Phil Ivey Nears Breakthrough in $50K Poker Players Championship
Summary:
- Phil Ivey sits in fifth place with 2.4 million chips as just 17 players remain in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
- Despite 11 WSOP bracelets, Ivey has never won the Poker Players Championship or the Main Event.
- Benny Glaser leads the field while Phil Hellmuth also remains in contention, setting up a final stretch filled with poker stars
Phil Ivey is once again right where the poker world expects to see him, deep in a major WSOP event with everything still to play for. This time, though, the stakes feel a little different.
Can He Do It This Time?
The 11-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner is sitting in fifth place in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship as the field has been reduced to just 17 players.
With the money bubble now behind them, every remaining player has locked up at least six figures, but the real focus is the seven-figure top prize and the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy that comes with one of poker’s most respected titles.
Ivey has been here many times before, but this event remains one of the few gaps in an otherwise legendary résumé.
He has never won the PPC, and he has also yet to capture the WSOP Main Event. For a player widely considered one of the greatest in poker history, those missing achievements are often part of the conversation.
Good Positioning
On Tuesday night (June 23, 2026), Ivey positioned himself well for a deep run, sitting behind chip leader Benny Glaser but comfortably inside the top group with 2.4 million chips.
The atmosphere around him has been relaxed, even by his standards, with moments of the day spent glancing at World Cup action playing on screens in the tournament area.
That lightness has not stopped him from building momentum at the table. The field is filled with elite talent, including Jason Mercier, Josh Arieh and Chris Brewer, all still fighting for a spot at the final table. Phil Hellmuth, the most decorated player in WSOP history, is also still alive in the hunt, though sitting closer to the middle of the pack with work to do.
The Poker Players Championship is often described as the ultimate test of all-around poker skill, combining multiple formats and demanding consistency across disciplines. That is exactly the kind of challenge where Ivey’s reputation has always thrived.
With one more day before the final table is set, the story is simple. One of poker’s greatest players is still chasing one of its most respected titles, and the finish line is now in sight.
