WSOP Player of the Year 2026 Standings: Deeb Leads a 22-Point Race for $1M

The WSOP Player of the Year 2026 race has become one of the closest battles in World Series of Poker history. With the season heading toward its conclusion in the Bahamas, defending champion Shaun Deeb holds a narrow 22-point lead over Naoya Kihara. Meanwhile, Alex Foxen sits just seven points behind Kihara.

Only 29 points separate the top three players. However, the stakes extend far beyond the prestigious Player of the Year title.

For the first time, the World Series of Poker is distributing $1 million in leaderboard prizes among its top 100 finishers. The leading players are also competing for packages valued at $100,000 and the newly introduced Binion Cup.

Furthermore, the competition has a new international structure. Results from WSOP Europe, the summer World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and WSOP Paradise contribute to one global leaderboard.

That makes the December festival particularly important. Even players who have already enjoyed outstanding seasons still have another opportunity to improve their final position.

Can Shaun Deeb become a three-time WSOP Player of the Year? Will Naoya Kihara complete a remarkable comeback? Or could Alex Foxen capture the title with a strong performance in the Bahamas?

Here are the official standings, the $1 million prize breakdown, the rules behind the rankings, and the events that will decide the championship.

WSOP Player of the Year 2026: Official Top 15 Standings

这 official WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard places Shaun Deeb at the top with 3,410 points.

However, his lead is far from comfortable.

Japanese professional Naoya Kihara has accumulated 3,388 points. Meanwhile, American high-stakes specialist William “Alex” Foxen has 3,381.

The following standings reflect the leaderboard published with the WSOP’s announcement of the Paradise finale.

Note: These are the announced standings, not a live-updating table. Positions can change when further eligible tournament results are recorded.

According to PokerNews’ analysis of the extraordinary leaderboard race, the narrow gap between the three leaders has created a particularly compelling final stretch.

However, the closeness of the standings is only part of the story.

Why the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year Race Is So Close

Shaun Deeb leads Naoya Kihara by just 22 points. Meanwhile, Kihara holds a seven-point advantage over Alex Foxen.

Therefore, the entire gap from first to third is only 29 points.

That is extremely small compared with the thousands of points each player has accumulated during the season.

The 29-Point Battle Explained

However, there is an important detail that casual followers might overlook.

The WSOP does not simply add every eligible event result without limits. Instead, only a player’s best 15 scores count toward the final leaderboard.

Consequently, earning points in a new tournament does not always increase the player’s total by the full amount awarded for that finish.

For example, a player with 15 strong counting results may need to replace a weaker score with a stronger one.

That means the effective gain depends on both the new performance and the result it replaces.

Therefore, the leaderboard could change in ways that are not obvious from the latest tournament results alone.

How Does WSOP Player of the Year Work in 2026?

The WSOP introduced a major change to its Player of the Year competition by connecting three international live tournament series.

Previously, the award primarily reflected performance during the summer WSOP in Las Vegas.

However, the new structure recognizes eligible results across three flagship festivals.

The Three WSOP Festivals That Count

Eligible open live bracelet events from these festivals contribute toward the same annual championship.

Furthermore, the change gives international players more opportunities to compete for the award across different locations.

Our coverage of WSOP Europe 2026 in Prague explains why the European festival became an important part of the expanded tournament calendar.

Meanwhile, the 2026 WSOP Main Event guide provides additional context about the summer series in Las Vegas.

Do WSOP Online Bracelets Count Toward POY?

No. Online bracelet events do not count toward the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year standings.

This is an important distinction because the WSOP continues awarding gold bracelets through online competitions.

However, earning an online bracelet and earning POY points are separate achievements under the current rules.

For example, players competing in the WSOP Online 2026 bracelet series can win prestigious titles without adding those results to the live POY leaderboard.

Similarly, restricted-entry events do not qualify. Excluded categories include certain Ladies, Seniors, Super Seniors, Industry Employees, and Tag Team competitions.

Therefore, a player should always check whether a tournament is officially eligible before assuming it can improve their ranking.

WSOP Player of the Year 2026 Prizes: How Is $1 Million Distributed?

The WSOP is introducing a substantial financial incentive alongside its expanded leaderboard.

The top 100 finishers will share prizes with a combined stated value of $1 million.

However, these rewards are primarily tournament packages and tickets rather than unrestricted cash payouts.

