Frederic Normand gained the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better occasion on the 2026 World Series of Poker, claiming his first gold bracelet and a $235,337 first-place prize. With this victory, the French-Canadian professional joined an unique group of match gamers with each a WSOP bracelet and a World Poker Tour title on his resume.
Normand outlasted a subject of 1,093 entrants, claiming the largest share of a $1,450,957 prize pool. In the method, Normand took down his second main dwell title, including to his 2023 WPT bestbet Scramble championship triumph. He now has practically $3.5 million in profession scores to his title.
His newest victory got here in a match format by which Normand claimed little or no expertise. Despite a prolonged document of ends in PLO, and a single earlier WSOP money in Big O, Normand was nonetheless pretty new to this particular split-pot model of four-card poker.
His path to victory within the late phases of this match was additionally a significant problem. Normand was the chip chief to start out the day, with 13 gamers left. But 5 of his seven opponents on the remaining desk had at the least one bracelet win on their resume. Josh Arieh, a seven-time bracelet winner, stood out among the many pack. As has been the case for a number of standout match gamers so far on the 2026 WSOP, although, an enormous milestone bracelet eluded Arieh on this event.
Watching The Chips Fly
The chip lead bounced between Normand and Michael Rodrigues early on the remaining desk, as massive pots began to pile up. Arieh, who was one of many shortest stacks to start out eight-handed play, adopted a double-up with the primary elimination of the ultimate desk. His A♠J♠3♦2♦ flopped the nut low and rivered the nut flush to destroy Tobias Hausen’s A♥A♦4♣3♥ and ship him dwelling in eighth place ($23,602).
Josh Arieh
That pot pulled Arieh up in direction of the lead pack, although he’d slip again to the center after splitting or dropping in a collection of all-ins. Arieh was as soon as once more concerned when Jordan Polk was in danger, as was Normand. By the river of a Ok♥9♣7♥6♠J♦ runout, there was no low, and Normand’s two pair, jacks and sevens, scooped the pot to remove Polk in seventh place ($31,117).
From that time on, it grew to become a whirlwind of motion, and in lower than three hours, the match went from six-handed to a champion. Normand’s stack began a fast upward trajectory after which swelled additional after an enormous conflict with Rocky Paradise. Normand had a world of outs, holding A♣Ok♦5♠4♠ towards Paradise’s A♦Q♠Q♥2♦ on an A♠7♥2♠ flop. Normand made his spade flush on the 9♠ flip, and that was sufficient to knock Paradise out in sixth place ($41,688).
At that time, Normand had virtually 3 times as many chips as Arieh, who sat in second chip place. Two-time bracelet winner Dennis Weiss then went out in fifth place ($56,738) when his 4♥4♣3♣3♦ failed to enhance on the excessive finish or make a low towards a hand that may turn into a full home, aces stuffed with kings, for Rodrigues.
Closing It Out
Normand added one other elimination to his tally when he busted Ryan Hansen in fourth place ($78,430). Hansen’s Q♠Q♥8♥3♠ didn’t join instantly with the board, and Normand’s A♥A♦9♦7♠ gained with a pair of aces and a flopped seven low. Arieh’s hopes of an eighth bracelet have been dashed by Normand, too. The chips bought in on an A♥Ok♦9♣, and whereas Arieh’s two pair with Ok♣Q♦J♠9♠ was forward, Normand had outs along with his A♠10♣6♠4♦.
Normand made a superior two pair on the 4♥ flip, leaving Arieh with seven outs to outlive, and the 5♦ of the river wasn’t sufficient. Arieh was out in third place ($110,085). This rating pushed the 2004 WSOP predominant occasion third-place finisher’s profession earnings previous $15.2 million.
Normand had a lead of just about 5:1 to start out heads-up play towards Rodrigues, and their match lasted precisely one hand. Both gamers smashed a Q♦J♦9♠ flop, with Normand flopping a straight, and Rodrigues making a set of nines. Rodrigues made one other set on the 8♠ flip, nevertheless it solely added one out for him. A clean on the river secured a dominant victory for Normand. For the second time in his profession on this precise WSOP match, Rodrigues completed in second place.
Along along with his bracelet and six-figure payday, Normand additionally earned 960 Card Player Player of the Year factors. That elevated his whole for the 12 months to 1,632 POY factors, positioning him simply exterior the highest 100 within the yearlong race offered by CoinPoker.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Frederic Normand | $235,377 | 960 |
| 2 | Michael Rodrigues | $156,863 | 800 |
| 3 | Josh Arieh | $110,085 | 640 |
| 4 | Ryan Hansen | $78,430 | 480 |
| 5 | Dennis Weiss | $56,738 | 400 |
| 6 | Rocky Paradise | $41,688 | 320 |
| 7 | Jordan Polk | $31,117 | 240 |
| 8 | Tobias Hausen | $23,602 | 160 |
Photo credit score: WSOP/Miguel Cortes, Lennart Hennig
