There are solely a handful of main tournaments in a given 12 months of poker that take greater than every week to play out. For these lucky sufficient to make the ultimate desk of the World Series of Poker’s $1,500 Monster Stack occasion, and particularly the eventual champion, it’s time properly invested.
Richard Alsup had been to the WSOP promised land as soon as earlier than, successful an $800 no-limit maintain’em deepstack on the 2022 WSOP. But on a far greater and brighter stage, with a significantly bigger sum on the road, Alsup earned a a lot bigger victory this summer season.
Alsup, a Minnesota-based professional, outlasted a subject of 11,933 entrants within the 2026 WSOP $1,500 Monster Stack no-limit maintain’em occasion on his solution to a staggering $1,302,125 payday. His second profession bracelet victory earned Alsup his first profession seven-figure rating, multiplying his earlier greatest consequence by virtually 5 instances. His lifetime haul now exceeds $3.9 million.
He additionally earned 1,440 Card Player Player of the Year factors in his first qualifying money of 2026. That consequence places Alsup simply outdoors the highest 150 within the yearlong race introduced by CoinPoker.
Alsup’s ultimate desk journey was crammed with memorable fingers, together with two runouts during which Alsup rivered journeys to crack pocket aces and double. Through every massive hand, Alsup’s perception by no means faltered.
“I just stayed positive and I just really felt it, that I was going to win when I won,” Alsup instructed PokerInformation’ Erick Torres.
The Long Road To A Winner
A event that began with playing cards within the air on June 3 lastly topped its champion late on June 10. Along the way in which, over the course of 4 beginning flights and 4 separate day 2 periods, 11,933 entries produced a $15,841,057 prize pool, the primary to hit eight-figures thus far this collection.
Just 660 gamers made it by way of to a mixed day 3. Alsup sat in eighth place out of 80 remaining gamers following day 3, and Alsup was in sixth place among the many ultimate eight gamers heading into the ultimate day of motion.
Kevin Eyster had the chip result in begin eight-handed play. He, like Alsup, Salvatore Dicarlo, and John Ripnick, additionally got here into this ultimate desk with a earlier bracelet win. In addition to his 2014 bracelet triumph, Eyster had additionally received World Poker Tour titles in 2013 and 2015.
Aaron Massey, a event veteran with over $6 million in profession earnings, additionally navigated his solution to the monster stack ultimate desk. On simply the second hand of the day, Massey surged from second-shortest stack to the chip lead within the type of hand that each event poker participant on the earth has dreamed of enjoying late in a serious occasion.
Waking Up on the Right Side of a Cold Deck
After outlasting 11,924 gamers to achieve the MONSTER STACK ultimate desk, Aaron @nevermissmassey Massey awakened with pocket aces at precisely the proper time.
With $1,302,125 up prime, a large three-way pot with life-changing implications… pic.twitter.com/sVmOxheISN
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) June 11, 2026
Massey picked up pocket aces underneath the gun, min-raised, and Eyster three-bet massive from the cutoff with A♣Okay♣. Short stack Nikolaos Angelou of Greece awakened with pocket kings within the small blind and four-bet shoved. Massey was all too completely happy to five-bet shove excessive, and Eyster known as together with his kings. By the flip, Massey was sweating only one out, the case king, and held to scoop the large pot. Angelou was out in eighth place ($190,000).
Dicarlo Devastates The Field
Over the subsequent hour of play, Dicarlo constructed up a commanding lead over the remainder of the sector. Eyster, who had began the day with the entire hope that comes with a serious chip lead, accomplished his tumble to the underside of the chip counts. His Okay♥Q♦ failed to beat Pierce McKellar’s pocket queens, leaving Eyster with lower than 5 massive blinds.
Dicarlo and Alsup known as Eyster’s ensuing all-in guess, and checked down a Q♣8♥4♣Okay♠10♦ runout. Dicarlo’s Okay♦9♦ made a pair of kings, which claimed the pot and eradicated Eyster in seventh place ($240,000).
An spectacular run of type continued as Dicarlo claimed the whole lot of McKellar’s stack in a battle of the blinds. McKellar shoved the small blind with A♠7♣, Dicarlo known as within the massive blind with A♣Okay♣, and the very best hand-held. McKellar settled for sixth place ($305,000).
