Dunaway, Holtz Headline Latest World Series Of Poker Bracelet Winners

The 2026 World Series of Poker is transferring at a blistering tempo, with 28 champions already topped from its 100 reside gold bracelet occasions. More than $69.2 million in prize cash has been awarded to date in accomplished occasions, together with the entire {hardware}. Here is a take a look at the newest huge winners from contained in the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

2026 WSOP Event No. 25 – $500 NLH Freezeout

While 4,100 gamers turned out for the $500 no-limit maintain’em freezeout, it was 21-year-old San Diegan Brayden Lou who finally drove away with the {hardware}. Lou entered this occasion whereas on a street journey along with his father, Damon. The two have been making their manner dwelling after Lou’s commencement from Gordon College in Boston, Massachusetts and deliberate to cease in Las Vegas to take a shot at a bracelet.

Lou, who earned a political science diploma, first tried his hand within the ongoing Monster Stack. While he managed to knock out reigning world champion Michael Mizrachi, he was finally eradicated outdoors of the cash in that event. He then hopped within the $500 freezeout, and the remainder is historical past.

Lou earned $196,066 alongside along with his first bracelet. He additionally secured 660 Card Player Player of the Year factors. This was not solely his first POY-qualified rating of 2026, but it surely was additionally his first recorded event money, interval.

The high 616 finishers made the cash on this occasion, with $1,701,500 in whole prize cash awarded between them. Plenty of huge names ran deep together with Josh Reichard (98th), ‘Johnnie Vibes’ Moreno (thirty sixth), Travis Johnson (twenty third), and Chris Hunichen (seventh).

2026 WSOP Event No. 26 – $2,000 NLH

In 2025, Braxton Dunaway got here tantalizingly near profitable the most important event in poker. The 2023 WSOP Monster Stack champion completed third in final 12 months’s major occasion, incomes $4,000,000 for his podium exhibiting.

Dunaway obtained proper again to his profitable methods this 12 months, defeating a area of 968 entries within the $2,000 no-limit maintain’em occasion for his second bracelet and a $288,064 payout. The 43-year-old Texas resident now has greater than $5.8 million in recorded scores, with over $5.5 million of that coming from his 13 cashes in WSOP occasions.

The closing heads-up battle for the bracelet pitted Dunaway in opposition to Erwann Pecheux. This was the second large runner-up end of the 12 months for the Frenchman, having earned $227,504 for his efficiency within the European Poker Tour Paris €3,250 thriller bounty occasion. The 760 POY factors that got here along with his newest deep run moved him inside the highest 100 within the total standings offered by CoinPoker.

The $1,723,040 prize pool for this occasion was cut up between the highest 146 finishers. Notables like Jonathan Tamayo (74th), Shiina Okamoto (thirty sixth), Zdenek Zizka (thirty fifth), Ryan Hiller (14th), Craig Mason (eleventh) and Sami Bechahed (eighth) have been amongst those that cashed. 

2026 WSOP Event No. 28 – $600 Deepstack NLH/PLO

One of probably the most stacked closing tables thus far this summer time by some means happened within the $600 Deepstack no-limit maintain’em and pot-limit Omaha eight-max blended occasion. From a sea of three,332 whole entries, the ultimate eight included the likes of seven-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu (eighth – $24,347) and three-time bracelet winner Alex Foxen (fifth – $55,305).

In addition to these two excessive rollers, who collectively boast over $116.5 million in event earnings, there have been a few probably the most embellished mid-stakes gamers within the recreation, beginning with World Poker Tour champion and 17-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Josh Reichard (third – $99,831). All-time ring chief Maurice Hawkins, with 25 WSOPC titles, was finally the runner-up, incomes $135,864.

Hawkins rivered a full home to finest Negreanu’s turned flush in a key hand, setting him up for a run at his first bracelet. Brent Gregory was finally the participant to come back out on high, although. The three-time ring winner from Missouri emerged victorious along with his first bracelet and $204,140.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous,” Gregory informed PokerInformation reside reporters after profitable. “Foxen, Negreanu, Reichard, everybody. There were several better players than me at the table.”

This was the most important rating but for Gregory, who’s now approaching $1 million in profession cashes. Hawkins climbed to twenty sixth within the POY standings due to this deep run. He has gained 4 titles and made 13 closing tables thus far in 2026.

2026 WSOP Event No. 31 – $1,500 NLH Super Turbo Bounty

Mike Holtz sprinted to victory within the $1,500 no-limit maintain’em tremendous turbo bounty occasion, outlasting 2,103 entries in the midst of a single session to hoist his second gold bracelet.

The on-line poker grinder earned $238,097 for this win, the most important payday of his profession. His first bracelet noticed him take down a 2022 WSOP Online $777 NLH occasion for $76,157. With this newest triumph, the cohost of the PokerInformation Podcast now has over $2.2 million in recorded scores to his identify.

“It’s been a long time coming, and I’ve always wanted a live bracelet. There is a sort of stigma with the online bracelet, like, oh blah blah blah. Fuck them, baby. Daddy’s got two now,” mentioned Holtz.

The prize pool grew to $1,740,233 on this event, with 319 cashing. Big names like Chris Vitch (forty eighth), Adam Owen (forty fourth), Justin Arnwine (thirtieth), Daniel Rezaei (twenty seventh), Thomas Eychenne (twenty sixth), Blake Bohn (14th), and Andrew Ostapchenko (sixth) all made robust showings.

Photo credit: WSOP / Travis Ball, Miguel Cortes, Dominic Iaquinto.