The deadline to enter our WSOP Main Event Pick 3 competition and win a free $5K poker trip to Aruba is almost upon us.
11am PT on July 6 is the cutoff you don’t want to miss.
To take your shot, register as a member of The Org then head here to select three players for your team. The more prize money they win as a group in the Main Event, the higher you’ll climb on the leaderboard.
The top 10 at the end of the series will win prizes, with number one heading to Aruba in September — on us.
More below.
The whole process takes just seconds, including registration, and we’ll even build a team for you — just hit the ‘I Feel Lucky’ button.
But to give yourself the best chance of success you should consider picking players who have already bagged up big stacks for Day 2.
We’ve already looked at good prospects who have survived Day 1A, 1B and 1C, so now let’s turn our attention to some of the movers and shakers from Sunday’s Day 1D.
They started with 60,000 chips. Now they’ve got more — plenty more. Here’s who I’m considering adding to my team.
1. Viktor Blom (217,100)
Ever heard the story of Isildur? If you think that sounds like a character from The Lord of the Rings, you’re right: it is. But it also happens to be the former screen name of one of the true legends of online poker.
Viktor Blom's time at the WSOP is surely coming, but when?Almost 20 years ago Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom appeared as if from nowhere at the high stakes tables of Full Tilt Poker. He played with fearless aggression, for the kinds of amounts that few can handle. He won and lost millions. He was a teenager.
Now in his mid-30s, Blom may have dropped the fantasy alterego but hasn’t lost his passion for the game. He’s become a fixture at the WSOP, still seeking a first bracelet and another chapter in his incredible poker biography.
As one of the bigger stacks to advance from Sunday’s packed Day 1D, he could be a wise investment for your Pick 3 team.
2. Max Neugebauer (198,700)
When we say Max Neugebauer is used to performing at a high level, it’s not only because he’s 6’7” tall.
Max Neugebauer has impressive pedigree at the WSOP Europe.The Austrian former basketball pro swapped rebounds for rebuys some time ago, and went on to win the WSOP Europe Main Event in 2023. And if that weren’t already impressive enough, he made the final table again two years later.
So we know Neugebauer has the skills and experience to go all the way in a major, hotly contested tournament; all he needs is a pile of chips to get to work.
And with more than 3x the starting stack heading into Day 2, he’s got them too.
3. Chris Hunichen (194,900)
If you’ve been watching any of the WSOP this summer, either in person or on stream, chances are good you’ve already seen Hunichen in action.
Chris Hunichen has been a busy man at this summer's World Series.North Carolina’s #1 has been everywhere, cashing in 8 different events from the $1K Mystery Millions to the $100K NLH High Roller.
He has a WSOP bracelet, almost $19M in lifetime tournament earnings and a top 3% stack from Day 1D. The man they call ‘Big Huni’ is ready for the big one.
4. Ari Engel (184,800)
Does Ari Engel know how to survive the bubble? Erm, yeah, he does.
No one in the world has more recorded tournament cashes than the Toronto-born poker nomad, a member of the PokerOrg Player Advisory Board who has been traveling the world playing the game for well over a decade.
Ari Engel: He's been everywhere, man.Over the years he’s collected a frankly frightening number of WSOP Circuit rings, a couple of bracelets and close to $10M.
There may be no such thing as a sure thing in poker — and especially in a tournament as big as the Main Event — but if you’re looking for a safe pair of hands to hopefully deliver a deep run, a cash and potentially a win, there are few out there that can go toe-to-toe with Engel.
5. Shiina Okamoto (170,200)
Okamoto, of Japan, is one of the standard-bearers for poker in her native country. And that’s coming from one of Japanese poker's former poster-boys.
Shiina Okamoto has already carved a place all of her own in WSOP history.When Okamoto finished as runner-up in the WSOP Ladies Championship in 2023, the poker world took note. When she went one better to win it in 2024, we applauded. When she successfully defended her title in 2025, we simply shook our heads in disbelief.
She has all the tools necessary to succeed, including the capacity to handle immense pressure, scrutiny and expectation.
And now she has a big stack for Day 2 and an opportunity to underscore her importance in the global game yet further.
Now that you’ve seen our 20 hot tips for players to back in the WSOP Main Event Pick 3 contest, be sure to name and save your team before 11am PT on July 6.
And don’t worry if you’ve changed your mind after reading this and want to sub players in or out — you can edit your team right up to the deadline. Just be sure to save any changes you make before entry closes.
Good luck!
Additional image courtesy of WSOP Europe.
