Jeff Madsen exploded on the poker event scene in 2006, profitable that 12 months’s World Series of Poker Player of the Year race after taking down two bracelets and making 4 ultimate tables. While the then University of Santa Barbara scholar’s first two wins each got here in no-limit maintain’em, he managed deep runs in a number of mixed-game occasions that first 12 months, putting third within the $2,000 Omaha eight-or-better and third within the $1,000 stud eight-or-better.
Two many years later, Madsen remains to be a pressure to be reckoned with on the collection. The poker participant, now based mostly out of Las Vegas, kicked off the 2026 competition with one other win, taking down the 2026 WSOP $1,500 vendor’s alternative occasion for his fifth profession gold bracelet and $161,057. Madsen, who will flip 41 on June 7, defeated a subject of 656 entries within the mixed-game throwdown, turning into simply the forty seventh participant in WSOP historical past to have earned 5 or extra bracelets.
Madsen’s third bracelet got here within the 2013 WSOP $3,000 pot-limit Omaha occasion. Then, two years later, he received the eight-or-better model of the identical event for his fourth.
“Obviously, the first ones were just sort of like the dream, I was a kid with a dream. I had a little gap of seven years, but this is the longest gap. I felt like this is the best I have played in the last ten years,” Madsen instructed PokerInformation reside reporters after popping out on prime. “It’s sort of a big weight off my shoulders again, because I have been putting a lot of work in. I’m just very excited and happy… on my 20th anniversary. It’s wild that it’s been 20 years already.”
This win got here with 840 Card Player Player of the Year factors for Madsen. This was his first title and third final-table end of 2026. With 1,221 complete factors, he now sits inside the highest 250 within the general standings offered by CoinPoker.
A Climb Before Dinner
The third and ultimate day of this occasion started with simply ten gamers remaining contained in the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Madsen started the day in eighth chip place, whereas Philip Wess topped the counts. John Bunch (tenth), two-time bracelet winner Nathan Gamble (ninth), and Daniel Geyser (eighth) all hit the rail within the early going, with Madsen touchdown the ultimate blow on Geyser in a spherical of Omaha eight-or-better.
Even with that knockout, Madsen was nonetheless close to the underside of the leaderboard. Clayton Mozdzen made the wheel in pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better to scoop Robert Klein to the rail in seventh ($18,137). Madsen was capable of climb within the standings a bit throughout six-handed play, after which laddered one other spot with Mozdzen’s elimination of Kelvin Zhao (sixth – $24,766) throughout a spherical of badugi. Zhao made 9♥5♦2♠A♣, solely to run right into a monster 5♣4♦2♥A♠for his opponent.
Madsen then received a few sizable pots earlier than the ultimate 5 went to dinner, seizing the lead forward of the one-hour break in motion.
From Five To One
Dario Sammartino
Mozdzen’s run on this occasion got here to an finish in stud eight-or-better. Madsen scooped with the one low and a pair of eights. Mozdzen earned $34,588 because the fifth-place finisher.
Bracelet winner and 2019 WSOP principal occasion runner-up Dario Sammartino was the following to fall. The Italian was scooped by Madsen in a badeucy hand, with the eventual champion making 9♠7♦6♥3♥2♣ for a 9-7 low and a 9-7-3-2 badugi. Sammartino earned $49,383 for his fourth-place end. The rating pushed his profession haul previous the $18.2 million mark.
Philip Wess scored the penultimate elimination of the occasion, scooping with a pair of aces and an 8-4-3-2-A low on a 10♣5♦4♥2♦3♣ runout with A♥A♦Q♠9♠8♦ in Big O. Luteng Li, who was on fumes, had referred to as all-in preflop with Q♣J♠10♦9♥8♥. Li earned $72,042 because the third-place finisher.
Madsen took roughly a 3.5:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Wess. He expanded that benefit early in a few Big O pots earlier than the ultimate hand of the event arrived throughout a spherical of pot-limit double draw excessive. The chips received in earlier than the attracts with Wess retaining J♥8♥6♥2♥ for a flush draw and Madsen holding Q♦Q♣ and drawing three. Madsen completed with A♣Q♥Q♦Q♣2♣ for journeys, whereas Wess by no means discovered his wanted coronary heart. He ended up with simply jack excessive after hitting a brick 9♣ on the ultimate draw.
Wess earned $107,341 because the runner-up, the most important event rating of his profession.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Jeff Madsen | $161,057 | 840 |
| 2 | Philip Wess | $107,341 | 700 |
| 3 | Luteng Li | $72,042 | 560 |
| 4 | Dario Sammartino | $49,383 | 420 |
| 5 | Clayton Mozdzen | $34,588 | 350 |
| 6 | Kelvin Zhao | $24,766 | 280 |
| 7 | Robert Klein | $18,137 | 210 |
Photo credit: WSOP / Travis Ball, Jazmyn Le
