Things looked bleak for Lucas Jumalon during the last break on Day 7 of the WSOP Main Event.
Most players would happily settle for his situation. Jumalon's chip stack still had 28 big blinds for the last level of the night, and he was in the middle part of the leaderboard with 28 players left.
But the 22-year-old was tired after 66 hours of poker, and things were starting to come apart.
"I was at the main feature, and I wasn’t really feeling settled," Jumalon told us at the end of that night.
He was seen outside the tournament area, distraught and trying to compose himself. His friends and family were alongside, rallying to get him back on track for the last level. Whatever they said must have worked, because a late surge put Jumalon near the top of the remaining 21 players for Day 8, where he went ballistic and finished with a commanding chip lead for the final table of nine.
"Without my people here, I don’t know that I would have made it through [Day 7]. I’m just so thankful."
Lucas Jumalon Final Table Tale of the Tape
- Chips: 194,000,000
- Country: USA
- Career earnings: $1,180,888
'A lot of heartbreak'
Life is changing fast for the Jumalon after he walked out of Day 8 and into a media blitz. Craig Tapscott caught up with him in the middle of the once-in-a-lifetime storm.
"There's a lot of work being done," Jumalon said.
It takes a village to support a poker player. It's also a lot of late-night walks and introspection.
"I overthink spots a lot, so I sometimes think worst-case scenario. But I think putting positive energy out into the air and focusing on all the good that's already happened, and all the good that can still come from this moment, is super important."
Jumalon had a modest Hendon Mob record before the 2026 WSOP, and he picked up four smaller cashes before his million-dollar date with the Main Event. He may be young, but a few deep runs have led to some early poker scars.
"I have probably ten to fifteen final two-table runs in huge MTTs. There was a lot of heartbreak in those runs. There was a lot of, ‘Am I even good enough to do this?'
"People see this one event, ‘He's 22, he just gets gifted this spot worth millions of dollars.’ But I was in there competing in events after I turned 18. I was doing the Texas stops. I was doing the Florida stops. I was really trying to go for it."
A lot of poker pain for a young man, but he's hungry for the growth that comes with it.
"I used to cry after busting Day 2. It really took a toll on me for a long time. Then I slowly started to realize that sometimes I have no control over the result. I can only put myself in the best position to succeed. Players need to feel those emotions. But don't let it drag you all the way down. Don't let it kill the dream."
Lucas Jumalon day-by-day Main Event chip counts
- Day 1B - 7,400
- Day 2ABC - 146,000
- Day 3 - 467,000
- Day 4 - 2,065,000
- Day 5 - 4,435,000
- Day 6 - 15,875,000
- Day 7 - 40,800,000
- Day 8 - 194,000,000
'Without my people here, I don't know that I would have made it through [Day 7].'
So close and so far
The dream, a World Championship and $10 million, is now ridiculously close, and it's only going to get more stressful. But that's where Jumalon can fall back on the familiar support of friends and family.
"A couple of months ago in Austin, I was having a really rough trip. I called my dad, and I said, 'I don't know if I can do this anymore.'"
The support from that phone call put Jumalon back on his game, and now he's on the cusp of a life-altering payday. It's one of many times Jumalon has stood up and dusted himself off.
"I'm not even where I want to be yet. I'm not where I want to be poker-wise; I'm not where I want to be in life. But I have some goals that I want to chase down."
There's something to be said, Jumalon notes, for someone who keeps getting back up and getting after it.
"That's a dangerous person."