根据 official WSOP announcement about the Player of the Year finale, the top three finishers each receive a $100,000 Paradise Package.

Meanwhile, players finishing fourth through fifteenth receive packages valued at $30,000.

Complete $1 Million Prize Breakdown

Furthermore, additional random-draw upgrades apply to eligible finishing positions.

One player ranked between sixteenth and fiftieth receives an upgrade to a $30,000 package.

Meanwhile, six players ranked between fifty-first and one hundredth receive $5,000 packages instead of their standard $2,500 tickets.

Consequently, the final package distribution includes both guaranteed positional rewards and random promotional upgrades.

How the $1 Million Total Adds Up

The announced distribution can be broken down into several components.

• Top three: $300,000 in packages
• Fourth through fifteenth: $360,000 in packages
• Sixteenth through fiftieth: $175,000 in base packages
• Fifty-first through one hundredth: $125,000 in base tickets
• Additional random-draw package upgrades: $40,000 in extra stated value

Together, these amounts equal the advertised $1 million prize allocation.

However, the stated package value should not be confused with receiving the same amount directly into a personal bank account.

Players must review the conditions attached to the relevant awards.

Shaun Deeb: Can the Defending Champion Win a Third POY Title?

Shaun Deeb enters the final stage of the season as the official WSOP Player of the Year leader.

His current total of 3,410 points places him narrowly ahead of Kihara and Foxen.

However, Deeb is not simply trying to protect a small lead.

He is also chasing a major historical achievement.

The American professional previously won the Player of the Year award in 2018 and 2025.

Therefore, another victory would make him a three-time winner.

That would place him ahead of the existing two-time champions in the historical POY record book.

Why Deeb Is a Serious Contender

Deeb has built a reputation for competing across numerous poker formats and tournament structures.

Rather than relying exclusively on No-Limit Hold’em, he has demonstrated the versatility required to compete in mixed games and bracelet events.

That experience matters because the Player of the Year competition rewards consistent performances in eligible tournaments.

Furthermore, successful players must adjust to different field sizes, blind structures, and competitive environments.

However, Deeb’s narrow lead does not guarantee that he will finish first.

His rivals still have opportunities to improve their totals during the remaining eligible events.

Naoya Kihara: The Japanese Star Just 22 Points Behind

Naoya Kihara enters the final stretch as Deeb’s closest challenger.

With 3,388 points, he trails the leader by only 22.

However, his position is significant for reasons beyond the small numerical difference.

Kihara is one of Japan’s established poker professionals and has substantial experience competing against international fields.

His success reflects the growing presence of Asian players in major international poker tournaments.

Moreover, Kihara has demonstrated the versatility required to perform across multiple poker formats.

What Would Kihara Need to Take the Lead?

At the simplest level, Kihara needs to improve his counting POY total by more than the gap separating him from Deeb, assuming Deeb’s total does not increase.

However, the situation becomes more complicated when both players add new results.

For example, a strong finish for Kihara could move him ahead temporarily.

Nevertheless, Deeb could regain the lead by earning additional points in another eligible event.

Furthermore, the best-15-results rule means the effect of each new score may differ between players.

Consequently, the final outcome will depend on their entire set of counting results rather than one isolated tournament.

Alex Foxen: Just 29 Points From First Place

Alex Foxen occupies third place with 3,381 points.

Although he sits behind both Deeb and Kihara, his deficit to the leader is only 29 points.

Therefore, Foxen remains directly involved in the championship battle.

He is also one of the most recognizable competitors in modern high-stakes tournament poker.

His extensive experience in expensive, elite-field events gives him familiarity with the type of competition featured at WSOP Paradise.

However, the point system does not guarantee that a high buy-in automatically produces a larger useful gain for a specific player.

Final position, field size, event buy-in, and existing counting results all matter.

Could a Single Tournament Decide the Title?

A strong finish in an eligible bracelet event could produce enough additional points to change the leaderboard.

However, the exact effect depends on the official calculation and the player’s current 15 counting results.

For example, a player who already has 15 significant scores may replace only the lowest counting result.

Meanwhile, another contender might gain more of a new result’s points if they have fewer qualifying scores or a weaker result to replace.

Consequently, a tournament victory can become decisive without guaranteeing the overall championship.

