Jumalon Becomes Second-Youngest Player to Win WSOP Main Event

LAS VEGAS, NV — Lucas Jumalon completed a wire-to-wire run Wednesday night to win the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event, defeating Finland's Lauri Saaskilahti in heads-up play to claim the championship bracelet and the $10 million first prize.

The 22-year-old professional poker player from Spokane, Washington, became the second-youngest Main Event champion in tournament history, trailing only Joe Cada, who won the title at age 21 in 2009. Jumalon needed just 17 hands of heads-up play to close out the victory after entering the final duel with the chip lead.

Saaskilahti earned $6 million as the runner-up after the two traded momentum briefly early in the heads-up match. On Hand 166, Saaskilahti doubled up with a river flush to cut Jumalon's lead to 287 million chips to 266 million.

Jumalon responded immediately on the next hand, winning a massive pot with a river flush that left him holding 519 million of the 553 million chips in play. Two hands later, he moved all-in with king-six, and Saaskilahti called with ace-seven. The board gave Jumalon trip sixes to eliminate the Finn and secure the title.

After the final hand, Jumalon celebrated with friends and family gathered at the rail.

"I blacked out, I'm pretty sure," Jumalon said. "So, I don't have much recollection of that."

Jumalon said he entered the final day expecting a difficult match against Saaskilahti.

"I told a couple of people this today, I was terrified," he said. "I was terrified he was going to kill me today, in poker terms. I just channeled some of that and was pretty fearless today."

Saaskilahti recorded the largest cash of his career, surpassing his previous best tournament payday of less than $90,000. According to The Hendon Mob database, the $6 million finish moved him to fifth on Finland's all-time career money list.

Jumalon first took the tournament chip lead with 13 players remaining and never surrendered it. He began the nine-player final table Monday with 35% of the chips in play and increased that advantage to 38% entering Tuesday's session. Along the way, he eliminated Jamie Shaevel in seventh place, Rami Hammoud in sixth and Michael Gagliano in fourth before finishing off Saaskilahti for the championship.

The 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event attracted 9,208 entrants, making it the fourth-largest Main Event field in the tournament's 56-year history. The event generated a prize pool of $85,634,400.