. From the prize money rankings and participating countries to high-stakes tournament registration data, the 2026 WSOP demonstrates a more pronounced global trend.

With 251,899 participants, the WSOP sets a new record for scale.

The 2026 WSOP will feature 100 live gold bracelet events, with the total number of participants in the series exceeding 250,000 for the first time.

The total number of participants set a new record for a single WSOP event, and the total prize pool is second only to the all-time high in 2025. Event service fees and related expenses totaled US$47.3 million, of which US$33.1 million was retained by the WSOP and US$14.2 million was allocated to dealers and event staff.

The main event has 9,208 participants, with a guaranteed $1 million prize for the top nine.

The 2026 WSOP Main Event attracted 9,208 players, becoming the fourth largest Main Event in history, with a total prize pool of $85,634,400.

Although the number of participants failed to exceed 10,000 for the fourth consecutive year, the 9,208 participants still represent the top number for a single buy-in event on Freezeout.

The final nine players in this year's main event have all secured at least $1,000,000, while the ultimate champion will receive a $10,000,000 first-place prize and a WSOP main event gold bracelet.

The main event also set two diverse records:

• A total of 111 countries and regions participated, up from 103 in 2025.

• The number of female participants reached 431, accounting for 4.681 TP3T of the total, setting a new record for the main event.

The 2025 main event had 369 female participants, accounting for approximately 3.81% of the total participants (TP3T). Both the number and proportion of female participants have increased significantly this year.

The WSOP Main Event final table will resume on August 3.

The main event's nine-player final table will resume on August 3rd (US time), and is expected to last for three days, with the 2026 world champion being crowned on August 5th.

ESPN will provide live streaming coverage in the United States and more than 70 other countries and regions.

In Europe and several Asian markets, the broadcast will be presented by Eurosport and TNT Sports; in some international markets where the channels are unavailable, it is expected that the live stream will be available through the official WSOP YouTube channel.

Adrian Mateos tops WSOP prize money list

Excluding the main event, which has yet to be decided, Spanish star Adrian Mateos ranks first with a total prize money of $4,842,540 in the series.

Mateos won the $250,000 Super High Roller, taking home $4,334,411. This is the highest first-place prize in the completed events of this year, second only to the $10 million jackpot in the Main Event.

Top 10 WSOP Series Prize Money List 2026

The above is the total prize money for the entire Summer Series, excluding the final prize money for the main event which has not yet been completed.

Of the top ten on the prize money list, only three are American players: Bryn Kenney, Benjamin Tollerene, and Sean Winter.

The remaining seven spots are from Spain, Finland, Brazil, Canada, Russia, India, and the United Kingdom. The minimum total prize money for the top ten remains at US$2,535,000, reflecting the significant impact of high-paying race wins and multiple deep runs on the annual prize money rankings.

Negreanu wins his eighth gold bracelet, earning approximately $1.69 million from the series.

Daniel Negreanu won the $100,000 PLO High Roller, earning a first-place prize of $2,257,718 and his eighth WSOP gold bracelet.

Including his results from other tournaments, Negreanu's total winnings this season reached $2,977,868, ranking seventh on the series' money list. According to tournament statistics, his net profit for the entire Summer Series was approximately $1.69 million.

China and Japan each won four gold bracelets.

The 2026 WSOP had participants from 149 countries and regions. The top ten countries in terms of the number of participants were:

1. United States

2. Canada

3. France

4. United Kingdom

5. Japan

6. China

7. Israel

8. Germany

9. Brazil

10. Mexico

China ranked sixth in terms of the number of participants, and won four gold bracelets, the same as the Japanese athletes. The two Asian countries took home a total of eight championships.

Japanese poker player Naoya Kihara was one of the most outstanding players of the year, winning the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud and the $10,000 NL 2-7 Single Draw titles, earning two gold bracelets in a single year.

