Our WSOP Main Event simulations are underway. As the analysis continues, here’s a closer look at three of the nine players competing for the title of Main Event Champion—and the strengths, weaknesses, and key hands shaping our simulations.
Meet Lucas Jumalon, Rami Hammoud and Jamie Shaevel.
Lucas Jumalon
Chip Count: 194M · 1st of 9
Age: 22
Residence: Washington State, USA
Live Tournament Winnings Before the Final Table: $180,188
Previous Largest Cash: $22,945 — 1st place in a $400 Daily Deepstack in 2025
WSOP Experience: Cashes in 2025 and 2026, along with some WSOP Circuit experience
BACKGROUND
At just 22 years old, Lucas Jumalon is the youngest player at the final table.
The Washington State native graduated from Grand Canyon University with a degree in business administration and data analytics before establishing himself on the tournament poker scene.
His live tournament results date back roughly three years, with $180,188 in recorded cashes before reaching this final table. His previous biggest score was $22,945 for winning a $400 Daily Deepstack in 2025.
Jumalon also recorded WSOP cashes in both 2025 and 2026, along with experience on the WSOP Circuit.
Now he enters the biggest final table of his life with something much more important than experience:
A massive chip lead. It seems obvious that he is in contention for the title of Main Event Champion.
KEY HAND — EXTRACTING MAXIMUM VALUE
Level 37 — Blinds 500,000/1,000,000 with a 1,000,000 ante
Jumalon raised to 2,000,000 on the button before Malcolm Trayner three-bet to 9,000,000 from the big blind. Jumalon called.
Trayner continued for 4,000,000 on the 4♣A♦J♦ flop, and Jumalon called after flopping a set with J♥J♣.
After Trayner checked the 8♠ turn, Jumalon bet 8,500,000 and was called.
The river brought the 4♥, giving Jumalon a full house. Trayner checked again, and Jumalon put out a massive 35,000,000 bet.
Trayner eventually called with Q♦Q♥, sending a pot worth more than 50 million chips to Jumalon as his rail erupted in celebration.
What this hand shows: Jumalon is capable of extracting maximum value from a big hand. He simply flats with his set on the flop, bets only about one-third pot on the turn, and then puts out a near pot-sized bet on the river.
STRENGTHS
His Day 8 play showed that he is able to leverage a large stack by keeping the pressure on. As by far the largest stack going into August 9, look for more of that.
His instincts seem beyond his age and experience, showing aggression when it’s needed, restraint when it’s called for, and the ability to make a light call if needed.
He is calm during play and doesn’t seem to rattle.
His degree in data analytics means he is also likely comfortable with the mathematical aspects of play.
WEAKNESSES
His calm demeanor during hands drops a bit when celebrating with his very boisterous rail after big winning hands.
Will the presence of this rail unconsciously boost hero play?
Perhaps this entourage will be distracting off the felt leading up to and during the final table.
At 22, he is the youngest player at the table by far, and that youth and relative inexperience in big tournaments could become a factor.
Rami Hammoud
Chip Count: 79M · 2nd of 9
Age: 36
Original Residence: Canada
Live Tournament Winnings Before the Final Table: $512,438
Previous Largest Cash: $126,386 — 1st place in the 2023 Playground March Million in Montreal
WSOP Experience: Multiple cashes in 2024 and 2025, including two deep runs in 2024
BACKGROUND
Rami Hammoud is a 36-year-old Canadian amateur with more than a decade of live tournament experience.
Away from poker, he works in analytics and was serving as an analytics manager for Voldex Games, although he was preparing to start a new job in late July.
Before reaching this final table, Hammoud had recorded $512,438 in live tournament winnings dating back to 2013.
His biggest previous score came in 2023, when he won the Playground March Million in Montreal for $126,386. He also won a $250 event at Playground in 2015 for $38,140 and has accumulated numerous other cashes there over the years.
Hammoud has also made several deep WSOP runs. He finished 12th in the $300 Gladiators of Poker event in 2024, 5th in the $500 Salute to Warriors that same year, and 35th in the $1,650 Mystery Millions at WSOP Paradise in 2023. He recorded numerous WSOP cashes in 2024 and 2025, although no other cashes in 2026 before this Main Event run.
