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PTAll Eyes on Foxen, Deeb & Kihara Ahead of Paradise: WSOP POY Race Tightens
Summary:
- Alex Foxen, Shaun Deeb, and Naoya Kihara remain in contention with 20 players left in the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
- The event’s winner will earn $872,052 and nearly 878 Player of the Year points.
- The 2026 WSOP Player of the Year title will be decided later this year at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
The race for the coveted 2026 World Series of Poker Player of the Year title is still wide open, and the final major points opportunity of the summer could reshape the leaderboard.
$872,052 Prize and 877.62 Player of the Year Points on the Table
Only 20 players REMAIN in Event #97, the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E., and current Player of the Year leader Alex Foxen is in prime position to strengthen his advantage.
Foxen sits second in chips as the tournament heads toward the money, while fellow contenders Naoya Kihara and reigning Player of the Year Shaun Deeb are also among the final survivors.
As expected, the stakes could not be much higher. Besides the tourney’s whopping $872,052 first-place prize, the winner will also collect no less than 877.62 Player of the Year points. In other words, just enough to significantly change the standings heading into the final stage of the season.
Foxen in the Lead, Deeb close Behind, Kihara in Third
Alex Foxen currently leads the race with 3,283 points, followed closely by Deeb with 3,180 and Kihara with 3,042.
A victory for either Foxen or Deeb would make them the first player to surpass the 4,000-point mark in 2026, while Kihara has an opportunity to leapfrog both rivals if he makes a deeper run.
Deeb, who captured the 2025 Player of the Year title, has mounted an impressive late charge after a disappointing 15th-place finish in the WSOP Main Event. Following his elimination, he immediately entered several bracelet events in an effort to close the gap on Foxen and preserve his hopes of making history.
Should Deeb successfully defend his title, he would become the first player ever to win World Series of Poker Player of the Year honors in consecutive seasons and the first to claim the award three times.
A few other noteworthy names are still within striking distance. The list includes Justin Liberto, Josh Arieh, Jesse Lonis, Daniel Negreanu, Eelis Parssinen, Michael Moncek, and Joshua Reichard. However, each faces an uphill battle to catch the leading trio.
Who Will Go to the Bahamas?
For the first time, the WSOP Player of the Year race will not conclude at the end of the summer series.
Instead, the competition will continue at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas later this year, where the 2026 champion will ultimately be crowned.
Regardless of the outcome in the High Roller H.O.R.S.E., Foxen, Deeb, and Kihara are all expected to arrive in the Bahamas with a legitimate chance of capturing one of poker’s most prestigious season-long honors.