Daniel Negreanu Is Still in the WSOP Player of the Year Race

Daniel Negreanu currently sits sixth on the official leaderboard with 2,698 points.

That places him 712 points behind Shaun Deeb.

However, Negreanu is no stranger to Player of the Year competitions.

He won the WSOP POY award in 2004 and 2013.

Therefore, he is another player pursuing the possibility of a third title.

The Canadian professional also strengthened his WSOP legacy by capturing his eighth gold bracelet during the summer series.

Our detailed breakdown of Daniel Negreanu’s eighth WSOP bracelet victory explains that major achievement.

Meanwhile, our complete Daniel Negreanu WSOP bracelet history follows his championship victories across different stages of his career.

Why Negreanu’s Position Still Matters

Although the top three are separated by only 29 points, the competition extends throughout the leaderboard.

Negreanu and other top-15 players are competing for valuable finishing positions and prestigious recognition.

Furthermore, a successful festival can produce significant changes in the standings.

Nevertheless, it would be misleading to describe every player within the top 15 as equally close to winning.

The present point differences are substantial outside the leading group.

Therefore, fans should monitor both the championship battle and the wider competition for leaderboard prizes.

Other Big Names in the WSOP POY Top 15

The leaderboard includes several familiar high-stakes professionals and major tournament champions.

Joshua Arieh is fifth with 2,750 points, while Jesse Lonis holds seventh with 2,674.

Meanwhile, Eelis Parssinen and Michael Moncek occupy eighth and ninth.

Benny Glaser and Nick Schulman also sit inside the top twelve.

Glaser has enjoyed considerable success in online poker, including a record-setting WCOOP campaign.

Our article about Benny Glaser’s 19 WCOOP titles explains how the British player extended his extraordinary online championship record.

However, online WCOOP titles are separate from the WSOP Player of the Year scoring system.

Meanwhile, Schulman remains a major name in both live tournaments and the broader poker media world.

His victory in the Triton Jeju Main Event for $3.85 million highlights his continued success at the highest stakes.

However, Triton results also do not contribute to the WSOP POY leaderboard.

That distinction is important because the award measures performance in specifically eligible WSOP competitions, not every major poker tournament worldwide.

WSOP Paradise 2026 Will Decide the Player of the Year

The final stage of the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year race will unfold at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.

The festival is scheduled for December 2 through December 17 at Baha Mar in Nassau.

Furthermore, the tournament series features 20 gold bracelet events and $120 million in guaranteed prize pools.

Several major tournaments offer opportunities for elite players to compete for additional bracelet titles.

However, the festival’s importance extends beyond its individual prizes.

For the players leading the POY standings, every eligible result could affect the final rankings.

Major WSOP Paradise Events

These tournaments represent some of the largest guaranteed events on the WSOP Paradise schedule.

However, not every event has the same Player of the Year implications. Eligibility and the official scoring rules determine which results count.

我们的 complete WSOP Paradise 2026 schedule provides a separate guide to the festival’s events, buy-ins, and guarantees.

Meanwhile, players looking for possible qualification routes can explore our ClubGG WSOP Paradise qualifiers guide.

How Are WSOP Player of the Year Points Calculated?

The WSOP uses an official points system to rank eligible tournament performances.

However, the formula involves several factors rather than awarding a fixed number of points for every victory.

The official leaderboard identifies three important variables:

• Tournament buy-in: The entry fee of the qualifying event.
• Finishing position: How far the player progressed through the field.
• Field size: The number of entries and the player’s rank relative to that field.

Furthermore, the formula assigns different multipliers to certain finishing categories.

However, these multipliers do not represent the complete scoring formula by themselves.

Instead, the WSOP incorporates them into its points calculation alongside the event’s other variables.

Players can estimate results using the calculator on the official leaderboard website.

Only the Best 15 Results Count

One of the most important rules is that only a player’s best 15 eligible results contribute to the final total.

Consequently, entering additional tournaments does not automatically guarantee a higher leaderboard score.

For example, imagine a player already has 15 counting results.

If that player finishes another tournament with a score lower than the existing fifteenth-best result, their total does not increase.

However, if the new result is stronger, it can replace the weaker counting score.

Therefore, the net improvement equals the difference between the two results, assuming the new result replaces the weakest counting result.

This creates an interesting strategic challenge for players competing near the top.

Volume can create more opportunities, but stronger individual finishes may be more valuable than simply entering additional events.

