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With only 20 players left in Event #97 of the 2026 WSOP, the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. has emerged as a pivotal moment in the Player of the Year (PoY) race. All three leading contenders for the title remain alive deep into the tournament.
Points leader Alex Foxen currently sits second in chips, while Naoya Kihara is fifth and defending PoY champion Shaun Deeb holds ninth. A strong finish from any of them could significantly reshape the standings before the race resumes later this year at WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
The winner of the event will collect $872,052, along with a substantial haul of PoY points. Should either Foxen or Deeb capture the title, they would become the first player this year to cross the 4,000-point threshold. Kihara could leapfrog both rivals with a deep run if the other two bust early.
Deeb, who has openly expressed frustration over his 15th-place Main Event finish costing him valuable points, has since entered multiple bracelet events to close the gap. His efforts have already allowed him to pass Kihara and cut into Foxen’s advantage.
Unlike previous years, the 2026 Player of the Year race will not conclude at the end of the summer series. Instead, the competition will carry over to WSOP Paradise, where the champion will officially be crowned.
Trailing the top three, players like Justin Liberto, Josh Arieh, Jesse Lonis, and Daniel Negreanu remain mathematically alive but face a steep climb. Deeb, meanwhile, is aiming to become the first player to win PoY in consecutive years and the first to capture the honor three times overall.
