It was an action-packed Wednesday on the 2026 World Collection of Poker on June 3. Three bracelets have been awarded through the night hours, with two first-time champions topped contained in the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas and one earlier winner including to his assortment of {hardware}.
The latter story noticed Justin Liberto take down this yr’s $1,500 combined Omaha eight-or-better occasion for his second bracelet and $265,297 in prize cash. This got here practically 11 years after he emerged victorious within the 2015 $3,000 no-limit maintain’em six-max occasion. Liberto topped a stacked discipline on day 3 to come back away with the gold but once more.
Earlier within the evening, 26-year-old Georgia Tech PhD scholar Honghao Zhang got here out on high in a $1,500 no-limit maintain’em six-max occasion for his first bracelet and $346,108. Zhang bested 1,840 entries in that short-handed affair, taking down the title along with his very first WSOP money.
Philip Ardire triumphed within the $600 pot-limit Omaha Deepstack event, outlasting a hefty discipline of two,636 entries within the four-card occasion to earn his first bracelet and $171,589.
Liberto Scoops Bracelet No. 2
The combined Omaha eight-or-better occasion featured a trio of split-pot variations of the favored sport, with pot-limit, fastened restrict, and Large O (five-card PLO8). The 1,287-entry turnout made for a prize pool of $1,708,492, with 194 gamers getting a chunk of that sum.
Justin Liberto took down the biggest share price over 1 / 4 of one million {dollars}, rising his lifetime event earnings previous the $7.7 million mark within the course of. This was the seventh-largest payday of his profession, and his tenth ultimate desk on the WSOP.
“I’ve gotten each spot on the ultimate desk, besides first, since I bought (my first bracelet), so, I really feel effectively overdue, and I’m actually glad,” Liberto informed PokerNews dwell reporters on the scene after closing out the win.
Along with the title and the cash, Liberto additionally scored 960 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors for the win. This was his second title and fourth final-table end of 2026, having additionally gained an eight-game occasion on the PGT Combined Video games competition in February. With 1,922 complete factors, he now sits inside the highest 75 within the general POY standings offered by CoinPoker.
Large names like Nick Guagenti (fortieth), Ari Engel (thirty ninth), Perry Inexperienced (thirty seventh), Ray Henson (twenty ninth), Brandon Cantu (seventeenth), Lawrence Berg (thirteenth), and Michael Banducci (twelfth) ran deep however fell wanting the official ultimate desk.
2024 WPT Voyage excessive curler champion Brian Battistone bowed out in ninth place ($21,386), and was quickly joined on the rail by Edward Spivack (eighth – $27,725) and Joseph Weinberger (seventh – $36,464). Bracelet winner Chris Lee then busted Naween Fernando (sixth – $48,642) and five-time bracelet winner Brad Ruben (fifth – $65,801).
Motion From The Last 4
Two-time bracelet winner Brandon Shack-Harris additionally fell at Lee’s fingers. He bought his final wager in on the river in restrict Omaha eight-or-better with 6♥5♣4♦3♣ on a Q♦J♦7♥4♥2♣ board. Lee referred to as with A♠Ok♠4♠3♠ for the nut low and the identical pair with an ace kicker to scoop. Harris earned $90,249 because the fourth-place finisher.
Jean Laurent (third – $125,476) was the following to be despatched packing, with Lee once more touchdown the ultimate blow. He was left on fumes after working right into a straight for Liberto on a high-only board. He then bought the final of his stack in preflop with Q♥Q♦5♣2♦ in opposition to Ok♥J♠10♥7♥. Lee made kings as much as scoop the pot.
Even with the elimination spree, Lee entered heads-up play trailing Liberto. The disparity began out as roughly 3:2 in Liberto’s favor, however the stacks quickly evened out. After a couple of swings forwards and backwards, Liberto gained a hefty pot with sevens stuffed with eights to regain the lead in time for the ultimate hand. Lee raised to 500,000 on the button in Large O with A♣9♠6♠5♠3♣ and Liberto referred to as from the massive blind with A♦Q♠8♣2♠2♦. The flop got here down 8♥7♦5♦ and Liberto check-called 1,000,000.
The flip introduced the Ok♦ to offer Liberto the nut flush to go along with his nut low. He checked to Lee, who fired 1,500,000. Liberto check-raised to six,700,000 and Lee jammed for 13,800,000 along with his flopped straight and second-nut low. Liberto referred to as and the river introduced the 10♥ to carry the event to an in depth. Lee settled for $176,809 because the runner-up.
