Michael Gagliano Finishes Fourth at WSOP Main Event Final Table
The New Jersey pro banked $2.75 million after Lucas Jumalon’s kings-up hand ended his run, and the field moved on to heads-up play.
Michael Gagliano’s 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event run ended with a fourth-place finish worth $2,750,000. The New Jersey pro’s payout more than doubled his previous career earnings of $2,559,401 and pushed his lifetime total past $5.3 million.
Card Player detailed the last hand. Gagliano shoved with K♠Q♠, Greg Mueller called with pocket fours, and Jumalon then three-bet jammed K♦J♥ to force Mueller out. The K♥8♥5♣ flop paired both Gagliano and Jumalon, but Jumalon made kings up on the J♦ turn, and the 7♠ river ended Gagliano’s run.
He had entered the final table fifth in chips with 46.5 million and was still fifth entering the second night with 42 million. By Tuesday, he was in a short-stack spot with 17 big blinds, and when his final hand came he was down to just a few big blinds before moving all in for 9.5 million from the button.
The final table began Aug. 3 with nine players and was down to seven by the end of the first night. The remaining players returned Aug. 4 chasing the tournament’s $10 million first prize, and Gagliano had already locked up at least $1.5 million with seven left and $1 million for making the final nine.
The event drew 9,208 entrants in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event, and only two of the nine finalists were bracelet winners. Gagliano came in with four WSOP bracelets, including a first win in 2016 in a $2,500 no-limit hold’em event for $448,463, then bracelet wins in 2022 and 2023, plus an online mystery bounty bracelet whose results had not yet been posted.
His Main Event history had been thin before last year’s 148th-place finish, with just one cash and no Day 4 runs before that. He said the long stretch of live poker had left him mentally and physically exhausted, but that the support from friends, family, and people online had been overwhelming.
Jumalon held 328 million chips and Saaskilahti took 225 million chips into Wednesday night’s heads-up battle against Jumalon and the $10 million top prize.