KEY HAND — A HUGE LAYDOWN WITH POCKET QUEENS
Level 36 — Blinds 400,000/800,000 with an 800,000 ante
Shaun Deeb raised to 1,600,000 under the gun and Hossein Ensan called from middle position.
Antonio Galiana picked up K♥K♣ and three-bet to 5,600,000 from the cutoff. Hammoud then four-bet to 12,500,000 on the button with Q♥Q♦.
Deeb and Ensan quickly folded, but Galiana moved all in for 46,100,000.
Hammoud tanked for more than a minute before making the fold, correctly getting away from his pocket queens against Galiana’s pocket kings.
What this hand shows: Hammoud is capable of making a major laydown when the situation demands it. Here, he correctly folded pocket queens to a five-bet shove from an opponent holding pocket kings.
STRENGTHS
Hammoud has many years of experience and is no stranger to final tables, having won some large tournaments in Canada despite being an amateur.
He looks unafraid to mix it up with a range of hands and be aggressive. However, he is also capable of making a big laydown when necessary.
His professional background in analytics suggests he is comfortable with the mathematical side of the game, and he seems grounded in poker theory.
He is also friendly with other strong players and appears to leverage those relationships for hand insights.
WEAKNESSES
Hammoud has been playing for years, but is still, in essence, an amateur.
He is also in the midst of a job change, which could limit his preparation time or focus leading up to the final table.
While his instincts and mathematical foundation generally appear solid, he may be overaggressive at times.
He also lacks WSOP final table experience.
Jamie Shaevel
Chip Count: 56M · 3rd of 9
Age: 39
Original Residence: Los Angeles, USA
Live Tournament Winnings Before the Final Table: $451,177
Previous Largest Cash: $54,851 — 100th place in the 2011 WSOP Main Event
WSOP Experience: Eight Main Event cashes
Other Notable Results: Four tournament wins at the LA Poker Classic in 2011 and 2012
BACKGROUND
Jamie Shaevel is a 39-year-old professional poker player from Los Angeles who has spent much of his career playing cash games, including regularly at Commerce Casino.
His live tournament results date back to 2011. Although he has recorded only 35 tournament cashes, they include an impressive eight cashes in the WSOP Main Event.
His previous largest tournament score was $54,851 for finishing 100th in the 2011 WSOP Main Event.
Shaevel also enjoyed considerable success at the LA Poker Classic, winning four tournaments across 2011 and 2012, with individual scores ranging from roughly $8,000 to $20,000.
While his primary background is in cash games, his repeated Main Event success and multiple tournament victories show that he is far from inexperienced in tournament poker.
KEY HAND — AGGRESSION FROM UNDER THE GUN
Level 38 — Blinds 600,000/1,200,000 with a 1,200,000 ante
Shaevel raised to 2,500,000 from under the gun with K♦10♠, and Evagoras Evagorou called from the big blind.
Evagorou checked the 2♠10♦7♣ flop, and Shaevel bet 2,000,000. Evagorou called.
Both players checked the 7♦ turn.
On the 7♥ river, Evagorou bet 13,500,000, enough to put Shaevel all in.
Shaevel called.
Evagorou could only show 9♣8♣ for a missed straight draw, while Shaevel’s K♦10♠ was good for sevens full of tens and the pot.
What this hand shows: Shaevel is willing to play aggressively from early position with a relatively marginal hand and can also make a difficult call when the action demands it.
STRENGTHS
Although mainly a cash-game player, Shaevel has cashed the Main Event eight times and won four tournaments at the LA Poker Classic over 2011 and 2012, so he knows his way around tournaments.
He appears to be a thoughtful player and has used time banks before making decisions, making him unlikely to rush into major calls or decisions.
His extensive cash-game experience may also give him an advantage in deeper-stacked situations.
WEAKNESSES
Because Shaevel is primarily a cash-game player in Los Angeles, one question is whether he may approach some situations through more of a cash-game lens rather than an optimal tournament strategy.
His cash-game experience likely benefited him when stacks were deeper. How will he adjust as stacks become shallower and tournament pressure increases?
He also lacks experience at major national tournament final tables.
Three players down. Six to go.
Stay tuned as we continue profiling the Final Nine before revealing who the APT simulations predict will be the next WSOP Main Event Champion.
Hand histories based on live reporting from PokerNews. APT assessments and player analysis are original.
