Daniel Negreanu Contends for Player of the Year in Profitable WSOP Summer

The 2026 World Series of Poker is concluding with Daniel Negreanu wrapping up his most profitable summer series in years. 

As the final days of the Las Vegas segment play out, the GGPoker ambassador and Poker Hall of Famer remains in direct contention for the WSOP Player of the Year honors.

Negreanu entered the summer schedule having played minimal poker since the WSOP Paradise series in December. 

Despite the lack of recent live tournament volume, he showed no rust throughout the summer. Negreanu captured his eighth career gold bracelet by winning the $100,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha event a couple of weeks ago. 

In addition to winning his second bracelet in a three year span, he reached four final tables over the course of the series. H

e currently maintains a chance at one more final table appearance in Event #97: the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. event. Negreanu bagged an above-average stack on Monday during Day 1 and returns for Day 2 action at 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, marking his final opportunity for a deep run in Las Vegas.

The race for the WSOP Player of the Year title remains highly competitive and will not officially conclude until the completion of the WSOP Paradise series in the Bahamas this coming December. 

Negreanu, who currently sits in sixth place, did not enter the summer as a favorite and was not heavily discussed in the race until his recent High Roller victory and subsequent final table appearance. 

According to the WSOP POY calculator, a victory in the $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. event would put Negreanu into a virtual three-way tie for first place. A second or third-place finish would put him within a deep run of the lead.

Shaun Deeb entered the summer as the clear-cut favorite after gaining a headstart with three final table appearances at WSOP Europe. 

Deeb's summer performance in Las Vegas has been an all-or-nothing affair, consisting of one min-cash, a runner-up finish, a bracelet win, and a 15th-place finish in the Main Event. 

Once the official WSOP website updates to include his Main Event points, Deeb will be locked into a virtual tie for first place with Alex Foxen.

Several other players remain tightly packed at the top of the leaderboard. Naoya Kihara sits right behind the leaders, while Josh Arieh and Jesse Lonis remain within striking distance. 

Calvin Anderson also retains a puncher's chance at the title if he can secure his third bracelet of the summer at the $10,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Championship final table on Tuesday.

Because Deeb did not record enough deep runs and cashes in Las Vegas to secure an insurmountable lead, the final outcome of the Player of the Year race will come down to which contender performs best during the winter events in the Bahamas.