Does Winning a WSOP Bracelet Guarantee Player of the Year?

No. Winning a gold bracelet does not automatically make someone Player of the Year.

The award recognizes a player’s cumulative performance across eligible events.

Therefore, a player with several strong finishes may outperform someone who wins one tournament but records few other meaningful results.

Similarly, a major cash prize does not automatically produce the highest overall POY total.

The competition considers its official points calculation, not simply total money won.

For example, Lucas Jumalon won the 2026 WSOP Main Event and earned a $10 million first-place prize.

However, he occupies fifteenth place in the announced POY standings with 2,271 points.

Our coverage of Lucas Jumalon’s historic WSOP Main Event victory examines one of the year’s most remarkable individual tournament results.

Nevertheless, his leaderboard position illustrates how different the Player of the Year competition is from simply identifying the winner of poker’s biggest tournament.

What Is the New Binion Cup?

The overall 2026 Player of the Year champion will receive the newly introduced Binion Cup.

The trophy adds another form of recognition to a title that already carries considerable historical significance.

The WSOP Player of the Year competition began in 2004, when Daniel Negreanu became its inaugural winner.

Since then, the award has recognized players who produced exceptional results throughout eligible WSOP competitions.

However, the expanded global structure makes the latest edition different from previous years.

The champion must now emerge from a season that connects three major live tournament festivals.

Furthermore, the $1 million leaderboard prize allocation creates additional incentives for players beyond the eventual winner.

Consequently, the race offers meaningful prizes across a much wider range of finishing positions.

Frequently Asked Questions About WSOP Player of the Year 2026

Who is leading the WSOP Player of the Year 2026 standings?

Shaun Deeb leads the announced 2026 WSOP Player of the Year standings with 3,410 points. Naoya Kihara sits second with 3,388, while Alex Foxen occupies third with 3,381.

How many points separate Deeb, Kihara, and Foxen?

Deeb leads Kihara by 22 points. Kihara leads Foxen by seven. Therefore, just 29 points separate first and third place.

When will the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year be decided?

The championship will be decided through eligible bracelet results at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. The festival takes place in December, with the final bracelet events scheduled to conclude on December 17.

How much money does the WSOP Player of the Year winner receive?

The champion receives a $100,000 Paradise Package and the Player of the Year title. The package has a stated value of $100,000 and should not be treated as an equivalent unrestricted cash payment.

Do online WSOP bracelets count toward Player of the Year?

No. The official 2026 rules exclude online bracelet events. The standings count eligible open live bracelet events from WSOP Europe, the summer World Series of Poker, and WSOP Paradise.

How many tournament results count toward POY?

Only a player’s best 15 eligible tournament scores count toward the leaderboard. Additional results can improve the total if they replace weaker counting scores.

Has Shaun Deeb won Player of the Year before?

Yes. Shaun Deeb won the award in 2018 and 2025. Another victory would give him three POY titles.

How many Player of the Year titles has Daniel Negreanu won?

Daniel Negreanu won the award in 2004 and 2013. He currently occupies sixth place in the announced 2026 standings.

What is the Binion Cup?

The Binion Cup is a new trophy introduced for the overall 2026 WSOP Player of the Year champion. It accompanies the title and the winner’s leaderboard prize.

Where can I check the latest WSOP POY standings?

The official WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard is available on WSOP.com. It includes player rankings, points, prize information, and details about the scoring rules.

Final Thoughts: Poker’s Closest Race Heads to Paradise

The WSOP Player of the Year 2026 competition has developed into an extraordinary three-way battle.

Shaun Deeb leads with 3,410 points. However, Naoya Kihara trails by only 22, while Alex Foxen sits another seven points behind.

Meanwhile, Daniel Negreanu, Joshua Arieh, Benny Glaser, Nick Schulman, and other accomplished professionals remain part of the wider leaderboard competition.

The expanded three-festival structure adds another dimension to the race. Furthermore, the $1 million prize allocation creates meaningful rewards for the top 100 players.

However, the final standings will depend on qualifying results, the official points formula, and each player’s best 15 counting scores.

With WSOP Paradise approaching, every eligible event offers another opportunity for the leading competitors to improve their position.

Only 29 points separate Deeb, Kihara, and Foxen. The Bahamas will decide who becomes the 2026 WSOP Player of the Year.