The 2026 Wisconsin Poker State Championship, a marquee Major Series of Poker: The Tour providing, drew 1,568 entries at $1,110 apiece to simply surpass the $1 million assure. The high 173 finishers earned a share of the $1,519,460 prize pool, however just one would safe the title and the highest prize of $253,521. That turned out to be MSPT Hall of Famer Rob Wazwaz. The bracelet winner from Minnesota now has two victories on this tour, and has prolonged his report for essentially the most MSPT final-table appearances with 22.
His first title on the tour run got here again in 2018, when he took down the MSPT Canterbury Park primary occasion for what was then the second-largest rating of his profession ($109,375). This newest six-figure rating elevated his total match earnings to greater than $3.4 million, with over $1.1 million of that coming from his success on this explicit tour. He is one among simply 5 gamers with seven figures in MSPT cashes.
“Feels amazing,” WazWaz advised MSPT reporters. “Its been so long and you know, I make the final tables and I’d just be so exhausted to the point where I would make mistakes and not be focused the way I should, so it feels really good to close this one out.”
This was his second-largest payday but, trailing solely the $358,346 that got here along with his victory in an $800 deepstack occasion on the 2022 World Series of Poker. In addition to the cash and the {hardware}, WazWaz additionally earned 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year factors with this triumph. He now sits simply exterior the highest 200 within the 2026 POY standings offered by CoinPoker.
From 173 To A Champion In A Single Day
The last 173 returned to the host venue of Potawatomi Hotel Casino in Milwaukee, all having locked up no less than a min-cash. The schedule referred to as for play to proceed till a champion was determined. Plenty of notables hit the rail on the lengthy march to the ultimate desk, together with Josh Reichard (forty fifth), Aaron Johnson (forty second), Rich Alsup (twenty sixth), and Brittany Spain (tenth).
There have been eight double ups earlier than the primary knockout on the nine-handed last desk, with MSPT champion Travis Young (ninth – $25,730) being the primary to fall. He was quickly joined by John Almanzar (eighth – $31,785) and two-time MSPT champion Ken Baime (seventh – $40,866).
WazWaz landed his first elimination on the last desk when his Okay♦10♠ outran the pocket jacks of Alex Doroshko (sixth – $51,461). Vincent Kuriakose (fifth – $68,110) bowed out in fifth, along with his Okay-7 suited unable to return from behind towards the pocket aces of William Stringer.
Despite that win, Stringer was in the end the following to go to the payout desk. He misplaced an enormous pot with a pair and flush draw towards WazWaz’s high pair, high kicker and was unable to enhance by the river. He was left quick, and WazWaz quickly obtained the remaining with Okay-3 suited besting Q-7. Stringer earned $90,662 because the fourth-place finisher.
Bracelet winner Mike Wilklow made his final stand with Okay♣7♠. WazWaz got here together with A♣4♠ and ace excessive remained greatest to slender the sector to 2. Wilklow secured $118,057 for his podium exhibiting.
WazWaz held 34,200,000 to Mark Cahill’s 12,840,000 when heads-up play started. The chips quickly went in with A♣6♦ main Okay♣6♣. The last runout of J♠9♥7♦8♠2♦ missed each gamers, which meant that ace excessive was as soon as once more sufficient to earn WazWaz a knockout. Cahill was awarded $154,077 because the runner-up.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Rob WazWaz | $253,521 | 1080 |
| 2 | Mark Cahill | $154,077 | 900 |
| 3 | Michael Wilklow | $118,057 | 720 |
| 4 | William Stringer | $90,662 | 540 |
| 5 | Vincent Kuriakose | $68,110 | 450 |
| 6 | Alexander Doroshko | $51,461 | 360 |
| 7 | Kenneth Baime | $40,866 | 270 |
| 8 | John Almanzar | $31,785 | 180 |
| 9 | Travis Young | $25,730 | 90 |
Photo credit score: MSPT
