World Series Of Poker Crowns Pot Limit Omaha, Razz Champions

The World Series of Poker permits video games that in any other case get missed in event play to shine. While razz doesn’t are usually a headline grabber, the 2026 WSOP $1,500 razz occasion provided one of many extra memorable heads-up battles of the summer time to date.

Two German professionals battled heads-up for hours for the razz bracelet, buying and selling the lead backwards and forwards. Sebastian Pauli finally denied Dennis Weiss a 2026 double to shut out the event for his first WSOP title.

On the opposite finish of the spectrum, pot-limit Omaha tournaments continued to thrive throughout the board. A $1,500 buy-in occasion produced a $441,560 windfall for Jason Zipfel, one other first-time winner.

As the midway level of the 2026 WSOP looms within the coming week, the motion refuses to decelerate. Here’s the newest from Las Vegas.

Newcomer Jason Zipfel Makes Statement In $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Victory

Prior to this week, Jason Zipfel had a grand whole of six notable event cashes, with just one consequence previous to the previous 12 months. The money sport specialist earned his first six-figure money in 2025 at Venetian Las Vegas and cashed within the 2025 WSOP foremost occasion later that summer time.

Now, along with his seventh profession event money, Zipfel is a WSOP bracelet winner. The Pennsylvanian beat out a subject of two,581 entrants in a $1,500 PLO occasion to safe a $441,560 first-place prize, greater than doubling his earlier finest event consequence.

“I play a lot of private cash games, and then I’ll play a couple of tournaments throughout the year,” Zipfel instructed PokerInformation. “Last year, I played probably five or six tournaments. I’ve run really well, so I should probably play more, and less cash.”

After two beginning flights, a complete of 191 gamers reached day 2 and made the cash on this event. By the shut of day 2, Zipfel amassed a major chip lead as certainly one of 15 remaining contenders.

Within just a few hours, it was right down to 10 gamers, after which Zipfel scooped a four-way pot to lock within the official closing desk of 9. He’d need to outlast three earlier bracelet winners on his strategy to victory, however Zipfel continued to hold the chip lead into nine-handed play. His lead wasn’t fairly as substantial over the subsequent three gamers within the chip counts, however Zipfel was nonetheless comfortably forward. Zipfel wouldn’t relinquish that high spot for a single hand, or no less than till heads-up play.

Zipfel, The Bulldozer

From the primary hand of the ultimate desk, Zipfel started working rebuilding his sizable benefit. He made a six-high straight to beat Ido Aboudi’s pocket kings and bust him in ninth place. In the blink of a watch, Zipfel had greater than 3 times as many chips as every other participant within the subject.

Will Givens

Will Givens, a 2014 bracelet winner, stepped up throughout Zipfel’s in any other case dominant stretch to earn a double knockout. He made a full home, fives stuffed with kings, to get rid of each Phillip Mighall (eighth – $51,620) and Thanhlong Nguyen (seventh – $67,310).

Zipfel received proper again to it, although, as his pocket kings-based hand-held off a Michael Estes nut flush draw and over card to knock Estes out in sixth place ($88,660). Hokyiu Lee then made his presence felt, successful a battle of bracelet winners in opposition to Maxx Coleman. Lee’s pair of queens pale numerous outs, sending Coleman to the rail in fifth place ($117,950).

Zipfel flopped the nut membership flush in opposition to a set of eights for Jochen Pfeifer, and managed to carry to get rid of the German in fourth place ($158,460). Lee made the primary important dent in Zipfel’s stack throughout three-handed play, turning journeys and rivering quad sevens in a sizeable pot. Zipfel took the final of Givens’ chips with a flopped jack-high straight in opposition to Givens’ two pair, ending Givens’ run in third place ($214,960).

To The Winner Go The Spoils

Lee rapidly wrested the lead from Zipfel, however the stacks have been virtually even when the pair performed a pot for nearly the entire chips in play. After a preflop four-bet and name, the remainder of the chips received in on a J♦6♣3♦ flop. Zipfel’s A♥A♦J♠5♥ was forward, however susceptible in opposition to Lee’s Okay♣9♦7♦4♣.

Any 5 or diamond would make Lee a lock winner. Lee picked up just a few extra outs on the Q♠ flip, however the 7♣ river saved Zipfel’s aces finest, and locked down the bracelet for him.

Zipfel earned 1,200 Card Player Player of the Year factors in his first qualifying results of 2026. Givens, who banked 800 POY factors for third place, cracked the highest 100 within the yearlong race offered by CoinPoker and now sits in 96th.

