Just days remain before the start of the 2026 World Series of Poker, and the vibes are immaculate. In a week we will be right in the thick of things again, with no end in sight until they bag the Main Event final table in mid-July.
Until then, we have a lot of narrative to enjoy. Who will win their first bracelet? Who will win their 9th, 10th, or 11th? Can Phil Hellmuth win #18?
For now, we will sit back and enjoy the best in the world doing what they do best. Here are a few names to keep an eye on this summer, whether you're looking to build your $25K Fantasy team or you're just a big fan of poker.
Legacies and breakthroughs
Shaun Deeb
Shaun DeebDeeb is in the driver's seat for another Player of the Year title, and there's no reason to doubt him right now. He will play the right kind of schedule to maximize his opportunities for another big banner, and now it's just a matter of whether or not he will execute. Deeb has two POY titles and a really good chance to be the first-ever player to win a third.
Prediction: Deeb wins the Poker Player's Championship and makes a deep run in the Main Event to set up a POY coronation in The Bahamas in December.
Kristen Foxen
Kristen FoxenFoxen is due for a bounce-back summer after a relatively quiet WSOP in 2025. She plays a schedule that leans harder toward the high-stakes tournaments and marquee events, but Foxen is competitive in everything. Her deep run in the 2024 is a sign of things to come for a long time, and she will not stay away from the WSOP final table for long.
Prediction: Foxen wins her sixth bracelet in the $25K High Roller, an event she finished 13th in last year.
Terrance Reid
Terrance ReidOur former colleague is fully on the scene now after a final table run at the WSOP Super Main Event was good for $3 million last December. Reid has now put out the word that he will play a full schedule, with eyes on some bigger events like the $25K Heads-Up Championship. He has plenty of experience deep in tournaments, and a big taste for the first bracelet.
Will he be one of the breakout $25K draft sleepers of the year? Time will tell.
Prediction: Reid finishes second in the Monster Stack, but everyone has a really good time watching him.
Brock Wilson
Brock WilsonWilson is dominating the high-stakes scene over at the PokerGO Studio, where he has already claimed two leaderboard championships in the PokerGO Cup and the US Poker Open. It's been a place where Wilson has been comfortable for some time, but he can struggle to import his success to Horseshoe and Paris for the summer series.
It's a matter of time before Wilson breaks through, and his experience on the high-stakes scene should put him in play for one of the nosebleed bracelets this summer.
Prediction: Wilson wins the $250K Super Duper High Roller.
Cherish Andrews
Cherish AndrewsJoining Wilson in 2026 success at the PokerGO Studio is partner Andrews, who was runner-up to his USPO win just a month ago. Andrews already owns an online bracelet from 2022, but she's likely chomping at the bit for live WSOP success after putting in a big year of volume in 2025. It's expected she will play a full schedule again with plenty of opportunities at higher-stakes tournaments and everything in between.
Prediction: Andrews wins the $5K 8-Max, a tournament she finished 29th in last year.
Honorable Mentions
Daniel NegreanuDaniel Negreanu - The upstart seven-time bracelet winner will play a full schedule again, but is this a golf year?
Phil Hellmuth - We have been spared the will-he-or-won't-he play the Main Event this year...so far. Maybe he will tone down the Main Event ring walk? Let's hope not.
