Here’s Why You Can’t Miss the WSOP Main Event Final Table

Michael Mizrachi won’t be at this year’s WSOP Main Event final table when cards are in the air Monday night. Neither will Phil Ivey or Chris Moneymaker, and there isn’t a legendary comeback story in play like with Stu Ungar in 1997.

Not only that, but the players at the final table aren’t polarizing. There isn’t a “bad boy” at this table. No 2004 Josh Arieh’s or 2005 Mike Matusow’s. So, why even tune in to ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET tonight (ESPN on Aug. 4 and 5)? Well, there are dozens of reasons, such as a World Champion being crowned and a cash game specialist who rarely plays any tournaments outside the Main Event, Jamie Shaevel, chasing the most prestigious tournament title in poker.

While those are both intriguing storylines that should have any poker enthusiast hyped for Monday night, there’s one storyline nobody seems to be talking about heading into the biggest final table of the year.

Under Pressure

The final table features some grizzled veterans, such as Greg “FBT” Mueller and Michael Gagliano, two pros unlikely to be fazed by the bright lights on ESPN. But the biggest question mark heading into play is how the youngest player at the table will react to the pressure of playing for $10 million and a world title.

Lucas Jumalon is the favorite and he’s only 22 years old. The Spokane, Washington native is in an enviable and rare position, being that he’s entering the WSOP Main Event final table with a massive chip lead.

Jumalon is just the fourth player this century to have at least 75 more big blinds than anyone else entering the WSOP Main Event final table. The three others — Koray Aldemir (2021), Hossein Ensan (2019), and Joe McKeehen (2015) — went on to win the tournament, mostly without much difficulty.

Having 35% of all chips in play in a tournament televised on ESPN comes with pressure and expectations. Those other massive chip leaders mentioned were more experienced tournament players. Jumalon had just $180,000 in live tournament cashes before the Main Event began.

If the short stacks Han Feng or Evagoras Evagorou, both with under 20 big blinds, bust quickly, no one will remember. If Jumalon dusts off his 129-big blind stack and busts in, say, 6th place, barring some brutal coolers or bad beats, he risks being known forever for a legendary collapse.

But the other side of the coin is he also has a shot to make history in a more positive way by being the second-youngest Main Event champion ever. Jumalon could use his big stack to perfection and run all over the table to win the bracelet in such a way that poker fans never forget.

Can Jumalon play like a veteran under the pressure of being the favorite with $10 million on the line? Or will he make some mistakes that cost him a world title? Those are questions that will be answered in a matter of hours.

One way or the other, following his final table performance is among the most intriguing storylines, and one of many reasons no poker fan should avoid tuning in even if the pregame hype isn’t what it was last year when Mizrachi made his run.