Joseph Liberta Wins WSOP 2026 Millionaire Maker for $1.25M

Joseph Liberta turns a huge WSOP field into a $1.25M score

One of the biggest fields of the summer at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas has finally produced a winner. Joseph Liberta took down the $1,500 Millionaire Maker at WSOP 2026 and banked $1,250,000 after beating Michael Monroig heads-up.

The event drew 11,769 entries, which is exactly why the Millionaire Maker remains one of the most attractive tournaments on the schedule: a relatively affordable buy-in, a massive field, and a top prize that can change a player’s career in a single week. For Liberta, the run was not just a trophy moment — it was an exceptional return on investment.

All-American final stretch and no French final-table run

The top 10 in this event was made up entirely of American players, a notable detail in a tournament of this size. With so many entrants and so much international traffic every summer in Vegas, it is always interesting when the late stages still skew heavily toward one country.

There was no French final-table appearance this time around. The best French result came from Benoit Fiasson, who finished 28th for $49,200. In a field of nearly 12,000 entries, that is still a strong run and a reminder of how difficult it is to navigate the late stages of a giant no-limit hold’em tournament.

• Joseph Liberta — $1,250,000
• Michael Monroig — $1,000,000
• Bradley Gafford — $750,000
• Halford Fairchild — $530,000
• Joseph Baghdadlian — $410,000
• Alex Kim — $315,000
• Jacob Gagnon — $245,000
• Garry Gurevich — $190,000

For players who study big-field strategy, this is a perfect example of why patience, stack preservation, and ICM awareness matter so much once the tournament gets deep. If you are building your own schedule, it is worth comparing structures at poker rooms and live environments such as poker clubs, where deep-stack comfort is often developed over time.

French storyline: Benoit Fiasson’s deep run still matters

A 28th-place finish may not make a headline like a bracelet or a seven-figure payday, but in a field this large it is a meaningful achievement. Making a deep run in a massive WSOP event means surviving multiple days of shifting table dynamics, changing stack depths, and the constant pressure of high-variance spots.

That is also why many serious players invest time in study through a poker school. In giant-field events, technical edges compound over time: better preflop ranges, cleaner postflop decisions, and stronger endgame discipline can easily be the difference between a min-cash and a major score.

PLO $1,000: Harry Rubin wins his first WSOP bracelet

The $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event also delivered a big storyline. François Scapula made the final table and finished 6th for $80,390, a very solid result in a field of 3,763 players. In PLO, where equities run closer and postflop decisions are more complex, simply reaching the final table is already a strong demonstration of skill.

The title went to American player Harry Rubin, who defeated Romanian bracelet winner Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu heads-up to capture his first WSOP bracelet and $390,300. Toby Joyce completed the podium in third place for $191,500.

• Harry Rubin — $390,300
• Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu — $260,220
• Toby Joyce — $191,500
• James Sedlacek — $142,140
• Roussos Koliakoudakis — $106,430
• François Scapula — $80,390
• Dechang Zhang — $61,260
• Tony Cousineau — $47,100

PLO remains one of the most technical live formats on the schedule. For players looking to improve in mixed-equity, high-action games, studying the structure and bankroll implications of Omaha is as important as learning how to handle variance.

Event #62 $2,500 NLH crowns Josh Reichard

In Event #62 $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, the winner was Josh Reichard, who earned $555,198 after defeating Caleb Harris in the final heads-up match. Harris collected $370,037, while Greek player Spyridon Apartoglou took third for $267,938.

The event also featured a strong French result from Corentin Soulier. He entered the day sitting second in chips, but eventually finished 9th for $49,241. That kind of finish is a painful reminder that chip leads are never guaranteed to convert, especially when the field is deep and the pressure rises.

Another notable name, Roman Hrabec, finished 11th for $37,713.

Super Seniors and Poker Players Championship heat up

The $1,000 Super Seniors event still has a French player in contention. Lionel Barracano advanced to Day 4 with 4,405,000 chips, good for 7th place in the counts. He trails only slightly behind Greg Raymer, who sits on 5,410,000. Everyone remaining is already locked up for at least $17,844, while the champion will collect $355,263.

Antonin Teisseire also played the event but exited in 39th place for $9,593. In a field like this, one or two missed spots can be the difference between a modest payday and a deep run into the final stretch.

The prestige level rises even further in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Day 4 has been paused, and only six players remain. The remaining field is loaded with elite talent: Paul Volpe, Phil Ivey, Kristopher Tong, Josh Arieh, Maxx Coleman, and Benny Glaser.

Glaser is currently the chip leader with 8,610,000 chips, ahead of Maxx Coleman on 5,565,000. That lead matters a great deal in a structured mixed-game event, where comfort with the stack and format depth can be a real advantage on the restart. The winner will take home $1,343,764.

Expert take: what these WSOP results mean for players

This day at WSOP 2026 highlights a few important truths about tournament poker. First, giant-field events still offer the best path to life-changing money for a relatively modest buy-in. The Millionaire Maker once again showed that a $1,500 entry can produce a seven-figure score when the structure and field size are right.

Second, these results underline the value of long-term technical preparation. In fields this large, players must make thousands of small decisions before the final table even becomes a possibility. That is why training, review, and disciplined study through a poker school can have such a massive effect on your bottom line.

Third, the day reinforces how important game selection and ecosystem choice are. Whether you play online, in live poker clubs, or chase volume through promotions & bonuses, your environment shapes both your opportunities and your ROI.

Finally, the mix of NLH, PLO, seniors events, and the Poker Players Championship is a good snapshot of why WSOP remains the most important series in the world. It rewards specialists, but it also rewards players who can adapt across formats, stack depths, and pressure levels.

Bottom line from WSOP 2026 Day 31

Joseph Liberta’s Millionaire Maker win is the headline result, but the day was packed with meaningful storylines across several formats. From Harry Rubin’s first bracelet to Benny Glaser’s PPC lead and Lionel Barracano’s Super Seniors run, WSOP 2026 continues to deliver the kind of poker drama that keeps the summer in Las Vegas essential viewing.

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