When Ryan Riess made the 2013 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table, the concept of the November Nine was well known.
Beginning in 2008, the WSOP Main Event would take a four-month break, allowing for interest in the event to grow as the tournament was broadcast on ESPN week by week.
The last November Nine came in 2016, when Kenny Hallaert made the first of his two runs to the Main Event final table. But after years of a 1-2 day break, 2026 has seen the introduction of a three-week gap.
2013 World Champion Riess spoke with PokerNews, reflecting on his own victory 13 years ago, and why he thinks three weeks represents the sweet spot for the biggest final table in poker.
How to Watch the 2026 WSOP Main Event on ESPN
From First Timer to World Champion
Any person entering the Main Event, even seasoned pros, do it with one thing in mind. Win it. Luckily for Riess, he realized this goal at the very first opportunity.
“2013 was my first WSOP and Main Event,” said Riess. “[When I made the final table] my initial thoughts about the break were just pure excitement and disbelief that I actually made the November Nine. That was every poker player’s dream back then.”
“That was every poker player’s dream back then”
Riess started the final table in the middle of the pack in what was a congested field. At the final table, he was sandwiched between the short stacks on his right of Sylvain Loosli, Michiel Brummelhuis and Mark Newhouse, while having to contend with the likes of Amir Lehavot and Marc McLaughlin on his left, with overall chip leader JC Tran also lurking.
2013 WSOP Main Event Final Table Chip Counts
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sylvain Loosli | France | 19,600,000 |
| 2 | Michiel Brummelhuis | Netherlands | 11,275,000 |
| 3 | Mark Newhouse | USA | 7,350,000 |
| 4 | Ryan Riess | USA | 25,875,000 |
| 5 | Amir Lehavot | Israel | 29,700,000 |
| 6 | Marc McLaughlin | Canada | 26,525,000 |
| 7 | JC Tran | USA | 38,000,000 |
| 8 | David Benefield | USA | 6,375,000 |
| 9 | Jay Farber | USA | 25,975,000 |
But Riess had other ideas. A 68th-place finish in the Borgata Poker Open Main Event was all the prep Riess needed.
“My plan was to just play poker during the break,” says Riess. “It was really cool because a lot of people noticed me and wished me good luck and gave me lots of positive energy and vibes.”
“Back then there were way less studying tools compared to nowadays. I just traveled around playing poker tournaments and getting reps in, but I would be lying if I said I was in the lab studying.”
Riess is blunt, but it’s understandable. The poker landscape over a decade ago looked vastly different from today’s solver-dominated era. There was no talk of GTO software or ICM simulation models, he says.
“To be honest, I didn’t prepare for my specific position as much as I probably should have. My goal/strategy was to just win by any means possible, and luckily, the deck chose me.”
Looking Ahead to 2026
The ESPN broadcast of the 2026 WSOP Main Event has begun, and Riess says he’s looking forward to watching the final table.
The November Nine was awesome; I loved every minute of it,” he says. “But it was probably a little too long a break. But I think three weeks is a lot better. A single day off is the worst option by far.
“A few weeks is a perfect amount of time off before the biggest day in all of these people’s lives.”
Riess says he’s keeping his eye on one player in particular: chip leader Lucas Jumalon.
“He’s in the driver’s seat, but it’s poker. Anything can happen.”
Will Shillibier
Managing Editor