Six Players Advance in 2026 WPT Shooting Star Championship

Cameron Long · Oct 27, 2026

Six Players Advance in 2026 WPT Shooting Star Championship

Poker tournament action at Bay 101 Casino during the 2026 WPT Shooting Star Championship

The final six players have advanced in the 2026 WPT Shooting Star Championship at Bay 101 Casino, where chip leaders include Quoc Mai holding 10,165,000, Chahn Jung with 9,075,000, and Ziao Guo at 4,095,000 among the remaining competitors, and the field now narrows toward a televised conclusion that carries a top prize of $470,500.

Tournament Progression at Bay 101

Action at Bay 101 Casino produced these six survivors after multiple days of play that featured large starting fields and steady eliminations, while the structure directed players through escalating blinds and pressure that tested stack management across the final stages; observers note that Quoc Mai leads the pack with a commanding margin that positions the player favorably for the upcoming sessions.

Chahn Jung sits second in chips and maintains a strong presence that keeps pressure on the leaders, whereas Ziao Guo rounds out the top three with a stack that still allows for aggressive moves when the final table resumes; the remaining three players hold smaller but viable counts that keep the outcome open as play moves forward.

Phil Hellmuth and Nick Hellmuth Eliminations

Phil Hellmuth along with his son Nick both exited on Day 3 after cashing for $11,400 each, a result that ended their runs in the event and distributed the prize money according to the payout schedule while the tournament continued without them; their departures occurred amid the later stages when shorter stacks faced increased blinds and confrontation risks.

Reports indicate that both players secured min-cash positions before their eliminations, which allowed them to collect the listed amount without advancing further into the final stages; the dual exits removed notable names from the field yet left the chip leaders intact for the next phase.

Televised Final Table Details

Final table setup for the WPT Shooting Star Championship broadcast

The televised final table will play out on December 15 as part of the WPT World Championship series in Las Vegas, where the remaining six players will compete for the listed top prize and associated ranking points; this scheduling places the conclusion within a larger series that draws additional attention and production resources to the event.

Production elements include standard broadcast coverage that captures hole cards and player reactions, while teh move to Las Vegas shifts the setting from the Bay 101 Casino location to a venue equipped for the series finale; data from prior WPT events shows similar structures produce high-viewership moments when chip leaders defend against shorter stacks.

Context Within 2026 Schedule

October 2026 marks ongoing qualifiers and satellite events that feed into the main WPT circuit, and the Shooting Star Championship fits as one of the key stops that determines who reaches the December final; participants who advanced through those earlier stages now carry their stacks into the televised portion with the prize pool already distributed to those who cashed earlier.

The $470,500 top prize reflects the event's standing within the tour and aligns with payouts from comparable WPT stops, while the Bay 101 Casino hosted the preliminary days before the relocation for broadcast; figures from the tournament reveal consistent player turnout across recent years that supports the continuation of this format.

According to World Poker Tour records, events like the Shooting Star maintain structured payout ladders that reward deep runs while ensuring early cashes for those eliminated near the money bubble; the current chip distribution among the final six creates scenarios where one or two double-ups could reshape the leaderboard before December 15.

Conclusion

The advancement of these six players sets up teh December 15 conclusion in Las Vegas, where the listed chip counts and remaining stacks will determine the 2026 WPT Shooting Star champion and the recipient of the $470,500 prize; the earlier eliminations of Phil Hellmuth and Nick Hellmuth for $11,400 each closed one chapter while the surviving field prepares for the televised stage.