No solver, just the atmosphere: Ryan Riess reflects on his preparations for the 2013 Main Event final table.

2013 WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess reflects on his path to victory, compares the poker landscape then and now, and shares his thoughts on the 2026 final table.

The concept of the "November Nine" was already widely known when Ryan Riess made it to the final table of the 2013 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.

Since 2008, the WSOP Main Event has had a four-month off-season, and the event's popularity has increased as the tournament is broadcast weekly on ESPN.

The last "November Nine" was in 2016, when Kenny Hallaert made his first appearance at the Main Event final table. But after years of 1-2 day breaks, 2026 will see a three-week gap.

In an interview with PokerNews, 2013 world champion Riess reflected on his victory 13 years ago and why he considered three weeks to be the "sweet spot" of the biggest poker final table.

From first competition to world champion

Anyone who enters the main event, even experienced professionals, has only one goal in mind: to win the championship. Fortunately for Riess, he achieved this goal on his very first attempt.

"2013 was my first time participating in the WSOP and the Main Event," Riess said. "(When I made it to the final table) my first reaction to the offseason was pure excitement and disbelief—I actually made it to the November Nine. That was every poker player's dream at the time."

"That was every poker player's dream back then."

Riess started the final table in the middle of a crowded arena. To his right were short-stacked players Sylvain Loosli, Michiel Brummelhuis, and Mark Newhouse, while he also had to contend with strong contenders like Amir Lehavot and Marc McLaughlin to his left, and chip leader JC Tran was also lurking in the shadows.

2013 WSOP Main Event Final Table Chip Count

But Riess had his own ideas. A 68th place finish in the Borgata Poker Open Main Event was all the preparation he needed.

"My plan is to play poker during the offseason," Riess said. "It's really cool because a lot of people have noticed me, wished me good luck, and given me a lot of positive energy and a great atmosphere."

"There were far fewer learning tools back then than there are now. I just traveled around playing poker tournaments to gain practical experience, but it would be a lie to say that I was burying myself in research."

Riess put it bluntly, but it's understandable. The poker environment a decade or so ago was vastly different from today's solver-dominated era. He said there was no discussion of GTO software or ICM simulation models back then.

"To be honest, I didn't prepare for my specific position as much as I should have. My goal and strategy were to win at all costs, and luckily, the God of Cards chose me."

Looking ahead to 2026

ESPN has already begun broadcasting the 2026 WSOP Main Event, and Riess says he looks forward to watching the final table.

"November 9 was fantastic, I loved every minute of it," he said. "But the break might have been a bit too long. I think three weeks would have been much better. One day off is the worst option right now."

"A few weeks is a perfect time to rest for the most important days of these people's lives."

Riess said he was particularly focused on one player: chip leader Lucas Jumalon.

"He was sitting in the driver's seat, but this is poker. Anything can happen."

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