Naoya Kihara was on the verge of stepping away from event poker earlier than touring to Las Vegas for the 2026 World Series of Poker. The 44-year-old participant made historical past as the primary Japanese participant to ever win a WSOP gold bracelet, however had discovered the success he’d hoped for in recent times. But, generally after a drought comes the deluge.
He began his summer time off with a win within the $10,000 deuce-to-seven single-draw lowball championship, breaking a 14-year winless streak on the sequence to earn his second profession bracelet. Then, within the very subsequent $10,000 buy-in championship on the schedule, Kihara topped a stacked discipline and last desk to go back-to-back. He beat out 130 entries within the prestigious seven-card stud event to earn $301,970 and his third bracelet.
In addition to changing into the primary three-time bracelet winner from Japan, Kihara additionally prolonged a 26-year streak of at the least one participant successful a number of bracelets each summer time on the WSOP. Chris Ferguson bought the ball rolling in 2000, with victories in each the $2,500 stud occasion and the primary occasion.
“Poker is a mix of luck and skill,” he instructed PokerInformation dwell reporters after closing out this win. “I’m pretty sure I have enough skill, but I need luck also to win the tournament. For a few days, I’m really lucky.”
Kihara had loads of robust competitors to take care of down the stretch, together with runner-up James Cheung, who would have additionally saved the streak alive as he’d already taken down a $1,500 stud occasion this 12 months. Four multi-time bracelet winners joined Kihara on the last desk, with 18 wins on the sequence between them.
In the tip, Kihara secured the {hardware}, the highest payout, and 660 Card Player Player of the Year factors because the champion. With 1,500 whole factors, he has climbed inside the highest 150 within the 2026 POY standings offered by CoinPoker. He additionally locked up 302 PokerGO Tour factors with this triumph, climbing to eleventh in that high-stakes factors race within the course of.
Setting The Stage
The $1,209,000 prize pool for this occasion was cut up amongst the highest 20 finishers, with notables like Robert Mizrachi (twentieth), David Benyamine (nineteenth), Ryutaro Suzuki (seventeenth), Paul Volpe (14th), Eli Elezra (thirteenth), and Patrick Leonard (twelfth) making the cash late solely to be despatched to the rail late on day 2.
The third and last day started with 11 gamers remaining and defending WSOP principal occasion champion Michael Mizrachi main the pack. Jason Kluska bagged up only a single massive wager on the finish of day 2, however an early double-up on day 3 allowed him to outlast 2023 WPT World Championship winner Daniel Sepiol (eleventh – $24,181). Sepiol, who was in search of his second bracelet, bumped into queens up for latest $1,500 stud occasion winner James Cheung and was unable to hit his gutshot straight draw on seventh avenue to maintain these hopes alive.
Kluska quickly discovered one other double, rivering a nine-high straight to greatest the six-high straight of Cheung. He received one other hefty pot with the identical straight, additional bouncing again. In the meantime, bracelet winner Maksim Pisarenko (tenth – $24,181) was despatched packing, together with his tens up bested by the aces up of Kihara.
Cheung then scored one other knockout with aces-up, sending Brad Ruben to the rail in ninth place ($28,179). Ruben’s buried pair of eights by no means improved after his final chips went in. The five-time bracelet winner now has almost $3.1 million in profession cashes after this newest deep run on the sequence.
Despite the sturdy begin to the day, Kluska was finally the following to fall. He bought the final of his stack in after the deal and was known as in two spots. Cheung wager Kihara out on seventh and revealed a pair of aces. Kluska had a pair of fours and was seeking to hit one other pair or journeys on the tip, however as an alternative drew up a brick within the J♥ to complete eighth for $33,974. This was the second final-table end for the Pennsylvania resident, having additionally positioned eighth in a $500 on-line occasion a few years earlier.
More Heavy-Hitters Head To The Rail
Ryan Miller bowed out in seventh place. He bought all-in after the deal and wound up with a last board of (A♣4♥)Ok♣5♣8♠Q♠(Ok♦) for a pair of kings. Jeremy Ausmus confirmed the (A♠A♦)3♠7♦10♦6♣(J♦) for a successful pair of aces to say the pot, sending miller to the rail with $42,333. The two-time bracelet winner now has greater than $1.8 million in recorded event scores.
