We are creeping up on the halfway point of the 2026 World Series of Poker, and the race for the Player of the Year is beginning to heat up. It would seem to be natural that the first (and so far, only) double-bracelet winner of the 2026 WSOP, Naoya Kihara, is atop the POY standings. Kihara is facing the onslaught of a perennial challenger for the 2026 WSOP POY crown in Shaun Deeb, and there are plenty of other contenders for the crown.
Kihara Holds Slight Edge over Deeb
Before the start of the Las Vegas festivities for the 2026 WSOP, Kihara wasn’t even registering on the 2026 WSOP POY race. That’s what two bracelet victories will do for you, however. Kihara has been able to put those two wins – in two World Championship events, the $10,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball Draw and the $10,000 Seven Card Stud – to pick up over 1400 points toward his pursuit of the POY; the Japanese superstar has tallied 1,665 points as of Event #42.
One player who has made it clear that he plays to WIN the WSOP POY is Shaun Deeb. He was one of the few U.S. players who ventured to the 2026 WSOP Europe, and at the conclusion of that schedule, he was in second place behind the eventual Main Event champion, Marius Kudzmanas. It appears that Kudzmanas has not made the journey to Las Vegas for the battles on the felt, meaning that Deeb (and others) are passing him by; Deeb hasn’t significantly added to his overall total, but he is still in second with 1,596 points.
A player benefiting from his consistent performance in both Europe and Las Vegas is Chris Hunichen. In Europe, ‘Big Huni’ was able to rack up 661 points, with a best finish of third place in the WSOP Europe Main Event. In Las Vegas, it seems that Hunichen is just getting warmed up as he has aggregated 829 points, with a best finish at the final table of Event #25, the $500 Freezeout No Limit Hold’em. Put those two totals together, and Hunichen is only 106 points behind Deeb with 1,490 points.
As of June 13, here are the standings for the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year race.
1. Naoya Kihara, 1,665 points
2. Shaun Deeb, 1,596
3. Chris Hunichen, 1,490
4. Richard Alsup, 1,409
5. Marius Kudzmanas, 1,402
6. Chenxiang Miao, 1,358
7. Mike Leah, 1,316
8. Dennis Weiss, 1,311
9. Chris Brewer, 1,258
10. Stephen Hubbard, 1,245
Excellent Prizes up for Grabs
In the past, in the WSOP Player of the Year race, there have been few rewards for taking down the title. At one point, all it rated was a banner and a trophy in the arena where the WSOP was being held. In 2026, however, the players are battling it out for some big rewards for their efforts.
Of course, the player who finishes off the 2026 triumvirate of schedules – the WSOP Europe, the WSOP in Las Vegas, and the WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas – as the #1 player will take a $100,000 WSOP Paradise for the 2027 event. That $100K package includes the $30,000 buy-in to the Paradise Super Main Event, lodging at the Atlantis Royal in the Bahamas, and other amenities alongside the 2026 WSOP POY award.
If a player finishes in second or third place, they still get the $100,000 package but not the acclaim of being the POY. From fifth place to fifteenth place, those finishers will pick up a seat in the Super Main Event. The players who finish sixteenth through fiftieth places will get a $5,000 Circuit Championship Package (with one player winning a random draw for a $30K WSOP Paradise package). From 51st to 100th place, the players will receive a freeroll into the $2,500 Circuit Championship (and one randomly drawn player will get the full $5K offering).
A victory on the 2026 WSOP stage depends on the buy-in and the number of entries, but suffice it to say that a win is worth approximately 800 points (with larger buy-in tournaments earning more). That means anyone in the Top 60 or so (Dario Sammartino is currently 61st with 869 points) is still in the POY race. With more than six weeks remaining in the 2026 WSOP and the WSOP Paradise yet to take place, there is going to be a great deal of movement in these 2026 WSOP POY rankings before the visit to the Bahamas in December.
(Photo courtesy of WSOP.com)
