There are solely a handful of main tournaments in a given 12 months of poker that take greater than per week to play out. For these lucky sufficient to make the ultimate desk of the World Collection of Poker’s $1,500 Monster Stack occasion, and particularly the eventual champion, it’s time nicely 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 greater 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 technique to a staggering $1,302,125 payday. His second profession bracelet victory earned Alsup his first profession seven-figure rating, multiplying his earlier finest consequence by virtually 5 occasions. His lifetime haul now exceeds $3.9 million.
He additionally earned 1,440 Card Participant Participant of the 12 months factors in his first qualifying money of 2026. That consequence places Alsup simply exterior the highest 150 within the yearlong race offered by CoinPoker.
Alsup’s closing desk journey was crammed with memorable arms, together with two runouts by which Alsup rivered journeys to crack pocket aces and double. By way of every large hand, Alsup’s perception by no means faltered.
“I simply stayed optimistic and I simply actually felt it, that I used to be going to win once I received,” Alsup advised PokerNews’ Erick Torres.
The Lengthy Highway 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 classes, 11,933 entries produced a $15,841,057 prize pool, the primary to hit eight-figures up to now this collection.
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 closing 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 closing 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 technique to the monster stack closing desk. On simply the second hand of the day, Massey surged from second-shortest stack to the chip lead within the form 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 Facet of a Chilly Deck
After outlasting 11,924 gamers to succeed in the MONSTER STACK closing desk, Aaron @nevermissmassey Massey awoke with pocket aces at precisely the precise time.
With $1,302,125 up high, a large three-way pot with life-changing implications… pic.twitter.com/sVmOxheISN
— WSOP – World Collection 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♣Ok♣. Brief stack Nikolaos Angelou of Greece awoke with pocket kings within the small blind and four-bet shoved. Massey was all too blissful to five-bet shove excessive, and Eyster referred to as along with his kings. By the flip, Massey was sweating only one out, the case king, and held to scoop the large pot. Angelou was out in eighth place ($190,000).
Dicarlo Devastates The Discipline
Over the subsequent 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 Ok♥Q♦ failed to beat Pierce McKellar’s pocket queens, leaving Eyster with lower than 5 large blinds.
Dicarlo and Alsup referred to as Eyster’s ensuing all-in wager, and checked down a Q♣8♥4♣Ok♠10♦ runout. Dicarlo’s Ok♦9♦ made a pair of kings, which claimed the pot and eradicated Eyster in seventh place ($240,000).
A powerful run of kind continued as Dicarlo claimed the whole thing of McKellar’s stack in a battle of the blinds. McKellar shoved the small blind with A♠7♣, Dicarlo referred to as within the large blind with A♣Ok♣, 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 Ok♦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 an important double, and eventually put Dicarlo’s unbelievable run on a quick pause.
That resulted in a matter of minutes. Dicarlo rivered a straight in opposition to 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♠Ok♦ 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♠Ok♥ 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 referred to as with Ok♠J♠. Alsup pulled manner 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 dwell 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 finest consequence severalfold.
Dicarlo’s lead over Alsup coming 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 form of deja vu.
He min-raised the button with pocket aces, and Alsup referred to as. On the 8♦6♣4♦ flop, Alsup checked, Dicarlo wager out small, and Alsup shoved. Dicarlo referred to as, and he was forward of Alsup’s 7♠6♠. He was dodging a number of extra outs than of their earlier encounter and received 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 filled with kings, to assert a large pot and retake the lead. They traded the lead backwards and forwards, however Alsup pulled forward going into the ultimate hand of the event.
Having slipped just under 20 large blinds, Dicarlo shoved with A♠Ok♣. He received simply the form 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 closing desk, with a ton of chips within the center, Alsup discovered his outs. The J♣7♣3♦ flop put Alsup nicely forward, and neither the 5♠ flip nor the 8♥ river might 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 just a little further inspiration and lots of further luck.
“Even on the final hand once I received it in with an [ace]-seven in opposition to ace-king, I simply felt it was going to come back. I received new child run-good, in order that most likely helped out just a little bit. I’m simply very grateful to get an enormous rating and supply for my household.”
Ultimate 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
Photograph credit: WSOP / Lennart Hennig
