A GGPoker satellite qualifier from Finland will lead the final table of the 2026 WSOP Europe Main Event today at King’s Casino, Hilton Prague. Hengtao Zhu, with just $39,361 in career live earnings before this week, bagged 36.3 million chips after Day 5 trimmed the field from 25 to nine.
The €5,300 buy-in event drew a record-shattering 2,617 entries, more than tripling the previous WSOPE record of 817 set in 2023. The resulting €13,085,000 prize pool crushed its €10M guarantee by over 30%. First place pays €2,000,000 and a WSOP gold bracelet.
Two of the final nine players won their seats through GGPoker’s WSOP Express satellite system: chip leader Zhu and third-placed Brandon Sheils. Both turned online qualifiers into shots at the largest European major in poker history.
Final Table Chip Counts
Play resumes at blinds of 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 big blind ante. Even chip leader Zhu holds roughly 91 big blinds, making this a relatively deep-stacked final table.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hengtao Zhu | Finland | 36,300,000 | ~91 |
| 4 | Thomas Eychenne | France | 25,825,000 | ~65 |
| 9 | Brandon Sheils | United Kingdom | 20,850,000 | ~52 |
| 3 | Chris Hunichen | United States | 19,300,000 | ~48 |
| 8 | Marius Kudzmanas | Lithuania | 18,050,000 | ~45 |
| 7 | Akihiro Konishi | Japan | 14,400,000 | ~36 |
| 5 | Nikolay Bibov | Bulgaria | 13,200,000 | ~33 |
| 6 | Antonio Guimaraens | Portugal | 5,700,000 | ~14 |
| 2 | Joona Nyholm | Finland | 3,275,000 | ~8 |
All nine finalists have locked up a minimum €140,000. The payout steepens dramatically at the top: second guarantees €1,200,000 and first takes the full €2,000,000.
Day 5: Eychenne’s Comeback and the Road to Nine
Day 5 began with 25 players and a clear mission: play down to a final table of nine. Zhu entered as chip leader and never relinquished his grip on first place.
The story of the day belonged to reigning EPT Barcelona champion Thomas Eychenne. The Frenchman spent most of the session nursing a stack below 10 big blinds, looking destined for an early exit.
Then the cards turned. Eychenne doubled with Q♦ 4♦ , then picked up aces at the right moment and rode a heater through the final stretch.
He eliminated Tom Hall (10th, €100,000) and Rokas Asipauskas (11th, €100,000) in quick succession. That run catapulted him into second place with 25.8 million chips.
“I ran so good!” – Thomas Eychenne
Other notable eliminations included Annette Obrestad, the youngest-ever WSOP bracelet winner, who busted on Day 4 in 34th place (€40,000) after returning to competitive poker following roughly eight years away.
The GGPoker Satellite Dream
The headline storyline at this final table is the GGPoker satellite path. Two qualifiers sit in the top three chip stacks, and their journeys to Prague could not be more different.
Hengtao Zhu: From $39K Career Earnings to €2M Shot
Zhu won a $10,000 Bracelet Pass through GGPoker’s WSOP Express satellites, covering his buy-in, 10 nights at the Hilton Prague, and festival access. Based in Espoo, Finland, he entered with just 12 recorded live cashes and a career-best score of $24,915.
His Hendon Mob tracker lists $39,361 in earnings before this event. The minimum final table payout alone represents nearly four times that entire career total. He has held the chip lead since Day 3.
Brandon Sheils: GUKPT Double Winner Rides GGPoker Seat to Prague
Sheils, 31, from Birmingham, arrived in Prague with serious momentum. In January 2026 he completed a historic GUKPT London double, sweeping the £2,500 High Roller (£49,560) and £1,250 Main Event (£88,760) at the same festival.
A mathematics graduate from the University of Birmingham, Sheils has accumulated $2.7 million+ in career live earnings across 361 cashes. He added two SCOOP titles in March 2026.
His family backstory is remarkable: parents Matthew and Michelle and brother Richard all became professional players.
Qualify for the next WSOP events through GGPoker: The WSOP Express satellite system sent over 100 players to Prague with $10,000 Bracelet Passes. Sign up to GGPoker through VIP-Grinders to lock in the best available bonus and access to WSOP qualifier tournaments year-round.
The Veterans and Bracelet Hunters
Chris Hunichen: $17.6M Career Grinder Eyes Second Bracelet
The most accomplished player at the table, Chris “Big Huni” Hunichen sits fourth in chips with 19.3 million. His $17,633,642 in career live earnings place him 86th on the all-time money list, and he holds 199 recorded live cashes.
Hunichen won the 2024 WSOP $100,000 High Roller for $2,838,389. He was the fifth player in history to reach $10 million in online tournament earnings.
The American from Clayton, North Carolina is the only finalist whose existing career-best score exceeds the €2M first prize. US-based players following his run can play WSOP qualifiers on ACR Poker with our exclusive VIP-Grinders deal.
Marius Kudzmanas: Lithuania’s Two-Time Online Bracelet Winner
Kudzmanas brings two confirmed WSOP Online bracelets to the table: a 2023 $1,000 Double Chance NLH ($145,523) and a 2024 event. According to his official WSOP.com player page, he has 85 WSOP cashes totalling $785,731.
His best live result was second in the 2022 EPT Prague €10,300 High Roller for €339,830. He is also active on the Triton Poker circuit with roughly $1.2M in Triton earnings alone.
The Underdogs Who Defied the Odds
The bottom half of the final table features players for whom this result is already life-changing.
Akihiro Konishi (Japan, 14.4M) has approximately $280,000 in live earnings and just 9 WSOP cashes. This is already his career-best result by a significant margin.
Nikolay Bibov (Bulgaria, 13.2M) entered with $123,368 in career earnings and a previous best of $47,820. He survived Day 3 by hitting a dramatic one-outer.
Antonio Guimaraens (Portugal, 5.7M) started Day 5 as the shortest stack among the final 25. Multiple crucial double-ups kept him alive, but he enters at 14 big blinds in push-or-fold territory.
Joona Nyholm (Finland, 3.275M) has the toughest hill to climb with just 8 big blinds. He has under $10,000 in lifetime live earnings, and his guaranteed €140,000 already dwarfs his entire prior career.
What’s at Stake in Prague Today
| Place | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|
| 1st | €2,000,000 + bracelet |
| 2nd | €1,200,000 |
| 3rd | €800,000+ |
| 4th | €575,000 |
| 5th | €425,000 |
| 6th | €310,000 |
| 7th | €230,000 |
| 8th | €175,000 |
| 9th | €140,000 |
The final table began at noon CET today (April 10) and is streaming free on the WSOP YouTube channel with a 60-minute delay and hole cards shown. The 2,617-entry field makes this the largest European major poker tournament ever played, tripling the previous record.
For the complete festival schedule and remaining bracelet events, check our full WSOP Europe Prague 2026 guide.
For ongoing coverage and the winner announcement, follow our latest poker news and tournament updates.
