Arthur Thiriar wins his first WSOP bracelet and a record prize

Belgian Arthur Thiriar claimed victory in the WSOP 2026 Monster Stack tournament, winning his first gold bracelet and a record prize of $256,542.

As part of the World Series of Poker 2026 online series on the GGPoker platform, #6: $1,500 Monster Stack No-Limit Hold'em has concluded, marking a milestone event for Belgian player Arthur "Higher Self" Thiriart. He not only claimed his first WSOP gold bracelet but also took home a personal record prize of $256,542, as well as a special $30,000 pass to the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event 2026. Tournament #6: $1,500 Monster Stack NLH — Details and Results The Monster Stack tournament is a format where each participant receives an increased starting stack, allowing them to stay in the game longer and use a wider range of strategies. This year, there were 1,482 entries, creating an impressive prize pool of $2,111,850. The top 210 players made the money. Among those who cashed were well-known pros such as Luis Faria, Rainer Kempe, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Mikita Badziakouski, Christopher Nguyen, Thomas Muehloecker, Vanessa Kade, and Ole Schemion. Final Table: The Battle for the Bracelet and Prizes The final table brought together the nine strongest players, who fought for the top prize and the prestigious title of WSOP Online champion. Here’s how the final table payouts were distributed: 1st place — Arthur "Higher Self" Thiriart (Andorra/Belgium): $256,542 + $30,000 Super Pass 2nd place — "Mufeng2024" (Hong Kong): $197,527 3rd place — Giorgiy "Giya" Skhulukhiya: $157,718 4th place — "liano96" (Austria): $123,664 5th place — "Puntti" (Finland): $96,963 6th place — Dante Fernandes (Brazil): $76,027 7th place — Anatoly Filatov: $59,634 8th place — "Vampula" (Finland): $46,824 9th place — "MonoConPistola" (Mexico): $36,648 The first to leave the final table was the player from Mexico, "MonoConPistola," earning $36,648. Next out were "Vampula" from Finland, well-known Russian pro Anatoly Filatov, and Brazilian Dante Fernandes, who finished sixth for $76,027. Fifth place and $96,963 went to another Finnish player, "Puntti." After his elimination, all remaining players were guaranteed six-figure payouts. Fourth place went to Austrian "liano96," who had already reached the final stages of WSOP Online before—just a few days earlier, he finished fifth in the $100 Flip & Go event, where Stefan Schillhabel took the win. This time, his result was $123,664. Third place went to Georgian pro Giorgiy "Giya" Skhulukhiya, who already has 20 live tournament wins to his name. This time, he took home $157,718. In heads-up play, Arthur Thiriart defeated his opponent from Hong Kong, "Mufeng2024," and became the tournament champion. This was Thiriart’s best career result: his previous record was $51,713 for 14th place in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed Championship at the 2026 WSOP in Las Vegas. Coming Up — Mini Main Event Final with Nearly $750,000 for First Place The next major event at WSOP Online 2026 will be the final table of #7: $500 Mini Main Event . This more affordable tournament attracted 12,113 entries and built a prize pool of $5,753,675. Only nine finalists remain, who will compete for nearly $750,000 for first place, a WSOP gold bracelet, and a $30,000 Super Pass. The final will begin on August 24 at 19:00 BST. All finalists except one have already secured prizes of over $100,000. Ninth place will pay $93,443, while the winner will receive $747,545. Chip Leaders and Final Table Dynamics in the Mini Main Event The chip leader heading into the final is Seiichi Kanemitsu from Japan, with 81 big blinds. In second and third are players from China: Zhiqiang Shen with 79 big blinds and Ziqian Wang with 72 big blinds. Meanwhile, two players are at risk: Nikolaos Angelou-Konstas has just 9 big blinds, and Ignacio Sagra from Argentina has 7. They will need to double up early in the final to contend for the top prize. Final Table Chip Counts for #7: $500 Mini Main Event Seiichi Kanemitsu (Japan) — 81 big blinds Zhiqiang Shen (China) — 79 big blinds Ziqian Wang (China) — 72 big blinds The remaining finalists — not listed in the original Nikolaos Angelou-Konstas — 9 big blinds Ignacio Sagra (Argentina) — 7 big blinds The other final table participants were not listed in the original material. Who Covered the Event: A Bit About PokerNews The article was prepared by Matthew Pitt, a journalist from Leeds, UK, who has worked in the poker industry since 2008. Since 2010, he has been an editor at PokerNews, and since 2015 he has focused on editorial work and poker event analysis. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players The results of WSOP Online 2026 on GGPoker clearly show that even tournaments with relatively affordable buy-ins can offer huge prizes and open the door to global fame. For PPPoker club players, this is a great incentive to improve their skills and regularly participate in club events to be ready for major online series. The Monster Stack format, where players receive an increased starting stack, is becoming increasingly popular in PPPoker club leagues as well. This allows for deeper strategy development, learning to manage a big stack, and making well-considered decisions throughout the tournament—experience that will be valuable at major international events. Moreover, seeing well-known pros like Anatoly Filatov, Mikita Badziakouski, and others make the money confirms that regular practice and participation in a variety of tournaments is the key to success. Use the opportunities in PPPoker clubs to train, so that one day you can find yourself at the final table of the biggest online series!