Jumalon 2nd youngest to win WSOP main event
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- Lucas Jumalon, 22, of Spokane, Washington, won the 2026 WSOP main event and $10 million, becoming the second-youngest champion behind Joe Cada, who won at 21 in 2009
- Jumalon dominated wire-to-wire, taking the chip lead with 13 players remaining and starting the nine-player final table on Monday with 35% of the chips in play
- Lauri Saaskilahti of Finland earned $6 million as runner-up, vaulting to fifth on Finland's all-time money list; his previous best cash was under $90,000
- The tournament drew 9,208 entrants — the fourth-largest main event field in WSOP history — generating an $85,634,400 prize pool
- Jumalon said he was "terrified" of Saaskilahti going into the final day, comparing his mindset to Mike Tyson's pre-fight fear: "I was terrified he was going to kill me today, in poker terms."
Why it matters: At 22, Jumalon slots behind only Joe Cada as the youngest WSOP main event champion, and his wire-to-wire run through a 9,208-player field — the fourth-largest ever — underscores how deep, aggressive stacks are reshaping the modern final table. Saaskilahti's $6 million runner-up finish is a career-altering score that vaults him into Finland's top five all-time.
