2026 Card Player POY race heats up toward year end

There are just over two months left in 2026, and the Card Player Poker Player of the Year race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive seasons in poker history. In the race, which is sponsored by CoinPoker, Punnat Punsri currently leads the standings. The Thai player finished second in last year's race and wants to repeat that success this year.

Punsri's top spot is not secure, however. The six players chasing him are also close to the summit. Among them is Jesse Lonis, who narrowly passed Punsri in 2025 to win the award. Nick Schulman, Brandon Wilson, Alex Foxen and Eelis Parssinen also have a serious chance in the standings.

Lonis has a different goal in this race. In the award's 30-year history, no one has won it twice in a row. If he succeeds, he will join multiple-time winners such as Adrian Mateos, Stephen Chidwick and Daniel Negreanu.

The final stop of the Triton Super High Roller Series of the year, the World Series of Poker Paradise, the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, EPT Prague and other major tournaments will be played before the year ends. These events will determine the final points in the standings.