The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been running its Player of the Year contest since 2004, when a fresh-faced Canadian by the name of Daniel Negreanu walked off with the title after making 5 final tables and securing one bracelet at the summer series in Las Vegas.
Negreanu would go on to win again in 2013, in part thanks to wins at the WSOP Asia-Pacific and Europe series. And while the series may no longer run in Melbourne, as it did back then, there remain several ways to rack up the points necessary to top the rankings for the 2026 season.
And the last of them is coming up soon.
When the World Series returns to The Bahamas for the WSOP Paradise series in December, the final PoY points will be up for grabs. And make no mistake — while legacy, reputation and prestige are all on the line in this race, there’s also a big chunk of monetary value on the table.
$1 million in prizes will be awarded to the top 100 players in the final standings, with the top 3 in line to receive WSOP live packages worth $100K each.
So, who’s in pole position as the race enters its final stretch?
Two-time winner Shaun Deeb leads the field
Unsurprisingly, the top 10 in the current standings are all familiar names to those who follow high-level tournament poker.
It may also come as little surprise that few former PoY winners hail from outside the USA. Aside from Canada’s favorite poker son Negreanu, the only other non-Americans to have taken the crown since it was there to be won are Jeff Lisandro (2009) and Robert Campbell (2019) of Australia (2009), and Germany’s George Danzer (2014).
Negreanu is in the top 10 and in with a shot of an unprecedented 3rd PoY title, but joining him are Finland’s Eelis Paerssinen and Japan’s Naoya Kihara. Should either of them finish in the top spot it would be a landmark moment in their respective nations’ poker stories. And Kihara, in particular, is well within reach.
Out in front, however, is another double-winner in the form of Shaun Deeb. The future hall of famer is the reigning 2025 PoY and aiming to go back-to-back to add a third title to those won in 2018 and last year.
WSOP Player of the Year — Current Top 10 standings
| Place | Place | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaun Deeb (USA) | 3,410 |
| 2 | Naoya Kihara (Japan) | 3,388 |
| 3 | Alex Foxen (USA) | 3,381 |
| 4 | Justin Liberto (USA) | 2,827 |
| 5 | Josh Arieh (USA) | 2,750 |
| 6 | Daniel Negreanu (USA) | 2,698 |
| 7 | Jesse Lonis (USA) | 2,674 |
| 8 | Eelis Paerssinen (Finland) | 2,638 |
| 9 | Michael Moncek (USA) | 2,592 |
| 10 | Josh Reichard (USA) | 2,575 |
Striking distance
20 bracelet events — and their respective points — are on the schedule at WSOP Paradise from December 2-17.
Negreanu is confident as ever as he prepares for one last chance to add to his points total, telling WSOP “I'm sitting a few hundred points back, but with big points available in the Bahamas, capturing a third Player of the Year title is absolutely within striking distance. It all comes down to how I perform in the season finale."
Could Negreanu make it three titles and add to his immense legacy in the game? Will Kihara claim the crown for Japan? Could Shaun Deeb hold off the chasing pack and become the first three-time winner, as well as the first player ever to retain the title?
We’ll have to wait for the answers, but not for long. WSOP Paradise runs December 2-17 at the Baha Mar Hotel & Resort in The Bahamas.
