By Alex Drummond, Editor-in-Chief · August 3, 2026 · Fact-checked by Maya Chen
Today is broadcast day. The 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event final table resumes at 5 p.m. Pacific at Horseshoe Las Vegas, and Ontario audiences on the Civic Holiday will find the ESPN2 telecast opening at 9 p.m. Eastern for three consecutive nights of poker. Nine players, at least one million U.S. dollars locked for each, ten million on top, one bracelet on the table.
Poker.org's Craig Tapscott dropped his annual pre-final-table pros' picks piece on Sunday evening. Eight professionals were surveyed: David "ODB" Baker, Hayley Hochstetler, Allen Kessler, Jamie Gold, Lexy Gavin-Mather, Aaron Barone, "Frankie C." and Phil Hellmuth. Their votes on the outright pick lined up predictably at first (four for chip leader Lucas Jumalon), but the sentimental thread ran repeatedly in a different direction. Four of the eight either picked or personally rooted for Vancouver's Greg Mueller. One (Barone) picked Montreal's Rami Hammoud to win the tournament outright, calling him the "left-field pick" and describing Hammoud's Day 8 play as making a "variety of ways to pressure the field."
The Formal Pick Breakdown
| Pro surveyed | Formal champion pick | Sentimental or rooting preference |
|---|---|---|
| David "ODB" Baker | Lucas Jumalon | Greg Mueller and Jamie Shaevel as friends |
| Hayley Hochstetler | Lucas Jumalon | Gagliano formidable; Feng dark horse; Mueller possible surprise |
| Allen Kessler | Lucas Jumalon | "My sentiment lies with Greg Mueller" |
| Jamie Gold | Lucas Jumalon | "Mueller would be my favorite if all stacks were equal" |
| Lexy Gavin-Mather | Michael Gagliano | None stated |
| Aaron Barone | Rami Hammoud (Canada) | Called Hammoud his "left-field pick" |
| "Frankie C." | Jamie Shaevel | None stated |
| Phil Hellmuth | No formal prediction (broadcaster) | "I'm rooting for Greg Mueller" |
Source: Craig Tapscott, Poker.org, August 2, 2026.
What the Pros Said About the Canadians
Aaron Barone, the professional who picked Hammoud outright, was blunt about why. On Day 8 coverage, Mr. Barone said he had been "extremely impressed" by the Montreal grinder. Hammoud, per Barone, "consistently found a variety of ways to pressure the field," a pattern of play Mr. Barone said justified a champion pick despite the 194-million chip lead held by Mr. Jumalon.
Hayley Hochstetler, the Poker.org contributor and a solid pro herself, was more careful but still complimentary. She called Hammoud's queens fold against Antonio Galiana "elite" and said Hammoud "played amazing for an alleged rec," adding "I'm skeptical" of the recreational label. She said Hammoud "has a shot" because of his second-in-chips position.
On Greg Mueller, four pros expressed either sentimental or rooting preference. Phil Hellmuth, who is broadcasting for ESPN this year and therefore declined a formal prediction, said simply: "I'm rooting for Greg Mueller." Allen Kessler said "my sentiment lies with Greg Mueller, as I've known him a long time and I always root for friends." Jamie Gold, the 2006 world champion who himself entered his final table with a similar chip lead to Mr. Jumalon's, said Mueller would be his "favorite if all stacks were equal." David "ODB" Baker said he would root for Mueller and Shaevel as friends but conceded Mr. Jumalon "would be a very good ambassador of the game" if he won.
Ms. Hochstetler analysed Mueller's play differently. She noted that Mueller "played very, very tight at the final two tables" and called that "a bit of an over-adjustment." She said, "He's simply not that tight, and he's got good instincts. I think he could surprise a lot of people. It's unlikely he wins, but he's going to show up and make some moves."
