A player from China won $750K at the GGPoker WSOP Online Mini Main Event 2026

In the $500 Mini Main Event of the WSOP Online 2026 series on GGPoker, Zhiqiang Shen from China won, receiving $750,000, a gold bracelet, and a Super Pass.

As part of the prestigious 2026 WSOP Online series on the GGPoker platform, one of the key tournaments has concluded — the $500 Mini Main Event . This tournament attracted a record number of participants and became the largest in terms of prize pool so far in the series. The winner was a player from China, Zhiqiang Shen , who not only took home a substantial cash prize but also received a WSOP gold bracelet and a special Super Pass for a future live event in the series. Tournament Format and Player Statistics The $500 Mini Main Event is a tournament with a $500 buy-in, making it accessible to a wide range of players. In 2026, it attracted 12,113 participants , which created an impressive prize pool of $5,753,675 . According to the tournament structure, all players who made it to Day 2 shared in the prize money. This year, there were 1,208 such lucky players . Among those who made it into the money were well-known pros: Andrey Pateychuk , Brunno Botteon , Ole Schemion , Ognyan Dimov , Chris Klodnicki , Martin Finger , Joao Vieira , Rayan Chamas , and Audrius Stakelis . Each of them managed to boost their bankroll by successfully investing $500 in the buy-in. Action at the Final Table On Day 2, the battle continued until only nine players remained. The chip leader at the final table was Japan’s Seiichi Kanemitsu , while two Chinese players — Zhiqiang Shen and Ziqian Wang — held the second and third largest stacks. The first player eliminated at the final table was Cypriot Nikolaos Angelou-Konstas , who finished ninth and received the last five-figure payout — $93,443 . The next to leave were two South American players. Argentine Ignacio Sagra finished in eighth place, adding $121,162 to his account. He was followed by one of the two Brazilian finalists — Mauricio Rocha , who took seventh place for $157,109 . When six players remained, Vladislav Chechenin was eliminated, earning $203,727 for sixth place. Fifth place went to another Brazilian — Rafael Yamaki , who received $264,182 . After his exit, it became clear that the championship title would go to an Asian player. Fourth place was taken by Chinese player Ziqian Wang , who earned $342,583 . Third place went to Malaysian Lee Wee Liew , whose prize was $444,257 . The heads-up battle featured Zhiqiang Shen from China and Seiichi Kanemitsu from Japan. Despite the significant difference between the first and second place prizes — $171,434 — the players did not make a deal (chop), and played for the full amount. In the end, Kanemitsu finished second for $576,111 , while Shen became the champion, earning $747,545 , as well as a $30,000 Super Pass to the 2026 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event and a WSOP gold bracelet. Final Table Results of the $500 Mini Main Event 1st place — Zhiqiang Shen (China) : $747,545 + $30,000 Super Pass + WSOP gold bracelet 2nd place — Seiichi Kanemitsu (Japan) : $576,111 3rd place — Lee Wee Liew (Malaysia) : $444,257 4th place — Ziqian Wang (China) : $342,583 5th place — Rafael Yamaki (Brazil) : $264,182 6th place — Vladislav Chechenin : $203,727 7th place — Mauricio Rocha (Brazil) : $157,109 8th place — Ignacio Sagra (Argentina) : $121,162 9th place — Nikolaos Angelou-Konstas (Cyprus) : $93,443 Briefly About Other Series Events: $5,000 6-Handed NLH Championship Running alongside the Mini Main Event is another major tournament in the series — the $5,000 6-Handed NLH Championship . Only eight contenders for the title remain in this event, including Belarusian high roller Mikita Badziakouski . He is playing from Slovenia and already has a WSOP bracelet, which he won in 2021 in Las Vegas at the $50,000 High Roller event. The chip leader going into the final day is another Belarusian — Ilia Arkhipov . In second and third place are experienced pros Wai Kiat Lee and Yulian Bogdanov . The final eight also includes Daniel Da Silva (who finished 11th in the Mini Main Event), Ukrainian Vlad Martynenko , Edilson Junior , and well-known pro Joseph Cheong . Chip Counts for the Final Day of the $5,000 6-Handed NLH Championship The decisive stage of the tournament starts on August 26 at 19:00 BST and will continue until a champion is determined, who will receive the top prize — $371,793 and a WSOP bracelet. Key Names and Prize Winners of the Series During the 2026 WSOP Online series on GGPoker, well-known players such as Andrey Pateychuk , Brunno Botteon , Ole Schemion , Ognyan Dimov , Chris Klodnicki , Martin Finger , Joao Vieira , Rayan Chamas , Audrius Stakelis , Ignacio Sagra , Mauricio Rocha , Vladislav Chechenin , Rafael Yamaki , Lee Wee Liew , Ziqian Wang , Seiichi Kanemitsu , Zhiqiang Shen , Ilia Arkhipov , Wai Kiat Lee , Yulian Bogdanov , Daniel Da Silva , Vlad Martynenko , Edilson Junior , and Joseph Cheong have all made it into the money. It is especially worth noting that the Mini Main Event final table featured players from several different countries, and the battle for the title came down to Asian players, highlighting the global nature of today’s online scene. Explanations of Poker Terms and Formats Buy-in — the amount a player pays to enter a tournament. In the Mini Main Event it was $500, and in the 6-Handed NLH Championship — $5,000. Prize pool — the total amount formed from all buy-ins, which is then distributed among the top players in the tournament. Heads-up — the final stage of a tournament when only two players remain at the table and play for the top prize. Chop — an agreement between finalists to split the remaining prize pool by mutual consent, to reduce variance. WSOP bracelet — the highest honor in the poker world, awarded to winners of World Series of Poker events. Super Pass — a special ticket/package granting the right to participate in a major live WSOP Paradise Super Main Event. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players The results of WSOP Online on GGPoker show that even tournaments with a relatively small buy-in can bring huge prizes to the winners. For PPPoker club players, this is a great example of how regular practice and participation in online tournaments can help you reach a new level and compete for big wins. Final tables are filled with players from different countries, including representatives from the CIS, confirming that everyone has a chance to prove themselves on the world stage, regardless of geography. Many WSOP Online prize winners started out in local clubs and home games, and now compete for bracelets and six-figure sums. For PPPoker club members, taking part in regular tournaments and developing skills in multi-tabling, opponent analysis, and bankroll management is the path to success. Follow the series, study the game of the best, and maybe the next big online tournament will bring you new success.