Alsup’s goose was almost cooked five-handed. With simply over 15 massive blinds, he was all in on the button with Okay♦Q♦. Dicarlo, within the massive blind with pocket aces, naturally obliged him. Alsup picked up a king on the flop. He then discovered one other king, which saved his event, gave him an important double, and eventually put Dicarlo’s unimaginable run on a quick pause.
That led to a matter of minutes. Dicarlo rivered a straight in opposition to Matthew Miller’s turned journey nines to hit a brand new high-water mark for his stack. Most of these chips handed alongside to Ripnick, who doubled by way of Dicarlo into third place when his A♠Okay♦ held off Dicarlo’s A♣J♦. Dicarlo nonetheless had 3 times as many chips as Ripnick following the hand.
Alsup’s Ascent
Dicarlo quickly picked up his third straight elimination, together with the final of Miller’s chips. Dicarlo’s A♠Okay♥ was an excessive amount of for Miller’s A♦5♠, and Miller dropped in fifth place ($400,000).
Massey rode his early windfall into four-handed play, however from that time on, couldn’t discover any momentum. He shoved his final seven massive blinds from the button with pocket fives, and Alsup known as with Okay♠J♠. Alsup pulled approach forward on the J♥7♠7♣ flop, and there can be no miracle for Massey on this board. He walked away with $520,000 for fourth place, the second-largest stay results of his 17-year event profession.
Three-handed play lasted precisely one hand. Ripnick ran A♣J♠ into Dicarlo, who awakened with pocket kings for one more monster within the massive blind. Neither participant touched the board, and Ripnick was out in third place ($700,000). Ripnick, who received a WSOP Online bracelet in 2021, multiplied his earlier greatest consequence severalfold.
Dicarlo’s lead over Alsup getting into heads-up play was greater than 2:1. He prolonged his benefit to just about 4:1 at its peak. Then, with the event on the road, Dicarlo skilled the worst type of deja vu.
He min-raised the button with pocket aces, and Alsup known as. On the 8♦6♣4♦ flop, Alsup checked, Dicarlo guess out small, and Alsup shoved. Dicarlo known as, and he was forward of Alsup’s 7♠6♠. He was dodging just a few extra outs than of their earlier encounter and acquired a clear J♥ on the flip. Just as he had the earlier time round, Alsup discovered a miracle on the river, because the 6♥ made him journeys, saved his event, and pulled Alsup proper again into rivalry.
Back And Forth To The Finish
Salvatore Dicarlo
Alsup quickly took over the chip lead and prolonged it. But Dicarlo got here roaring again, turning pocket kings right into a full home, aces filled with kings, to say a large pot and retake the lead. They traded the lead forwards and backwards, however Alsup pulled forward going into the ultimate hand of the event.
Having slipped slightly below 20 massive blinds, Dicarlo shoved with A♠Okay♣. He acquired simply the type of name he was searching for, as Alsup matched his guess with A♣7♥. If Dicarlo held, he’d pull simply forward of Alsup in chips and proceed the match.
But for the third time on the ultimate desk, with a ton of chips within the center, Alsup discovered his outs. The J♣7♣3♦ flop put Alsup properly forward, and neither the 5♠ flip nor the 8♥ river might pull it out for Dicarlo. Instead, he collected $900,000 for second place. The 2025 WSOP Online bracelet winner set a lofty new top-score mark for his profession.
In the aftermath of his staggering victory, Alsup pointed in the direction of his supply of slightly additional inspiration and lots of additional luck.
“Even on the last hand when I got it in with an [ace]-seven against ace-king, I just felt it was going to come. I got new baby run-good, so that probably helped out a little bit. I’m just very thankful to get a big score and provide for my family.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Richard Alsup | $1,302,125 | 1,440 |
| 2 | Salvatore Dicarlo | $900,000 | 1,200 |
| 3 | John Ripnick | $700,000 | 960 |
| 4 | Aaron Massey | $520,000 | 720 |
| 5 | Matthew Miller | $400,000 | 600 |
| 6 | Pierce Mckellar | $305,000 | 480 |
| 7 | Kevin Eyster | $240,000 | 360 |
| 8 | Nikolaos Angelou | $190,000 | 240 |
| 9 | Robert Georato | $150,000 | 120 |
Photo credit: WSOP / Lennart Hennig