The Ontario Broadcast Window Today
Monday's play at Horseshoe Las Vegas begins at 5 p.m. Pacific with the field returning to nine players. The ESPN2 telecast follows on a one-hour delay, opening at 6 p.m. Pacific, which is 9 p.m. Eastern for Ontario audiences. The broadcast runs to Midnight ET. The target for Night 1 is trimming from nine players down to seven or six.
Ontario players have four ways to watch:
- TSN and TSN+ subscribers: ESPN2 is carried on the TSN Direct app and via TSN's channel bundle. Ontario cable subscribers with a TSN tier get the broadcast at 9 p.m. ET.
- ESPN+ streaming: For US$11.99 per month or as part of a Disney bundle, ESPN+ carries the ESPN and ESPN2 feeds live. Ontario residents can subscribe through the ESPN app.
- fubo: Ontario residents can subscribe to fubo for its ESPN and ESPN2 coverage; fubo also offers a free trial for new subscribers.
- Winamax stream (French, free): The Winamax platform is broadcasting the final table free in French, per the Poker Builder listing. Ontario French-speaking audiences can watch via Winamax's own site without a subscription.
The Civic Holiday (also known as Simcoe Day in Toronto) is a statutory holiday in Ontario, so many players and casual viewers are off work today. The 9 p.m. ET start is therefore a broader-audience opportunity than a typical Monday broadcast.
Historical Context: Sixty Days of the 2026 WSOP
The 2026 WSOP Main Event opened on July 2 and reached its final nine on July 13 after eight days of play. The 9,208 entries were the fourth-largest in Main Event history, and the U.S.$85,634,400 prize pool was one of the largest ever assembled at Horseshoe. Between the Main Event and the concurrent preliminary bracelet events, the 2026 series delivered four Canadian bracelets to date: Kristen Foxen's US$25,000 High Roller Six-Max victory for US$1,773,083; Ms. Foxen's second bracelet in the US$1,000 Super Turbo Bounty; Christopher Alcindor's US$1,500 Big O win for US$387,110; and Daniel Negreanu's US$100,000 PLO High Roller victory for US$2,257,718, his eighth career bracelet. Toronto's Victor Li added a sixth-place finish in Event #99 for US$123,846 in the last week of the series.
Tonight's final table is a chance for the 2026 Canadian ledger to be capped by the largest possible cash. A Hammoud or Mueller championship at US$10 million would exceed Daniel Negreanu's 2019 Super High Roller Bowl win (US$8,350,000) as the largest single live-tournament payday by a Canadian.
Companion Coverage on This Site
OntarioPoker will publish live-during-broadcast reporting tonight on the homepage as the 9-to-7 or 9-to-6 target elimination path unfolds. Morning recaps arrive Tuesday. Ongoing coverage this week includes:
- WSOP Main Event Final Table Preview: chip counts, career earnings, and simulation data (published Friday).
- Shot-Clock Removal Analysis: how the rule change tilts advantage to Mueller and Hammoud (published Saturday).
- Great Canadian Ajax and Pickering Strike: the labour action affecting two of Durham Region's poker rooms (published Friday, with updates through the week).
What Ontario Players Do Tonight
Ontario players who want to combine broadcast-watching with online play have their standard iGaming Ontario options available. GGPoker Ontario runs its Monday Special series alongside the ESPN2 broadcast, PokerStars Ontario continues its Sunday-major-week schedule, and BetMGM Poker's Grind Rewards program credits play throughout the week. All six regulated peer-to-peer rooms serve residents who are 19 and physically located in Ontario.
Players interested in the pending WSOP Super Circuit Canada at Playground Poker in Kahnawake (August 26 to September 12) can already access qualifier ladders through GGPoker Ontario, the exclusive online qualifier path for the CA$5,000 Main Event. Weekly Sunday finals award at least 30 Main Event seats, roughly CA$150,000 in value per week.
Coverage on this site resumes with live-during-broadcast updates from 9 p.m. Eastern tonight through Wednesday's championship night at 1:30 a.m. Eastern.