Eric Chang Wins Record WSOP Circuit Austin Main Event
Eric Chang topped a record 2,090-entry field at WSOP Circuit Austin for $433,670, outlasting new champ Lucas Jumalon along the way.
Eric Chang won the WSOP Circuit Austin main event at Texas Card House for $433,670, topping a record 2,090-entry field. He beat Anil Jivani heads-up after fresh WSOP main event champion Lucas Jumalon busted in 14th place. It's Chang's second WSOP Circuit ring and by far his biggest career score.
- Eric Chang won $433,670 and his second WSOP Circuit ring
- The field set a record for a $1,700 buy-in WSOP Circuit main event at 2,090 entries
- The prize pool reached $3,166,350, well above the $2 million guarantee
- 2026 WSOP main event champion Lucas Jumalon finished 14th for $19,030
- Chang beat Anil Jivani heads-up to close out the title
- The win is worth more than eight times Chang's previous best live cash, according to CardPlayer
What happened at the WSOP Circuit Austin main event?
Eric Chang won the WSOP Circuit Austin main event at Texas Card House for $433,670. According to CardPlayer, the Texas-based pro outlasted the largest $1,700 buy-in WSOP Circuit main event field the tour has ever run.
The tournament drew 2,090 entries across three starting flights, pushing the prize pool to $3,166,350. That easily cleared the $2 million guarantee and marked a 22 percent jump over the event's first Austin edition in May, which drew 1,709 entries.
That inaugural Austin event was won by local pro Thomas Brabham for $368,545, CardPlayer notes. Chang's field grew well past that mark, showing how quickly WSOP Circuit main events in Texas have expanded since the venue opened its doors to the tour.
How did Lucas Jumalon fare after his WSOP main event win?
Six weeks after winning the 2026 WSOP main event and its $10 million top prize, Lucas Jumalon showed up in Austin as the day 3 chip leader with 18 players left, CardPlayer reports.
His run ended in 14th place for $19,030. A missed flush draw and a couple of poorly timed bluffs cost him key pots before his pair of sixes ran into a rival's flush on his final hand.
Jumalon had spent much of the past two years chasing tournaments around Texas while finishing his degree at Grand Canyon University. His deep run in Austin suggested his form from the WSOP main event hadn't entirely faded, even though the result came up short.
How did Eric Chang close out the title?
Chang started day 2 as one of the shortest stacks in the room and built his way to a distant fifth place at the nine-handed final table. He told PokerOrg's Mike Patrick he had said from day 2 that a double-up would carry him to the win.
Key double-ups against Eric Tang and Ryan Brown built his stack through the late stages. He flopped a flush draw against Tang, turned the winning card, and later turned a full house to bust Brown's strong ace-king.
He then eliminated Tang in fifth place and outlasted Anil Jivani heads-up. His ace-nine survived a wild five-card runout against Jivani's ace-five to seal the title and the $433,670 payday.
Who else made deep runs in Austin?
The final table included 13-time WSOP Circuit ring winner John Holley, who finished 15th, and veteran Aaron Massey, who took 11th. Notable min-cashers and near-final-tablers included Jon Turner, Terrance Reid, and Andrew Moreno.
Only Brant Jolly among the final nine had over $1 million in career tournament earnings before this event. The rest carried six-figure resumes, ranging from $156,702 up to $848,440, per CardPlayer's reporting.
Chang's win also earned him 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year points, his second qualifying result of the 2026 season toward that yearlong leaderboard. It's a meaningful step for a player whose biggest prior cash was a fraction of this one.
What it means for players
This result shows how deep WSOP Circuit fields have gotten, with 2,090 entries turning a $1,700 buy-in into a $433,670 top prize. It's a reminder that even a short stack early can run deep with patience, as Chang did after dipping to a single big blind twice. If you're building your own tournament game, brush up on late-stage decisions in our strategy hub and track your own sessions with our free tools.
More on Lifes a Gambol: our WSOP 2026 preview.
Frequently asked
How much did Eric Chang win at WSOP Circuit Austin?
Chang won $433,670 for first place, along with his second WSOP Circuit ring. It was more than eight times his previous best live tournament cash, according to CardPlayer.
Did Lucas Jumalon win another tournament after his WSOP main event title?
No. Jumalon entered day 3 of the WSOP Circuit Austin main event as chip leader but finished 14th for $19,030.
How big was the WSOP Circuit Austin main event field?
The event drew 2,090 entries, a record for a $1,700 buy-in WSOP Circuit main event. That built a prize pool of $3,166,350, well past the $2 million guarantee.
Where was the tournament held?
The main event ran at Texas Card House Austin, marking the second WSOP Circuit main event held at that venue.