Phil Ivey Still Searching for First Cash at the 2026 WSOP

By Mrinal Gujare

2 hours ago

Mrinal Gujare 2 hours ago

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Phil Ivey has no WSOP 2026 cashes after 17 days.
High expectations unmet, despite being a Fantasy Draft favorite.
History suggests Ivey can recover and deliver strong results.

Image Credit: Rachel Kay Winter/ Pokernews

Phil Ivey remains without a cash after 17 days at the 2026 WSOP, including an early exit from the $100,000 High Roller. Despite the slow start, previous seasons show he has recovered to produce multiple final table appearances.

Phil Ivey's 2026 World Series of Poker campaign has produced one of the biggest surprises of the summer so far.

Seventeen days into the series, the 11-time bracelet winner is still looking for his first cash, highlighting that even poker's biggest stars are not immune to variance.

Ivey's latest setback came on Thursday when he was eliminated on Day 2 of Event #36: $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em, finishing well outside the money.

Slow Start Continues for the Poker Legend

The Poker Hall of Famer has entered multiple bracelet events during the 2026 WSOP, but none have resulted in a cash finish.

Among his early appearances was the $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship. Ivey was eliminated by Darren Elias in Round 1 of Day 1a before returning for Day 1b, where his second attempt ended with a Round 2 loss to Shota Nakanishi.

He also competed in the $10,000 GGMillion$ High Roller No-Limit Hold'em and advanced to Day 2. However, his tournament run ended well before the money bubble.

Since then, Ivey has played several additional events without finding a breakthrough result.

Fantasy Draft Expectations Remain Unfulfilled

Ivey entered the summer as one of the most sought-after players in the WSOP $25K Fantasy Draft. He was selected for $80, making him one of the highest-priced picks.

Despite those expectations, he has yet to earn a single fantasy point for Team Verderamo through the opening 17 days of the series.

History Suggests Patience

A slow start at the World Series of Poker is not unfamiliar territory for Ivey. During the previous summer, he did not record his first cash until Event #38. That result also marked the beginning of a productive stretch that included two final table appearances during the same week.

Ivey, who most recently captured a WSOP bracelet in 2024, followed that with four final table appearances at the 2025 WSOP. His track record demonstrates that an early run of disappointing results does not necessarily define the remainder of a series.

Phil Ivey's search for a first cash at the 2026 WSOP remains one of the notable storylines of the festival. While the poker icon has yet to produce a result, his history of overcoming slow starts and delivering deep tournament runs ensures that his progress will continue to attract close attention.

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