Hamid Izadi has achieved what many event poker gamers dream of and only a few accomplish: a profitable title protection. One 12 months after taking down the 2025 World Series of Poker Circuit Southern Indiana $1,700 no-limit maintain’em most important occasion, he returned to Caesars Southern Indiana and did it over again. This time round Izadi topped a area of 282 entries, incomes $93,060 because the back-to-back champion. That pushed his lifetime haul to almost $3.2 million.
The poker professional based mostly out of Marietta, Georgia now has 11 WSOPC gold rings to his title, with 4 most important occasion wins amongst them. Izadi is simply the second participant within the tour’s historical past to attain as many victories in championships, tying the report set by all-time ring chief Maurice Hawkins.
“I’m going to catch him soon,” Izadi instructed Poker.Org concerning Hawkins’ field-best 26 rings. “He’s a good player, but I’m going to catch him soon.”
Izadi is lots aware of Hawkins, having squared off towards him for the title within the 2025 operating of this event. Now that he’s tied Hawkins’ report, he’s desperate to get again to the felt and look to surpass it.
“I love the WSOP Circuit. I love main events everywhere I go, and I am really proud of myself,” he continued. “Most importantly is my family support, because they let me come and play. Honestly I’m very happy, because I wanted to be the second guy to win four main events or more – hopefully more to come. I’ll win the next one at Choctaw.”
Izadi climbed to eighty fifth within the 2026 Card Player Player of the Year race offered by CoinPoker, with 4 titles and 10 remaining tables to date. This newest win got here with 456 factors.
Nine To Five
The remaining day of this occasion started with 9 gamers remaining and Izadi within the lead. The high 43 finishers cashed in from the prize pool of $427,230, with $298,600 nonetheless up for grabs when the final session received underway.
Debbie Lee (ninth – $7,450) ran right into a flopped flush for Jake Gribbins to be the primary to fall. She was quickly joined by Donald Crabtree (eighth – $9,480), who misplaced a preflop showdown with A-7 towards the 5-4 suited of Brad Albrinck. Gribbins then landed one other knockout blow with pocket jacks towards the pocket eights of Christopher Selph (seventh – $12,340).
Christopher Dame’s event crashed to a halt when his A♣10♥ bumped into Albrinck’s Ok♥Ok♦. The 5♣4♦2♥10♦J♥ stored Albrinck’s overpair greatest to slender the sphere to 5. Dame headed to the payout desk to gather $16,400 because the sixth-place finisher.
Izadi Surges To Victory
Izadi landed his first elimination of the day when he outraced the J-10 of Bradley Tait (fifth – $22,270) with pocket threes. A cooler in his favor gave him one other knockout, together with his 7♥3♣ besting A♦2♦ for Gribbins on a 7♠7♦3♦Q♦6♠ board. The chips went in on the river, and Gribbins received the dangerous information that his ace-high flush was no good. Gribbins earned $30,880 for his fourth-place displaying.
Albrinck fell behind the pack as three-handed play continued. Eventually, he made his stand with A♣9♠. He was in tough form towards A♠J♣ for Robert Hankins. The board got here down Ok♣10♠2♦10♣5♥ and Hankins’ superior kicker was sufficient to finish Albrinck’s run in third place. The two-time WSOPC most important occasion winner was ever so near a 3rd triumph on the tour, however as a substitute settled for $43,680. He now has greater than $2.3 million in lifetime cashes to his title.
Heads-up play started with Izadi holding a slight lead over Hankins, however the hole quickly widened. Hankins had slid to simply over 26 huge blinds by the point the ultimate hand arose. With blinds of 40,000-80,000 and a giant blind ante of 80,000, Izadi raised to 240,000 on the button with A♣10♣. Hankins three-bet shoved for two,100,000 with A♥6♠ and Izadi known as. The A♦Ok♦7♥Ok♠7♣ runout noticed each gamers make aces and kings, however Izadi’s superior kicker locked up the pot and the title.
Hankins, who gained this identical event a decade earlier, added $63,040 to his profession tally with this runner-up displaying. He now boasts over $1.7 million in recorded scores.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Hamid Izadi | $93,060 | 456 |
| 2 | Robert Hankins | $63,040 | 380 |
| 3 | Brad Albrinck | $43,680 | 304 |
| 4 | Jake Gribbins | $30,880 | 228 |
| 5 | Bradley Tait | $22,270 | 190 |
| 6 | Christopher Dame | $16,400 | 152 |
| 7 | Christopher Selph | $12,340 | 114 |
| 8 | Donald Crabtree | $9,480 | 76 |
| 9 | Debbie Lee | $7,450 | 38 |
Photo credit score: WSOP / Poker.Org
