Last Updated on August 5, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Every Main Event final table produces one hand that everybody’s still talking about the next morning. On Day 2 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event, that hand belonged to Han Feng — and not in a good way.
Feng went out in brutal fashion, holding the best hand for most of the way before the board turned against him. It’s the kind of elimination that reminds everyone watching just how thin the line is between a deep run and a min-cash at poker’s biggest tournament.
Five-Handed and Short on Chips
The damage was already underway by the time this hand came up. Jamie Shaevel, a well-known Southern California cash-game pro, had just busted in seventh place at the hands of chip leader Lucas Jumalon, trimming the field to five. Feng, one of the more tournament-tested players left at the table, with $3.5 million in career live cashes, was sitting on roughly eight big blinds, running out of room and looking for a spot to make a stand.
He found about as good a spot as anyone could ask for: pocket aces.
The Action Gets Ugly Fast, for Everyone but Feng, at First
Feng shoved, and the action folded around to two players with real decisions to make. Greg Mueller found pocket jacks and, remarkably, let them go, a fold that will look extremely sharp in hindsight. Lauri Saaskilahti, sitting on a healthier stack, made the call with pocket nines.
At that point, this looked like exactly the double-up Feng needed. The flop came 10♦-3♦-8♦, and with the ace of diamonds among his two aces, Feng was in commanding position, ahead on the hand and drawing to improve to a flush if the situation called for it.
Then the turn changed everything. The J♥ gave Saaskilahti’s pocket nines an open-ended straight draw, suddenly putting him in range to catch up on the river. Feng was still the favorite, but the comfortable lead had shrunk considerably.
The dealer took the customary pause for the TV broadcast before turning over the river card: the Q♠. It was exactly what Saaskilahti needed, completing his straight and sending Feng’s tournament to an end in fifth place for $2,250,000.
Why This Hand Mattered Beyond Just One Elimination
It’s worth putting this bustout in context. Day 1 of this final table had been criticized online for being slow, just two eliminations across six full hours of play. Day 2 flipped that completely, delivering multiple significant pots and two bustouts inside the first two hours alone. Feng’s exit was the headline moment of that shift, both for the size of the swing and for how unlucky it was — an overpair losing to a runner-runner straight is the kind of outcome that happens far less often than players like to think about at the table.
It’s also a reminder of how fast fortunes change at a Main Event final table. Feng had entered Day 1 as one of the shorter stacks, clawed his way into a share of the chip lead through a string of gutsy all-ins, and looked like a genuine threat to win it all. One card changed that entirely.
With Feng gone, the WSOP Main Event 2026 field moved one step closer to crowning a champion, with the winner set to be decided in the days that followed.
FAQs
How did Han Feng get eliminated from the WSOP Main Event 2026 final table?
Feng moved all-in with pocket aces and was called by Lauri Saaskilahti’s pocket nines. Feng was ahead through the flop, but a jack on the turn gave Saaskilahti an open-ended straight draw, and a queen on the river completed the straight, eliminating Feng in fifth place.
What did Han Feng win for finishing fifth?
Feng earned $2,250,000 for his fifth-place finish at the WSOP Main Event 2026 final table.
Why did Greg Mueller fold pocket jacks in that hand?
Mueller was also in the pot facing action with pocket jacks and chose to fold rather than risk his stack against two other players who were both willing to commit their chips, a read that proved correct once the cards were revealed.
Was Day 2 of the WSOP Main Event 2026 final table faster than Day 1?
Yes. Day 1 produced only two eliminations across six hours of play. Day 2 delivered two bustouts within the first two hours alone, including Feng’s, as the pace of the final table picked up significantly.
How much has Han Feng won in live tournaments?
Prior to this result, Feng had accumulated roughly $3.5 million in live tournament cashes, making him one of the more experienced players at the 2026 Main Event final table.
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