Koji Fujimoto won the $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw title, while Daisuke Ogita won the $1,000 Mini Main Event title, helping Japan set a new record of four titles in a single event.

Shaun Deeb currently leads the POY rankings, with Kihara just 22 points behind.

The scoring rules for the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year have been adjusted. The scoring will now be based on a player's best 15 performances, an increase of 5 from the previous 10. Results from the online bracelet competition will no longer be included.

After the Las Vegas stage, Shaun Deeb temporarily leads the standings with 3,410 points, while Naoya Kihara ranks second with 3,388 points, only 22 points apart.

The final POY rankings will be determined after the WSOP Paradise in December, and the top three players will receive a WSOP Paradise entry package worth $100,000.

Registration for high-stakes tournaments has cooled down, with only two events showing growth against the trend.

Despite a record number of participants in the series, the number of entries for high-value events has generally declined.

Of the 11 major high-stakes tournaments, only the $100,000 NLH High Roller and the $50,000 Poker Players Championship saw higher attendance than in 2025.

Projects experiencing significant declines include the $50,000 NLH High Roller, the $50,000 PLO, and the $100,000 PLO. This contrasts with the continued expansion of low- and mid-buy events.

Several renowned athletes achieved the milestone of winning gold bracelets.

The 2026 WSOP also saw the setting of several individual records.

Shaun Deeb won the $1,500 8-Game Mixed Championship, bringing his total number of gold bracelets to nine, and leading the POY leaderboard after the Las Vegas stage.

Michael Mizrachi won the $10,000 PLO Championship, also becoming a nine-time gold bracelet winner; Benny Glaser, on the other hand, was crowned champion of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.

Naoya Kihara, Calvin Anderson, and Eelis Paerssinen all won twice in the same tournament. Anderson won the $10,000 Razz and $10,000 HORSE titles, while Paerssinen won the $25,000 PLO and $25,000 PLO/NLH mixed events.

The number of female champions and participants both set new records.

This year’s Ladies Championship attracted 1,475 entries, surpassing the 1,368 entries in 2025, making it the largest women-only tournament in poker history.

Five women won the Open Bracelet event, tying the 2024 record, with three winning in-person and two online.

Kristen Foxen won the $25,000 6-Max NLH title, earning $1,773,083 and her sixth gold bracelet, continuing to hold the record for most gold bracelets won by a female player, and bringing her career live tournament winnings to over $20 million.

Michelle Chin became the first woman to win an Open title in a Limit event since 2015; Yanting Jiang won the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship, taking home $1,159,182.

Seven tournaments with over 10,000 participants set a new PLO record.

The 2026 WSOP featured 7 events with over 10,000 participants and 12 events with over 5,000 participants.

Event #63, the $1,000 Mystery Millions, attracted 22,811 participants, making it the largest event of the year; the $1,000 Mini Main Event drew 12,560 participants; and the $1,500 Monster Stack recorded 11,933 participants. All three events broke their respective records.

Event #87: The $1,000 Mystery Bounty PLO attracted 4,764 entries, becoming the largest PLO tournament in live poker history.

The oldest participant in this year's competition is 95-year-old Merle Vangieson; the youngest participant, Easton Jorgensen, turned 21 two days before the end of the series.

The record high data also reflects changes in the WSOP structure.

With 251,899 entries and a total prize pool of nearly $470 million, the WSOP proves to be the world’s largest live poker series.

However, different trends are emerging behind the data: low and medium buy-in large tournaments continue to attract more recreational and professional players, while the number of participants in high-stakes tournaments has generally declined; American players are still the largest group of participants, but only occupy 3 of the top 10 spots on the money list, and the performance of Chinese, Japanese and European players has further strengthened the international competitive landscape of the tournaments.

The final suspense of the 2026 WSOP will be revealed from August 3rd to 5th. When the nine Main Event final table players return to Las Vegas, the $10 million champion's prize and the world champion's gold bracelet will determine the final outcome of this series.

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