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 Sequence 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. However on a far larger 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 discipline of 11,933 entrants within the 2026 WSOP $1,500 Monster Stack no-limit maintain’em occasion on his option to a staggering $1,302,125 payday. His second profession bracelet victory earned Alsup his first profession seven-figure rating, multiplying his earlier greatest outcome by nearly 5 occasions. His lifetime haul now exceeds $3.9 million.
He additionally earned 1,440 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors in his first qualifying money of 2026. That outcome places Alsup simply outdoors the highest 150 within the yearlong race offered by CoinPoker.
Alsup’s ultimate desk journey was stuffed with memorable arms, together with two runouts wherein Alsup rivered journeys to crack pocket aces and double. By every large hand, Alsup’s perception by no means faltered.
“I simply stayed constructive and I simply actually felt it, that I used to be going to win after I received,” Alsup instructed PokerNews’ Erick Torres.
The Lengthy Street To A Winner
A event that began with playing cards within the air on June 3 lastly topped its champion late on June 10. Alongside the best way, 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 to this point this sequence.
Simply 660 gamers made it by means 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. Along with 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 option 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 planet has dreamed of taking part in late in a significant occasion.
Waking Up on the Proper Aspect of a Chilly Deck
After outlasting 11,924 gamers to achieve the MONSTER STACK ultimate desk, Aaron @nevermissmassey Massey awoke with pocket aces at precisely the appropriate time.
With $1,302,125 up prime, a large three-way pot with life-changing implications… pic.twitter.com/sVmOxheISN
— WSOP – World Sequence of Poker (@WSOP) June 11, 2026
Massey picked up pocket aces beneath the gun, min-raised, and Eyster three-bet large from the cutoff with A♣Okay♣. Quick stack Nikolaos Angelou of Greece awoke 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 huge pot. Angelou was out in eighth place ($190,000).
Dicarlo Devastates The Area
Over the following hour of play, Dicarlo constructed up a commanding lead over the remainder of the sphere. Eyster, who had began the day with the entire hope that comes with a significant 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 large blinds.
Dicarlo and Alsup known as Eyster’s ensuing all-in wager, 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).
A powerful 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 large blind with A♣Okay♣, and the very best handheld. McKellar settled for sixth place ($305,000).
Alsup’s goose was almost cooked five-handed. With simply over 15 large blinds, he was all in on the button with Okay♦Q♦. Dicarlo, within the large 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 a vital double, and at last put Dicarlo’s unimaginable run on a quick pause.
That led to a matter of minutes. Dicarlo rivered a straight towards 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 means 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 large blinds from the button with pocket fives, and Alsup known as with Okay♠J♠. Alsup pulled means 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 reside results of his 17-year event profession.
Three-handed play lasted precisely one hand. Ripnick ran A♣J♠ into Dicarlo, who awoke with pocket kings for one more monster within the large blind. Neither participant touched the board, and Ripnick was out in third place ($700,000). Ripnick, who received a WSOP On-line bracelet in 2021, multiplied his earlier greatest outcome severalfold.
Dicarlo’s lead over Alsup getting into heads-up play was greater than 2:1. He prolonged his benefit to almost 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 wager out small, and Alsup shoved. Dicarlo known as, and he was forward of Alsup’s 7♠6♠. He was dodging a number of extra outs than of their earlier encounter and bought a clear J♥ on the flip. Simply 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 competition.
Again And Forth To The End
Salvatore Dicarlo
Alsup quickly took over the chip lead and prolonged it. However Dicarlo got here roaring again, turning pocket kings right into a full home, aces stuffed 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 large blinds, Dicarlo shoved with A♠Okay♣. He bought simply the type of name he was in search of, as Alsup matched his wager with A♣7♥. If Dicarlo held, he’d pull simply forward of Alsup in chips and proceed the match.
However 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 may pull it out for Dicarlo. As a substitute, he collected $900,000 for second place. The 2025 WSOP On-line bracelet winner set a lofty new top-score mark for his profession.
Within the aftermath of his staggering victory, Alsup pointed in the direction of his supply of a bit further inspiration and quite a lot of further luck.
“Even on the final hand after I bought it in with an [ace]-seven towards ace-king, I simply felt it was going to come back. I bought new child run-good, in order that most likely helped out a bit bit. I’m simply very grateful to get a giant rating and supply for my household.”
Closing Desk Outcomes
Place
Participant
Payout
POY Factors
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
Picture credit: WSOP / Lennart Hennig