Last Desk Outcomes
Place
Participant
Payout
POY Factors
1
Justin Liberto
$265,297
960
2
Chris Lee
$176,809
800
3
Jean Laurent
$125,476
640
4
Brandon Shack-Harris
$90,249
480
5
Bradley Ruben
$65,801
400
6
Naween Fernando
$48,642
320
7
Joseph Weinberger
$36,464
240
8
Edward Spivack
$27,725
160
First Time Charmed For Zhang
Honghao Zhang solely picked up poker a couple of years in the past, whereas working in direction of a complicated diploma in Operations Analysis. He had by no means cashed in a WSOP bracelet occasion previous to coming to Las Vegas this summer season, however he has had some success on the dwell felt earlier than scoring this breakout win. He completed second in a $1,100 buy-in eventually yr’s WPT World Championship competition for $355,110. That is still his highest rating, though he got here near topping it with the $346,108 that got here along with his victory on the collection.
Zhang secured 1,080 POY factors for the win, sufficient to maneuver him inside placing distance of the highest 250 within the general standings. This was solely his tenth recorded dwell rating.
“I’m nonetheless a scholar,” stated Zhang after his win. “Poker isn’t full-time for me. It’s a passion, however I prefer it.”
Zhang Bides His Time, Surges Throughout The End Line
The highest 194 finishers cashed on this $1,500 six-max occasion, which ran from June 1-3. Large names that got here near the ultimate desk included latest $25,000 heads-up championship semifinalist Ryuta Nakai (forty fourth), Barry Shulman (thirty third), Justin Lapka (twenty sixth), Frank Marasco (14th), Chris Hunichen (thirteenth), and Cherish Andrews (twelfth). The ultimate day started with 9 remaining and Michel Molenaar within the lead. Zhang was in fourth chip place when motion resumed.
Rania Nasreddine (ninth – $35,250), Justin Arnwine (eighth – $35,250 ), and Moelenaar (seventh – $46,619) have been all early eliminations on the ultimate day. Zhang didn’t rating his first knockout of the day till three-handed play. He made the second-nut flush on the river in a large pot, besting the aces and tens of David Rees to almost pull even forward of heads-up play. Rees earned $163,172 because the third-place finisher.
Zhang was in a position to pull forward within the ultimate showdown after which develop his benefit. The ultimate hand pitted Harlan Karnofsky’s A♥4♣ in opposition to Zhang’s A♦5♣. The board got here down A♣3♠2♥7♠10♥ and Zhang’s superior kicker in some way performed to earn him the pot and the title. Karnofsky earned $230,626 for his second-place displaying.
Last Desk Outcomes
Place
Participant
Payout
POY Factors
1
Honghao Zhang
$346,108
1,080
2
Harlan Karnofsky
$230,626
900
3
David Rees
$163,172
720
4
Thai Van Dinh
$116,951
540
5
Daniel Hill
$84,929
450
6
Julien Duveau
$62,501
360
Philip Ardire Triumphs In Quick-Paced PLO Occasion
Philip Ardire
The biggest rating of Philip Ardire’s poker-playing life got here in an occasion that he had not deliberate to play. He got here to Las Vegas to strive his hand in some each day tournaments. After busting from his scheduled occasions, he noticed the $600 Deepstack PLO occasion on the WSOP listed and determined to increase his journey by a day. That call wound up paying huge, as Ardire beat out over 2,600 entries to earn his first six-figure event rating and his first gold bracelet.
This decrease buy-in occasion awarded over $1.3 million in prize cash, with each Ardire and runner-up Randy Jacks taking dwelling over $100,000 for his or her efforts.
Loads of notables ran deep on this occasion, together with Freddy Deeb (forty fifth), Martin Kabrhel (seventeenth), and Erik Cajelais (sixteenth). The five-figure payouts started at eleventh place. Jacks scored a number of consecutive knockouts late on the ultimate day to arrange the heads-up showdown with the lead. Ardire quickly edged forward, although, when his flopped two pair held in opposition to the overpair of aces for Jacks. The ultimate hand of the event pitted Ardire’s flopped broadway straight in opposition to Jacks’ set of queens and outs to a chop. The straight held by means of the flip and river to ship Jacks packing with $114,200.
Last Desk Outcomes
Place
Participant
Payout
POY Factors
1
Philip Ardire
$171,589
600
2
Randy Jacks
$114,200
500
3
Francisco Baruffi
$82,928
400
4
David Avina
$60,837
300
5
Daniel Haywood
$45,092
250
6
Cole Gauthier
$33,771
200
7
Daniel Carter
$25,560
150
8
Grantel Gibbs
$19,552
100
9
Matt Newcombe
$15,117
50
Picture credit: WSOP / Lennart Hennig, Miguel Cortes, Dominic Iaquinto
