WSOP 2026: Henry Benamram Scores $260K in Ultra Stack

Henry Benamram comes up just short of a WSOP bracelet

France kept making noise at the WSOP 2026 as the series moved closer to its closing stretch. In the $600 Ultra Stack NLH, a marathon event with more than 8,000 entries, Henry Benamram made a deep run all the way to second place and collected $260,000.

That kind of score matters even more when you remember the buy-in: just $600. In a field this large, success is about endurance as much as poker skill. Players must survive long levels, huge swings, and the constant pressure that comes with navigating one of the biggest live fields of the summer.

Benamram entered the final day as the chip leader, which put him in prime position to chase the bracelet. In the end, though, he lost the heads-up battle to American Eric Weber, who took home $400,000 and the championship bracelet.

$600 Ultra Stack: massive field, massive value

The Ultra Stack format once again showed why it is such a popular stop for players who like deep-stack poker and real postflop play. Despite the modest entry fee, the event generated a huge $4,035,528 prize pool.

That’s the beauty of these large-field WSOP events: the buy-in stays accessible, but the upside becomes life-changing. For many players, this is the path into the biggest stages of live poker, whether they build volume through poker rooms or sharpen their game in poker clubs.

• Eric Weber — $400,000
• Henry Benamram — $260,000
• Mikko Torkki — $193,000
• Sriharsha Doddapaneni — $145,000
• Michael Helander — $110,000
• Carlos Martinez — $83,000
• Glenn Thompson — $64,000
• Renato Roizenblit — $50,000
• Michael Moncek — $40,071

For Benamram, the result is more than a payday. It is confirmation that French tournament poker continues to produce players capable of navigating massive live fields and turning a relatively small buy-in into a huge return. That’s the kind of result that can reshape a season, a bankroll, and a reputation.

WSOP Main Event: 533 players move on to Day 5

While the Ultra Stack wrapped up, the spotlight also stayed on the $10,000 Main Event. By the end of Day 4, 533 players had advanced to Day 5, and every remaining player is now locked up for at least $32,500.

Play resumes with blinds at 10,000 / 15,000, the average stack sits at 1,036,000, and the Day 4 chip leader is American Sam Sweilem with 3,800,000 chips. Right behind him is a very familiar name to European poker fans: Artur Martirosian, who brings 3,495,000 into the next day.

Martirosian already owns four WSOP bracelets, and his stack makes him one of the most dangerous players left in the field. In a tournament like the Main Event, that kind of stack depth gives elite players room to pressure shorter stacks and apply maximum leverage when ICM starts to matter.

French stack watch: 23 players still alive

France remains strongly represented in the Main Event. After a brutal Day 4, 23 French players are still in contention and ready for Day 5.

The biggest French stack belongs to Maxime Chilaud with 2,855,000 chips, good for 13th place overall. Right behind him is Antonin Hays with 2,845,000, sitting in 14th. Both are in excellent shape for the next stage, where stack preservation and smart aggression become crucial.

• Loïc Debregeas — 1,910,000
• Sacha Cohen — 1,910,000
• Virgile Turchi — 1,425,000
• Arnaud Mattern — 1,130,000
• Samy Dubonnet — 1,120,000
• Kalidou Sow — 1,060,000
• Romain Lewis — 805,000
• Bruno Lopes — 610,000
• Jeremy Saderne — 370,000
• Ludovic Moryousef — 295,000

This is exactly the kind of stage where preparation separates contenders from casualties. Players who study structure, stack dynamics, and ICM through a poker school often have a real edge when the field gets this deep. And for many grinders, the right promotions & bonuses help them keep firing the events that can change a year.

Expert take: why Benamram’s run matters

Benamram’s runner-up finish is important for more than just the money. It reinforces a broader truth about modern tournament poker: the best players are the ones who can consistently survive huge fields, not just win one flip at the end.

In an Ultra Stack event, deep stacks reward patience, positional awareness, and the ability to navigate long stretches without forcing action. You need to know when to defend, when to apply pressure, and when to avoid marginal spots that can cost an entire run.

The Main Event context adds another layer. With 533 players left and stars like Martirosian, Foxen, Deeb, and others still alive, every pot becomes more meaningful. As the payouts climb, pressure rises, and the ability to adjust to table dynamics becomes just as important as card distribution.

For aspiring players, the lesson is clear: serious results come from structure-aware strategy, bankroll discipline, and a willingness to put in volume. Whether you’re building a schedule through a poker agent or grinding selective live events, the path to big scores usually looks a lot like this one: patience first, pressure second, and execution when it matters most.

WSOP 2026 Day 46: France still has momentum

Day 46 delivered a big French result and kept the Main Event story very much alive. Benamram’s $260,000 runner-up finish is a reminder that deep runs can still come from accessible buy-ins, while 23 French players remain in the race for poker’s most famous title.

The next stage will be brutal. Fields shrink, pay jumps grow, and every chip matters more than ever. If the current momentum holds, France could still be in line for more final tables, bigger scores, and maybe even a bracelet run before the summer is over.

FAQ