Phil Ivey Leads WSOP $50K Poker Players Championship Final

The WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship is down to six

The 2026 World Series of Poker has reached the final table of one of its most respected events: the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. In mixed games, this is the kind of tournament that separates one-dimensional specialists from true all-around poker players, because every decision matters across multiple formats.

The winner will take home the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy, a WSOP bracelet, and $1,343,764. That prize matters, of course, but the real weight of the title goes far beyond the payout. The PPC has long been viewed as the ultimate test of versatility, stamina, and technical depth.

Phil Ivey headlines the final six

The biggest name in the field is, unsurprisingly, Phil Ivey. The 11-time WSOP bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer is sitting in fifth place in chips, but his presence alone gives the final table a different level of gravity.

Ivey has more than $54.9 million in career earnings and has already locked up at least $226,172 for reaching the final six from a field of 108 entries. This is his seventh cash in the PPC. His best result in the event came back in 2006, when the championship debuted as the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event and he finished third.

For players who study mixed games seriously, Ivey’s run is another reminder that elite performance still comes from broad fundamentals, disciplined study, and constant adaptation. That is why many grinders continue building their game through a poker school rather than focusing on a single format.

Benny Glaser brings the chip lead and serious momentum

The chip leader is Benny Glaser, an eight-time bracelet winner who added three more WSOP titles in 2025 alone. Glaser has already come close in this event before, finishing fourth in 2022, so he enters the final table with both momentum and unfinished business.

In a tournament like PPC, chip leads can shift fast. Mixed games reward players who understand structure, game selection, and pressure points across every variant. A big stack helps, but it does not eliminate the need for precise decisions in stud, draw games, and limit formats.

That is one reason serious players often look beyond live events and keep sharpening their edge in poker rooms and through value-driven promotions & bonuses when building volume and bankroll.

Arieh, Volpe, Tong, and Coleman complete a loaded table

The rest of the lineup is just as dangerous. Josh Arieh and Paul Volpe are each making their third PPC final table. Arieh finished second in 2019, while Volpe placed third in 2021. Both know exactly how thin the margin is between a deep run and a lifetime-defining victory.

Kristopher Tong is also no stranger to big mixed-game spots. He won the 2025 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship and finished fifth in the 2023 PPC, giving him valuable experience in this exact arena.

Maxx Coleman is the only player at the table without a previous final-table appearance in this event, but he has still cashed twice, finishing 13th in 2023 and 14th in 2024. That makes him the table’s most interesting wild card: less decorated than the others, but clearly proven on this stage.

How the 2026 PPC prize pool was built

This year’s event drew 108 entries, creating a $5,130,000 prize pool. The top 17 finishers made the money, and the bubble-to-final-table path included a deep list of elite names.

• Phil Hellmuth — 14th
• Chris Brewer — 13th
• Chris Hunichen — 11th
• Jesse Lonis — 10th
• Alex Livingston — 9th
• Nick Guagenti — 8th
• Jason Mercier — 7th

That kind of field depth is exactly why the PPC is so respected. Even the best players in the world can run into trouble when every street and every game format changes the strategic landscape. For anyone building a serious poker career, whether online or through poker clubs, the lesson is the same: mixed-game competence is a long-term edge.

The key elimination: Jason Mercier bows out in stud

One of the defining hands of the final stretch came when Benny Glaser eliminated Jason Mercier in stud. Mercier moved all in on fifth street holding a pair of tens against eights and deuces, but he failed to improve.

Mercier exited in 7th place for $176,732. In mixed games, especially stud, a single street can completely alter the tournament. There is no room for autopilot: players must track upcards, betting patterns, and the changing value of every board texture.

Expert analysis: what this final table means for mixed games

This final table matters because it underscores the continued relevance of mixed games at the highest level of poker. When names like Ivey, Glaser, Arieh, and Volpe are all still fighting for the same title, it tells us that the discipline remains a prestige battleground, not a niche side event.

• Versatility is still premium. PPC rewards players who can shift gears between formats without losing accuracy.
• Experience matters under pressure. The table is full of players who have been here before, and that usually shows when the decisions get thin.
• Chip lead is not destiny. In mixed games, one bad stretch in the wrong variant can erase a stack advantage quickly.
• Study should be structured. Players who want real improvement should treat mixed games as a skill set, not a collection of random variants, and consider resources such as a poker agent if they are building a long-term volume plan.

From an industry perspective, a table like this helps keep mixed games visible. That matters for the health of the game, because it keeps the spotlight on formats that reward depth, memory, and adaptability rather than pure repetition.

What comes next at the final table

The final six return at 1:30 PM local time to play down to a winner. With this lineup, the closing stages should be as technical as they are dramatic.

Ivey brings legacy. Glaser brings the stack and current form. Arieh and Volpe bring scar tissue from past near-misses. Tong brings proven championship upside. Coleman brings the chance to break through for the first time in this event. In a field this strong, every orbit can reshape the story.

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