Mizrachi should wait for one more day to earn his ninth profession bracelet. The four-time $50,000 Poker Players Championship winner and Poker Hall of Famer began his last hand with pocket aces within the gap main the cut up threes of Chris Brewer, however when each gamers caught threes on sixth, Brewer improved to journeys to take a decisive lead. The chips went in earlier than seventh avenue, and Mizrachi discovered himself in want of an ace. He drew up a ten as an alternative and headed to the payout desk to gather $54,458 for his sixth-place displaying.
Brewer ended up as the following to be eradicated. He slid to the underside of the counts as five-handed play continued, and ultimately dedicated the final of his stack with 4 to a flush by fifth avenue. His (Q♣4♣)3♣9♣5♦ was up towards (J♦6♥)J♣2♥Q♥ for Ausmus. While Brewer hit the 8♥ on sixth and 6♣ on the tip to make his membership draw, Ausmus caught the Q♦ and Q♠ for queens stuffed with jacks to win the pot. Brewer, a two-time bracelet winner, was awarded $72,254 for his fifth-place end. The former collegiate distance runner now has greater than $30.4 million in recorded cashes to his identify.
Ausmus And Kessler Fall Just Short
Ausmus, a six-time bracelet winner and CoinPoker ambassador, was left on fumes after shedding two hefty pots to Kihara throughout four-handed motion. Cheung then swooped in for the final of his stack, making a broadway straight to ship Ausmus packing in fourth place ($98,782). The poker vlogger now has almost $29.7 million in lifetime event cashes below his belt, with roughly $11.9 million of that coming from his successes on the sequence. This was Ausmus’ 14th PGT-qualified rating of 20226 already. As a end result, he moved into eighth place on the PGT’s season-long leaderboard.
With Ausmus’ exit, Allen Kessler was left to sq. off with Kihara and Cheung. Kessler, who has 5 WSOP Circuit rings to his identify, has been an everyday on the sequence for 1 / 4 century now. He has come near incomes his first bracelet a number of occasions, together with 4 runner-up finishes in bracelet occasions. He positioned second within the stud eight-or-better championship in 2010 for a career-best rating of $276,485. After briefly overtaking the lead, Kessler misplaced a giant pot with aces up towards the six-high straight of Cheung to slip again down the leaderboard. He then ran right into a full home for Kihara to fall additional again from the pack.
Kessler’s last hand noticed him get all-in with (8♠8♥)6♥Ok♥2♠ towards the (Q♥Q♣)A♣3♠J♥ of Kihara. The A♠ on sixth avenue gave Kihara aces up and an enormous lead within the pot, however the 3♥ noticed Kessler decide up a flush draw. Kessler wound up with eights up due to the 6♠ on seventh avenue, whereas Kihara improved to queens full with the Q♠. Kessler earned $139,036 because the third-place finisher. This was his fourth-largest rating but on the circuit.
Heads-Up To See Who’d Continue The Streak
Kihara held roughly a 3:2 chip lead over Cheung when heads-up play bought underway. He was in a position to increase that benefit because the battle wore on.
After successful a large pot with a spade flush, Cheung was left with simply 5 massive bets. That quantity dwindled even additional when Kihara confirmed him aces up in one other hefty conflict.
In the ultimate deal of the day, Cheung accomplished after which three-bet all-in after Kihara raised. The last board for the 2 contenders have been as follows:
Kihara – (J♣10♣)5♣10♥2♦Ok♠(J♠)
Cheung – (Ok♥5♥)7♣9♣4♣8♥(9♠)
Kihara’s jacks and tens have been good for the pot and the title. Cheung was awarded $201,308 because the runner-up, the most important payday but for the UK resident.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Naoya Kihara | $301,970 | 660 | 302 |
| 2 | James Cheung | $201,308 | 550 | 201 |
| 3 | Allen Kessler | $139,036 | 440 | 139 |
| 4 | Jeremy Ausmus | $98,782 | 330 | 99 |
| 5 | Chris Brewer | $72,254 | 275 | 72 |
| 6 | Michael Mizrachi | $54,458 | 220 | 54 |
| 7 | Ryan Miller | $42,333 | 165 | 42 |
| 8 | Jason Kluska | $33,974 | 110 | 34 |
Photo credit score: WSOP/ Travis Ball, Lennart Hennig.
