Last Updated on July 11, 2026 by Bala Kumar
Day 5 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event is in the books, and poker’s biggest storyline of the summer has come to an end. Defending champion Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi has been eliminated from Event #82: the $10,000 WSOP Main Event NLH World Championship, closing the book on his bid to become the first player since Johnny Chan in 1987–88 to win back-to-back Main Event titles.
With Mizrachi’s exit, 2019 champion Hossein Ensan is now the last former Main Event winner still alive in the field, and he’s doing it with style, bagging one of the largest stacks remaining as Day 6 gets underway.
How Mizrachi’s Title Defense Ended
Mizrachi’s run through poker’s most prestigious tournament was nothing short of remarkable. After capturing the $10 million top prize twelve months ago, “The Grinder” navigated all the way through Day 4 and deep into Day 5, at one point holding a stack that kept his back-to-back dream alive against a field that started at over 9,200 entries.
The end came during the penultimate level of Day 5, when Mizrachi got his last nine big blinds into the middle holding King-Queen, only to run directly into pocket aces from fellow Main Event champion Hossein Ensan. There would be no miracle. Mizrachi was eliminated in 241st place, earning $50,000 for his deep run, but falling well short of the 2026 Main Event’s biggest paydays.
It’s a fitting, almost poetic detail that a fellow champion ended his title defense. Mizrachi had already survived a cooler earlier in the day, getting outdrawn with a flush against a bigger flush, before ultimately being sent to the rail. His exit means recent history continues to repeat itself: no defending WSOP Main Event champion has come close to going back-to-back in the modern era. Jonathan Tamayo (2024 champion) failed to even cash in 2025, Daniel Weinman min-cashed in 2024, and Espen Jørstad missed the money entirely the year after his win.
Ensan Left Standing as the Last Champion in the Field
While Mizrachi’s run is over, Hossein Ensan’s is very much alive. The German-based, Iran-born pro, who famously won the 2019 WSOP Main Event for $10 million, ended Day 5 with 3,450,000 in chips, making him the last remaining former Main Event champion in this year’s field after Mizrachi, Greg Raymer, and Ryan Riess were all eliminated on the same day.
Raymer, the 2004 world champion, and Riess, who won it all in 2013, both finished in 279th and 282nd place respectively, earning the same $50,000 payday as Mizrachi. Their simultaneous eliminations turned Day 5 into something of a changing of the guard, three past champions out, and one, Ensan, still holding strong with a real shot at a second title.
Who Else Made It Through to Day 6?
The 2026 WSOP Main Event field has been sliced down to just 174 players out of the original 9,208 entries, with everyone remaining guaranteed at least a five-figure payday and eyes now firmly on the November-style final table, which will be set on July 13 before airing live on ESPN from August 3–5.
Live Day 5 Chip Counts Heading Into Day 6
With 174 players remaining out of the 9,208-entry field, here’s where the top stacks stand as play resumes:
| Player | Chip Count | Notes |
| Zhao Liu | 10,150,000 | Sole chip leader; the only player to cross eight figures |
| Daewoong Song | 6,565,000 | Second overall |
| Wesley Fei | 4,580,000 | Known for streamed high-stakes cash games |
| Shaun Deeb | 4,305,000 | Nine-time bracelet winner; over 70 big blinds to start Day 6 |
| Francisco Fragoso | 3,910,000 | High-stakes cash game regular |
| Daniel Hachem | 3,895,000 | Chasing his father’s Main Event legacy |
| Andy Tsai | 3,685,000 | High-stakes cash game regular |
| Todd Brunson | 3,690,000 | Son of poker legend Doyle Brunson |
| Hossein Ensan | 3,450,000 | 2019 champion; last former winner remaining |
| Terrance Reid | 2,685,000 | Fresh off a 4th-place finish at WSOP Paradise |
Notably, Zhao Liu has now reached Day 6 of the Main Event in back-to-back years, having finished 161st in 2025 — a strong signal he knows how to navigate the marathon grind of poker’s biggest event.
The Player of the Year Race Adds Another Layer
Shaun Deeb’s deep run carries extra weight this summer: he’s currently sitting third in the tight WSOP Player of the Year (PoY) race and could become the first player in history to win the award three times. Deeb has been candid about the grind of it all, saying: “I’m still conscious of PoY. I know if I somehow final table this, it gives my PoY shots very high, but it’s very hard… I’ve been in this tournament for really a whole week and missed a bunch of stuff because of it.” Reigning Player of the Year Alex Foxen also remains alive in the field, adding another storyline to track as points continue to accumulate late in the WSOP calendar.
Prize Pool and Payout Snapshot
The 2026 WSOP Main Event generated a massive $85,634,400 prize pool, the fourth-largest in Main Event history behind 2024 (10,112 entries), 2023 (10,043 entries), and 2025 (9,735 entries). Every remaining player is already guaranteed a min-cash, with payouts extending deep into the field and six-figure scores kicking in around the top 100. This year also brings the return of the delayed final table format, last used during the November Nine era through 2016, with the final nine determined on July 13 and the live ESPN broadcast held back 20 days until August 3–5.
What’s Next in the WSOP Main Event
Day 6 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event resumes on July 12 at 11 a.m. local time at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, with blinds starting at 30,000/60,000 and a 60,000 big blind ante. Five two-hour levels are scheduled, with the usual breaks built in, including an extended 70-minute break after the second level.
This year’s Main Event carries a prize pool north of $85.6 million, with first place projected to land in the $10–12 million range depending on final structure. The tournament plays down to a final table on July 13, before those nine survivors return for a live ESPN broadcast running August 3–5 — a 20-day gap ESPN plans to fill with curated prime-time build-up coverage.
Why This Storyline Matters
Mizrachi’s elimination is a reminder of just how brutally difficult repeating as WSOP Main Event champion truly is, a feat only a handful of legends in poker history have ever managed. At the same time, Ensan’s continued survival keeps alive the possibility of a second Main Event title for a player already etched into WSOP lore. Whether he can go the distance against a shrinking but still stacked field remains one of the top storylines to watch as the 2026 WSOP Main Event barrels toward its final table.
Stay tuned for continuing Day 6 coverage as the chase for poker’s biggest title, and its $10,000,000 top prize, heats up.
FAQs
1. What place did Michael Mizrachi finish in the 2026 WSOP Main Event?
Michael Mizrachi was eliminated in 241st place, earning $50,000 after his bid to defend the 2025 WSOP Main Event title came to an end.
2. Who is the last former WSOP Main Event champion remaining in the field?
Hossein Ensan, the 2019 WSOP Main Event champion, is the only former world champion still in contention heading into Day 6.
3. How many players remain after Day 5 of the 2026 WSOP Main Event?
Following Day 5, 174 players remain from the original 9,208-entry field, with every remaining player guaranteed a payout.
4. Who leads the chip counts entering Day 6?
Zhao Liu begins Day 6 as the overall chip leader with 10,150,000 chips, making him the only player to surpass the eight-figure mark.
5. When does the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table take place?
The tournament is scheduled to reach its final table on July 13, with the official ESPN live broadcast taking place from August 3–5, 2026.
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