Australian poker phenom leads WSOP Main Event as final table nears

Australian poker phenom Malcolm Trayner leads WSOP Main Event as final table nears Malcolm Trayner entered the World Series of Poker Main Event carrying momentum. At the pause of Day 7 late Sunday at Paris Las Vegas, the Australian professional held 63.2 million chips, placing him atop the field with 21 players still in contention. Play will resume on Monday for Day 8, with the tournament set to reduce to the final nine‑player table. Every remaining participant is assured a minimum payout of $325,000. Trayner’s summer résumé includes a victory in the Aussie Millions Main Event in May worth $990,759 and cashes in seven other WSOP events prior to his deep Main Event run. He also added a WSOP bracelet to his collection by winning the $1,000‑buy‑in Mystery Millions No‑Limit Hold’em event for $1 million plus bounties in 2024. Beginning Day 7 in eighth position, Trayner steadily increased his stack. He secured a sizable pot with a full house against Jamie Shaevel during the third level and eliminated Tianle Wang in 28th place, pushing his total past the 50‑million‑chip threshold. Other notable storylines persist. Hossein Ensan of Germany, the 2019 Main Event champion, aims to become the fifth player in history to capture multiple Main Event titles, a feat achieved only by Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan. Ensan held 29.7 million chips and was seventh when play stopped. Shaun Deeb, a nine‑time bracelet winner, remained in sixth place with 31.3 million chips and indicated he will enter additional tournaments Monday while pursuing the WSOP Player of the Year award. Todd Brunson, seeking to emulate his father Doyle as a Main Event champion, sat in 20th place with 7.8 million chips. Further names still active include Will Givens (31.7 million chips), who departed his table early but finished fifth; two‑time bracelet holder Antonio Galiana of Spain; and veteran Greg Mueller, who owns three bracelets. Among the 21 players competing for the $10 million first‑place prize, ten are bracelet winners. The current top ten chip counts are: 1. Malcolm Trayner – 63,200,000 2. Rami Hammoud – 41,500,000 3. Lucas Jumalon – 40,800,000 4. Evagoras Evagorou – 38,200,000 5. Will Givens – 31,700,000 6. Shaun Deeb – 31,300,000 7. Hossein Ensan – 29,700,000 8. Thomas Clack – 27,500,000 9. Antonio Galiana – 27,200,000 10. Mario Boos – 24,300,000