Matthew Higgins Wins 2026 WSOP Mystery Millions

The 2026 World Series of Poker’s $1,000 buy-in Mystery Millions event once again proved why it's a fan favorite, offering multiple paths to life-changing money. Whether through a single, lucky bounty pull or a grueling deep run, the tournament delivered on its promise of high stakes and dramatic moments. This year, it was Matthew Higgins who navigated a colossal field of 22,811 entries to clinch the prestigious title, his first WSOP bracelet, and a cool $1 million.

Higgins, already a formidable presence with nine WSOP Circuit rings to his name, demonstrated his prowess by besting a final table that included some of poker's most respected names. His heads-up opponent was none other than Dominik Panka, a known force in the poker world, and the final table also featured bracelet winner Thomas Hall, alongside four-time WSOP bracelet winner David ‘ODB’ Baker, who ultimately finished in seventh place.

Beyond the final table glory, the Mystery Millions lived up to its name with incredible bounty payouts. Jonathan Schiller, a Michigan native with a 2022 WSOP Online bracelet but no prior six-figure live results, experienced a life-altering moment on Day 2. With a single qualifying elimination, Schiller pulled the much-hyped $1 million bounty, instantly transforming his poker career. "Jonathan Schiller Pulls the $1,000,000 Bounty! The biggest bounty in the WSOP $1,000 Mystery Millions has officially been claimed. Jonathan Schiller opened the million dollar envelope in a life changing moment at the 2026 WSOP," the official WSOP Twitter account declared on June 29, 2026.

Schiller wasn't the only one to turn a modest buy-in into a massive score. The tournament featured two $500,150 bounties, three $250,000 bounties, and ten $100,000 prizes. Remarkably, Vinay Boob and Brian Smith, both of whom pulled six-figure bounties, managed to make it to the final table—a rare feat in the event's history. Even Triton Super High Roller regular Kiat Lee, with over $26.5 million in lifetime earnings, found value in the $1,000 buy-in, claiming a $250,000 bounty prize.

As Day 2 concluded, 1,236 players remained eligible for bounties, with Higgins sitting in a respectable 10th place among the 24 survivors. He began his ascent to the top by eliminating the 14th, 12th, and 11th place finishers, seizing the chip lead from Panka just as the final table was about to be set. The final table bubble saw 2012 WSOP bracelet winner Joey Weissman exit in 10th place, earning $87,200.

Edward Pak, fresh off a third-place finish at the 2024 World Poker Tour World Championship, departed in ninth for $110,003. Higgins continued his dominant run, sending Imre Makranyi to the rail in eighth place for $140,000, his pocket nines besting Makranyi's pocket eights, and adding a $10,000 bounty to his growing stack. Dominik Panka, the 2014 European Poker Tour PokerStars Caribbean Adventure champion, then eliminated David 'ODB' Baker in seventh place for $176,000, his queen-jack connecting on the flop against Baker's ace-seven.

Thomas Hall took out Vinay Boob in sixth place for $225,000, with Boob's ace-king losing a coin flip to Hall's pocket sixes, a payout slightly less than the $250,000 bounty he had previously secured. Brian Smith, another significant bounty winner, fell to Panka in fifth place for $290,000, his payout significantly boosted beyond his $100,000 bounty. Hall briefly held the lead four-handed, but a brutal bad beat from Panka saw him eliminated in fourth place for $375,000 when Panka's queen-six suited spiked a club flush on the river against Hall's pocket aces.

Higgins then found a crucial double-up against Panka with king-queen versus jack-nine, pulling him close to Panka's stack. He then solidified his lead by sending Leo Lombardozzi packing in third place for $490,000, his pocket tens holding against Lombardozzi's ace-queen. This set up the highly anticipated heads-up battle with Panka.

The final confrontation saw Higgins maintain control. In a dramatic hand on a J♣9♣5♥ flop, Panka's J♠7♣ was up against Higgins' pocket aces. The A♣ on the turn gave Higgins a set, but surprisingly gave Panka more outs. However, the 10♦ on the river sealed the victory for Higgins, who erupted in celebration, claiming his first WSOP bracelet and the $1 million top prize. Panka, a formidable opponent, earned $640,000 for his runner-up finish. Higgins' victory also earned him 1,440 Card Player Player of the Year points, propelling him to 130th in the year-long race.

| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | Matthew Higgins | $1,000,000 | 1,440 | | 2 | Dominik Panka | $640,000 | 1,200 | | 3 | Leo Lombardozzi | $490,000 | 960 | | 4 | Thomas Hall | $375,000 | 720 | | 5 | Brian Smith | $290,000 | 600 | | 6 | Vinay Boob | $225,000 | 480 | | 7 | David Baker | $176,000 | 360 | | 8 | Imre Makranyi | $140,000 | 240 | | 9 | Edward Pak | $110,003 | 120 |