2026 WSOP Online: Zhiqiang Shen Wins Mini Main Event

By Mrinal Gujare

2 hours ago

Mrinal Gujare 2 hours ago

Share this article

WSOP Online $500 Mini Main Event shipped by Zhiqiang Shen
Japan’s Seiichi Kanemitsu turned runner-up
Badziakouski makes final 8 in $5K 6-Max NLHE Championship

Image by Jess Beck / Pokernews

Zhiqiang Shen won GGPoker’s $500 Mini Main Event for $747,545, a $30,000 Super Pass and WSOP bracelet after a 12,113-entry field.

The WSOP Online 2026 $500 Mini Main Event on GGPoker has crowned Zhiqiang Shen as its champion, with the Chinese player securing $747,545 after outlasting a field of 12,113 entries in the 2026 WSOP Online series.

The event generated a $5,753,675 prize pool, with all 1,208 players who advanced to Day 2 sharing in the money.

This tournament on GGPoker also produced a deep run for several established names, including Andrey Pateychuk, Brunno Botteon, Ole Schemion, Ognyan Dimov, Chris Klodnicki, Martin Finger, Joao Vieira, Rayan Chamas and Audrius Stakelis, all of whom recorded a return on their $500 buy-in.

Day 2 concluded with nine players remaining. Japan’s Seiichi Kanemitsu entered the final table as the chip leader, while China’s Zhiqiang Shen and Ziqian Wang occupied the other two podium positions on the leaderboard.

Nikolaos Angelou-Konstas of Cyprus was the first finalist eliminated, finishing ninth for $93,443. His exit also marked the end of the tournament’s five-figure payouts.

Argentina’s Ignacio Sagra was next to leave, adding $121,162 to his bankroll with an eighth-place finish. Brazil’s Mauricio Rocha then saw his deep run come to an end in seventh place, earning $157,109.

Six-handed play ended with Vladislav Chechenin’s elimination. His sixth-place finish was worth $203,727.

The elimination of Brazil’s Rafael Yamaki in fifth place guaranteed that the $500 Mini Main Event would have an Asian champion. Yamaki collected $264,182 for his finish.

China’s Ziqian Wang was subsequently eliminated in fourth place, receiving $342,583. Malaysia’s Lee Wee Liew then fell in third place, earning $444,257 and leaving Shen and Kanemitsu to contest the title heads-up.

The heads-up battle brought together China’s Zhiqiang Shen and Japan’s Seiichi Kanemitsu. Despite a $171,434 difference between the first- and second-place payouts, the two finalists did not strike a deal.

Kanemitsu ultimately finished second, collecting $576,111. Shen secured the title and the $747,545 top prize.

Alongside the money, Shen also received a $30,000 Super Pass to the 2026 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event and a gold WSOP bracelet.

$500 Mini Main Event - Final Table Results

Rank	Player	Prize
1	Zhiqiang "panzhanle" Shen	$747,545
2	Seiichi "Ditto1031" Kanemitsu	$576,111
3	Lee Wee "BadbeatSong" Liew	$444,257
4	Ziqian "Lucky_Bear" Wang	$342,583
5	Rafael "rafayamaki" Yamaki	$264,182
6	Vladislav "Northern_lights" Chechenin	$203,727
7	Mauricio "maucirio" Rocha	$157,109
8	Ignacio "Nashman12" Sagra	$121,162
9	Nikolaos "Silk Master" Angelou-Konstas	$93,443

Badziakouski Among Final Eight in $5K NLHE Championship

Attention also turns to the remaining eight players in the $5,000 6-Handed NLH Championship, with high-stakes player Mikita Badziakouski among those still competing for the title.

The Belarusian is playing from Slovenia and already owns a WSOP bracelet. He won the $50,000 High Roller at the 2021 WSOP in Las Vegas.

Badziakouski’s fellow Belarusian Ilia Arkhipov enters the final day as the chip leader. Wai Kiat Lee and Yulian Bogdanov occupy second and third place, respectively.

The remaining final-table field also includes Daniel Da Silva, who finished 11th in the $500 Mini Main Event, Ukrainian player Vlad Martynenko, Edilson Junior and Joseph Cheong.

News Shen Nails Mini Main