The BSOP Winter Main Event final table is set. According to PokerNews Brasil and SuperPoker, Wilkens Monteiro of Goiania carried the chip lead into the nine handed conclusion of the tournament, which convened Monday, July 27, 2026, at 2 PM Brasilia time inside the WTC Sheraton in Sao Paulo.
Monteiro’s stack put him well ahead of the field after days of play that whittled a massive turnout down to nine survivors. The BSOP Winter Main Event carried a R$5,000 buy-in and drew 1,315 total entries from 668 unique players, a gap that reflects how heavily the re-entry format was used across the opening flights. That volume pushed the total prize pool past R$5.1 million, one of the richer live tournament pools the BSOP tour has produced this year.
A Deep Field Builds a R$5.1 Million Prize Pool
Live tournament fields in Brazil have grown steadily in recent seasons, and the BSOP Winter Main Event was no exception. With 668 unique players firing a combined 1,315 bullets, the event comfortably cleared its guarantee and pushed the prize pool to more than R$5.1 million. That total was built almost entirely from a R$5,000 buy-in, underscoring how much appetite exists among Brazilian grinders for a mid stakes event with WTC Sheraton production values and a marquee final table.
The size of the field also shaped the payout structure. Tournaments with heavy re-entry traffic tend to produce deeper pay jumps once the bubble bursts, and this event was no different. By the time the field reached its final nine, the remaining players were competing for a pay jump that separated a min cash from a life changing top prize.
Monteiro Enters BSOP Winter Main Event Final Table With the Chip Lead
Wilkens Monteiro, who traveled from Goiania for the event, bagged 10,100,000 in chips to take the top seed into the final table. That stack gave him a clear, though not commanding, edge over the rest of the nine.
Antonio Santichio was the closest pursuer with 9,200,000, keeping him within striking distance of the top spot. Ewerton Barros rounded out the top three with 7,410,000. The gap between first and third place was tight enough that any of the top stacks could realistically have argued their way into contention once play resumed, which is typically what makes BSOP final tables compelling theater for the Brazilian poker community.
Players newer to tournament poker who want to understand how chip counts translate into leverage at a nine handed table, and how position and stack depth interact at this stage of an event, can find a broader breakdown in Poker Pro Academy’s WSOP guidewhich covers many of the same final table dynamics that show up on the BSOP tour.
The Chase for R$850,000 and a One of a Kind Prize
The champion of the BSOP Winter Main Event was set to collect R$850,000, the headline prize attached to the event. Beyond the cash, the winner was also in line for a gold protect card, a special commemorative card tied to the BSOP brand and valued in the six figures.
The gold protect card has become a recognizable piece of BSOP’s presentation for its marquee stops, giving champions a keepsake alongside the cash that sets a Gold Tournament win apart from a standard tour event. For the nine players who sat down Monday afternoon, the combination of a R$850,000 top prize and the card gave the final table extra weight beyond the raw chip counts.
Every Finalist Locks a Payday
Making the final table already guaranteed a return on investment for all nine players. Every finalist locked a minimum payout of R$73,450 simply by reaching the unofficial final table, a substantial floor relative to the R$5,000 buy-in.
That guaranteed minimum does not describe what any individual player should expect to earn from tournament poker in general. It reflects the specific payout structure of this event, built from a prize pool that swelled past R$5.1 million thanks to the size of the field. Tournament poker results vary enormously from one event to the next, and a final table min cash of this size is a reflection of a well attended field rather than a typical outcome for tournament players.
BSOP Winter and the Gold Tournament Distinction
The BSOP Winter Main Event was contested as a Gold Tournament, the tier on the Brazilian Series of Poker tour reserved for events that carry added champion perks like the protect card. BSOP has built its reputation as Brazil’s premier live tour over more than a decade, running stops across the country that draw recreational and professional players alike.
The WTC Sheraton in Sao Paulo has hosted BSOP events on a regular basis, making it a familiar venue for the domestic grinding community. Its role as a recurring circuit stop helped this Main Event draw the kind of turnout that produced a four figure entry count and a prize pool north of R$5.1 million.
What Comes Next
With the final table seated and the chip counts locked in, the BSOP Winter Main Event has moved to its concluding stage. Monteiro took the top seed, Santichio and Barros sat close behind, and the rest of the field battled from shorter stacks for a shot at the R$850,000 top prize and the gold protect card.
Poker Pro Academy will continue to track the BSOP tour as it moves through its 2026 calendar. Players who want to sharpen their own final table decision making, from reading stack sizes to understanding hand strength at short handed tables, can review the fundamentals in Poker Pro Academy’s guides before their next live event.