Final Table Results

Sebastian Pauli Survives Wild Razz Heads-Up Battle To Win First Bracelet

Razz has a popularity among the many event combined sport staples, and it’s not for producing tons of pleasure. But no less than on this specific event, the $1,500 razz occasion delivered a notably wild finale.

The heads-up match between two Germans, Sebastian Pauli and Dennis Weiss, pitted a first-time hopeful in Pauli in opposition to a participant on a roll. The latter was one knockout away from his second bracelet in every week and fourth profession WSOP bracelet general. Pauli, alternatively, had restricted WSOP outcomes, most notably ending fourth on this precise event in 2013.

Pauli persevered after a wild backwards and forwards, taking down the bracelet and incomes $135,564 for his troubles. It was Pauli’s second-largest profession dwell money, behind solely his 2014 European Poker Tour London foremost occasion win price $802,971.

Pauli additionally claimed 840 POY factors in his first qualifying money of 2026. Weiss, at his third closing desk of the 2026 WSOP, added 700 POY factors to his whole and now sits in thirty fifth place on the year-long leaderboard.

Jon Turner’s Nightmare

A subject that was as soon as 519 gamers was lowered to only six gamers heading into day three. Tobias Leknes (eighth – $12,247) and Paul Richardson (seventh – $16,174) every reached the ultimate desk, however not the ultimate day of motion.

There have been a number of storylines on the forefront to begin day 3. Jon Turner held the chip lead, because the long-time on-line poker standout regarded to lastly declare his first profession bracelet, and even play heads-up for one. There was additionally Weiss’ continued success on the 2026 WSOP, and one other 2026 winner in Stephen Hubbard, aiming to double up.

England’s Adam Owen, who had over $4.7 million in profession earnings heading into this closing desk, was additionally hoping to finish his string of shut calls on the WSOP and at last break by. Owen couldn’t get something going at this closing desk, although, and noticed his run finish in sixth place ($21,850). His draw at a seven-six low didn’t catch as much as Pauli’s made eight-low.

At one level throughout five-handed play, Turner’s stack eclipsed 5.2 million, with Weiss and Pauli sitting at 2.2 million every. Within 20 minutes, Weiss made a six-low twice and had supplanted Turner because the chip chief on the first break. From there, all the pieces cascaded downward quickly for Turner, and inside an hour, he was out.

Sweden’s Oscar Johansson had Turner drawing lifeless by sixth road, and Turner’s twenty first profession WSOP closing desk look led to fifth place ($30,177).

Pauli opened up an enormous chip lead of his personal four-handed, greater than doubling Weiss’ second-place stack. Hubbard’s stack fluctuated, however he struggled to get off the brief stack. He was left with lower than a single large guess on a number of events, and regardless of preventing again from the sting, he finally succumbed in fourth place ($42,589). Pauli scooped the final of Hubbard’s chips with a nine-six low, in opposition to a ten-five for Hubbard.

German Razzle Dazzle

The backside fell out for Johansson rapidly throughout three-handed motion. On his closing hand, Johansson received all in with a J-9-8-7-2 in opposition to Weiss’ 9-5-4-3 draw, with a pair of threes. Weiss drew a six to make an unbeatable 9-6 low on sixth road, and additional improved to a 7-6 low on seventh road. Johansson went out in third place ($61,393).

After claiming virtually all of Johansson’s stack, heads-up play began with Weiss holding a small lead. Pauli was on the brink early, lowered to 1.8 million (4.5 large bets) and a 6:1 deficit. Pauli fought again, solely to fall even additional behind at a 9:1 drawback. Another surge pulled Pauli nearer, however a Weiss win with a nine-eight-six low to Pauli’s nine-eight-seven left Pauli with lower than one large guess. He doubled up twice after which doubled that stack in a matter of some palms. In the blink of a watch, Pauli closed the hole significantly.

Weiss as soon as once more opened a 12:1 lead, however a pair of doubles pulled Pauli again. What a possible rout for Weiss changed into a five-and-a-half-hour slugfest. Pauli claimed the chip lead and took his flip to push Weiss to the brink along with his personal 6:1 lead. But Weiss additionally fought again from the brink, reclaiming the chip lead and flipping it again to his personal 6:1 lead.

Pauli flipped the script one closing time. Despite preventing again with a number of double-ups, Weiss couldn’t produce one other comeback. The chips went in on fifth road within the closing hand. Pauli tabled a draw at a six-three low in opposition to Weiss’ made ten-seven. Pauli drew a 4 to make a six-four low and locked down the bracelet after an amazing heads-up conflict.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: WSOP / Miguel Cortes, Lennart Hennig, Monique Marestein