Day 4 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event has concluded, with Sam Sweilem topping the chip leaderboard thanks to a strong performance. The Main Event bubble has officially burst, securing prize money for 1,382 players, while several star players continue their quest for the championship.
Published: July 10, 2026Updated: 2026.07.10Category: International News
International Poker NewsWSOP Main Event Day 4 Report | Sam Sweilem tops the chip leaderboard, remaining players race for the championship after the bubble bursts.WSOP Latest NewsWSOP High Stakes Tournament Report
Sam Sweilem displayed a strong performance on Day 4 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event, becoming the chip leader.
The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event has entered Day 4, marking one of the most important turning points in the tournament.
After several days of large-scale eliminations, the players have finally entered the prize money phase.
After Day 4 began, the bubble for the main event officially burst, and all remaining players were guaranteed at least $15,000 in prize money.
Meanwhile, American athletes Sam Sweilem With an outstanding performance, they successfully topped the chip leaderboard and became the new focus after the main event entered the deep end.
The bubble burst, and 1,382 people locked up their prizes.
This year's WSOP Main Event attracted:
9,208 participants
Total prize pool reached:
$85,634,400
The champion will receive:
$10,000,000
After the intense elimination rounds following Day 3, 1,389 players remained, just 7 short of the prize pool.
After Day 4 began, the competition quickly entered the synchronized card dealing phase.
With the last few short-stacked players eliminated, the bubble for the main event officially burst, and the remaining 1,382 players all received minimum prize guarantees.
Sam Sweilem is leading the pack.
Once the money bubble opened, the pace of the game quickened, and Sam Sweilem seized the opportunity to continue accumulating chips.
With wins on several key pots, he successfully built a huge lead and became the chip leader at the end of Day 4.
In major tournaments like the WSOP Main Event, being able to maintain a large chip stack in the later rounds means that a player has more room to maneuver.
Sweilem has now emerged as one of the championship contenders.
The main event enters the true elimination stage.
Compared to Day 1 and Day 2, the competition environment after Day 4 is completely different.
The contestants have overcome the pressure of "whether or not to make it into the top tier," and their next goal has shifted to:
Higher bonus
Further ranking
Final table seats
World Champion Glory
As the blinds increase, short-stacked players begin looking for opportunities to double up, while big-stacked players use their advantage to maintain pressure.
Every all-in move can change the course of the entire game.
Star players continue to stay on the battlefield
The 2026 WSOP Main Event attracted a large number of world-class professional poker players.
Even after Day 4, several well-known players remain competitive.
These include:
Michael Mizrachi
Hossein Ensan
Alex Foxen
Top players, etc.
With their extensive experience in major competitions, they continued to advance amidst a large field of competitors.
Defending champion Mizrachi continues his pursuit of history
Defending champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi remains the focus of attention.
If he can successfully win the WSOP Main Event title again, he will become only the second player in history, after Johnny Chan, to successfully defend his Main Event title.
However, as the competition enters deeper waters, any mistake could end the title defense.
The road to championship has officially begun.
The bursting of the bubble in the main event is just the beginning.
The remaining competitors will now set their sights on higher rankings, but the real battle for the championship has only just begun.
Sam Sweilem is currently in the lead, but the WSOP Main Event is always unpredictable.
In the next few days of competition, every decision and every large pot could rewrite the championship landscape.
Conclusion
The 2026 WSOP Main Event Day 4 has officially reached a historic milestone.
The 1,382 contestants who emerged from 9,208 participants have now officially entered the prize money competition stage.
Sam Sweilem has become the new chip leader, while many world-class players are still chasing the ultimate glory.
With prize money in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the final table, and the world championship title in sight, all survivors will continue to strive for victory.
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