Lithuania’s Marius Kudzmanas gained the 2026 WSOP Europe Important Occasion in Prague on April 10, claiming €2,000,000 and his third profession WSOP bracelet. He defeated Japan’s Akihiro Konishi heads-up by cracking pocket kings with 7♦ 6♣ on a 7♠ 5♦ 4♥ board.
The €5,300 buy-in occasion drew a report 2,617 entries throughout three Day 1 flights, producing a €13,085,000 prize pool that crushed the €10M assure. Reigning WSOP champion Michael Mizrachi introduced the bracelet. Kudzmanas turns into the primary Lithuanian to win the WSOPE Important Occasion.
Ultimate Desk Outcomes
All 9 finalists and their payouts from the April 10 last desk at King’s On line casino, Hilton Prague.
Hengtao Zhu entered as chip chief with 36,300,000 (91 large blinds). Thomas Eychenne sat second on 25,825,000. Kudzmanas began fifth in chips with 18,050,000 (45 large blinds).
Konishi, the eventual runner-up, started with simply 14,400,000 (36 large blinds). He was one of many shortest stacks on the desk.
How the Ultimate Desk Performed Out
Early Eliminations (ninth to seventh)
Joona Nyholm fell first. The Finn began with simply eight large blinds and misplaced a flip to Hunichen. Brandon Sheils adopted in eighth after a brutal sequence.
Sheils first bumped into Hunichen’s aces and misplaced 9 million chips. He then four-bet jammed ace-queen into ace-king. The GGPoker qualifier who entered the ultimate desk third in chips collected €185,000.
Thomas Eychenne, the 2025 EPT Barcelona champion, by no means discovered traction regardless of coming into second in chips. He doubled up Guimaraens when his ace-queen bumped into pocket kings. Then his personal kings have been cracked by Kudzmanas’ pocket nines when a 9 hit the flop.
Kudzmanas cracked kings twice at this last desk. First in opposition to Eychenne’s cowboys with pocket nines, then in opposition to Konishi’s kings within the last hand with seven-six. Each instances the board delivered on the flop or flip.
The Chip Chief Falls (sixth to fifth)
Hengtao Zhu’s two-day reign on the prime led to sixth. The GGPoker qualifier bluff-jammed the river and Kudzmanas picked him off. Zhu collected €320,000 after coming into Prague with profession earnings of $39,361.
Antonio Guimaraens departed subsequent in fifth for €425,000. The Spaniard had survived by a number of all-in doubles earlier within the session.
Bibov’s Two-Hand Exit (4th)
Probably the most dramatic sequence got here four-handed. Nikolay Bibov returned from the dinner break as chip chief. Two fingers later, he was gone.
In a three-way all-in price 61 million chips, Kudzmanas raised, Hunichen shoved, and Bibov re-jammed. A jack on the river tripled Hunichen. On the very subsequent hand, Bibov misplaced once more to Kudzmanas when one other jack appeared on the flop.
Hunichen Falls Wanting Bracelet Quantity Two (third)
Hunichen’s chip lead was short-lived. Konishi doubled by him with queens versus sevens, then completed the American off to arrange a heads-up battle. Huge Huni collected €800,000 for third.
His $17.6M in profession dwell earnings already included the 2024 WSOP $100K Excessive Curler bracelet. A second gold eluded him.
The Ultimate Hand
Konishi held 82 large blinds to Kudzmanas’ 60 when heads-up play started. The Lithuanian’s expertise at high-stakes last tables proved decisive.
On the ultimate hand, the cash went in on a 7♠ 5♦ 4♥ flop. Konishi tabled Ok♦ Ok♣ for an overpair. Kudzmanas held 7♦ 6♣ for a pair of sevens plus an open-ended straight draw.
The flip introduced one other seven, giving Kudzmanas journey sevens. Konishi wanted one among two remaining kings. The river bricked.
Kudzmanas informed reporters afterwards that he felt he was the very best participant on the desk. He stated he simply wanted to keep away from large coolers and play his sport.
Zhu’s Qualifier Run Falls Brief at Sixth
The match’s most compelling subplot ended at sixth place. Hengtao Zhu certified by a GGPoker WSOP Specific satellite tv for pc with a $10,000 Bracelet Cross bundle.
Earlier than Prague, his Hendon Mob profile confirmed $39,361 in profession dwell earnings. His largest earlier money was $24,915 in a €560 occasion in Helsinki.
Zhu seized the chip lead on Day 3, held it by Day 4, and entered the ultimate desk on prime. His €320,000 payday represents a profession transformation.
Faustino Caps Monster Stack With Maiden Bracelet
Away from the Important Occasion, Portugal’s Pedro Carvalhas Faustino delivered one of many pageant’s most dominant performances. He gained the €1,650 Monster Stack (Occasion #8) for €255,036 and his first WSOP bracelet.
Faustino eradicated six of his last eight opponents throughout the 902-entry area. He defeated South Korea’s Hong Jin-Ho heads-up within the last hand, hitting a pair of sixes with 6♦ 5♦ in opposition to Q♦ J♥.
His largest earlier dwell money was beneath $5,000. The victory multiplied his profession earnings many instances over.
Three Bracelet Occasions Nonetheless Working
The pageant wraps on April 12 with three extra bracelets to be awarded. Full outcomes from the primary 9 bracelet occasions are tracked in our rolling WSOPE 2026 protection.
Participant of the Yr Race Replace
Kudzmanas’ €2M victory vaulted him to the highest of the unified $1,000,000 WSOP Participant of the Yr leaderboard. The 2026 race spans three festivals for the primary time: WSOP Europe, WSOP Las Vegas (Could 26 to July 15), and WSOP Paradise.
The Vegas sequence options 100 bracelet occasions and a delayed Important Occasion last desk for the primary time since 2017. For full WSOPE 2026 bracelet outcomes, comply with our rolling pageant tracker.
