WPT Lucky Hearts Championship Down to Final Table
The 2026 WPT Lucky Hearts Championship reached its final table with Giuseppe Iadisernia leading. $3.93M prize pool, first place gets the Cup.
By Card Shark McGee
The 2026 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship has reached its final table at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, with Giuseppe Iadisernia leading the final players. A $3.93 million prize pool and a seat in the WPT Champions Club are on the line.
The Quick Hit
- What happened: WPT Lucky Hearts down to final table
- The damage: $3,932,800 prize pool from 1,229 entries
- Why you should care: First WPT title of 2026 about to be crowned
- The move: Catch the final table stream on WPT YouTube
The Tournament Journey
The WPT returned to south Florida for the first time since 2022, when Alexander Yen took down the title and $975,240. This year's field was even bigger, with 1,229 entries creating a prize pool that crushed the $3 million guarantee.
The $3,500 buy-in event ran January 16-21 at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. Cards-up streaming on Day 4 and the final table let rail birds sweat every all-in.
Final Table Chip Counts
Heading into the final table, Giuseppe Iadisernia held the chip lead:
| Player | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|
| Giuseppe Iadisernia | Leading | ~115 BB |
| Ted McNamara | 2nd | ~100 BB |
| Eric Firestone | 3rd | ~95 BB |
| John McDonald | 4th | ~85 BB |
| Andrew Ostapchenko | 5th | ~80 BB |
The chip counts shifted throughout Day 4, with Iadisernia taking control after entering the day in the middle of the pack.
The Road to the Final Table
Day 2 ended with 69 players remaining. Maryon Harper led with 2,915,000 chips (117 big blinds), followed by Eric Firestone and Ted McNamara.
The field consolidated quickly on Day 3, with Ted McNamara taking the chip lead into the final 16 players. Day 4 saw that number cut to the final table, with several big pots reshuffling the standings.
The Prize on the Line
The winner joins the WPT Champions Club and gets their name inscribed on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup. Beyond the trophy, there's the small matter of a massive first-place payout from that $3.93 million pool.
Based on standard WPT payout structures, the winner is looking at approximately $550,000-650,000 depending on any final table deals that may be struck.
WPT Season 2026 Schedule
The Lucky Hearts championship kicks off a busy 2026 WPT calendar:
- Lucky Hearts - Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood (January)
- Venetian DeepStack Showdown - Las Vegas (January-February)
- Bay 101 Shooting Star - San Jose (March)
- Seminole Hard Rock Tampa - Tampa (April)
- Choctaw - Durant, OK (May)
The Venetian DeepStack Showdown is already underway with over $2.1 million guaranteed across multiple events.
Where to Watch
The final table was scheduled for Wednesday, January 21, streaming live on:
- WPT YouTube channel
- WPT.com
- WPT Global app
For those who missed the live action, full coverage and recap videos will be available on the WPT YouTube channel.
The Bottom Line
The 2026 WPT season is off to a hot start with a massive Lucky Hearts field and prize pool. Whoever took down the title earned their spot in WPT history and a six-figure payday.
The WPT continues proving that live tournament poker is alive and thriving. 1,229 entries for a $3,500 buy-in is impressive by any standard, and the return to Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood has been a success.
For updates on the final results and the new WPT champion, check back or follow WPT on social media. The grind never stops, degenerates.