Naoya Kihara was on the verge of stepping away from event poker earlier than touring to Las Vegas for the 2026 World Collection 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 lately. However, 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 area 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.
Along with changing into the primary three-time bracelet winner from Japan, Kihara additionally prolonged a 26-year streak of a minimum of one participant successful a number of bracelets each summer time on the WSOP. Chris Ferguson acquired the ball rolling in 2000, with victories in each the $2,500 stud occasion and the principle occasion.
“Poker is a mixture of luck and talent,” he advised PokerNews dwell reporters after closing out this win. “I’m fairly positive I’ve sufficient talent, however I want luck additionally to win the event. For a couple of days, I’m actually fortunate.”
Kihara had loads of powerful competitors to cope with 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 yr. 4 multi-time bracelet winners joined Kihara on the last desk, with 18 wins on the sequence between them.
Ultimately, Kihara secured the {hardware}, the highest payout, and 660 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors because the champion. With 1,500 complete 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 break 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 essential occasion champion Michael Mizrachi main the pack. Jason Kluska bagged up only a single huge 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 on the lookout for 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 gained one other hefty pot with the identical straight, additional bouncing again. Within the meantime, bracelet winner Maksim Pisarenko (tenth – $24,181) was despatched packing, along 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.
Regardless of the robust begin to the day, Kluska was in the end the following to fall. He acquired the final of his stack in after the deal and was referred to as in two spots. Cheung wager Kihara out on seventh and revealed a pair of aces. Kluska had a pair of fours and was trying 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.
Extra Heavy-Hitters Head To The Rail
Ryan Miller bowed out in seventh place. He acquired all-in after the deal and wound up with a last board of (A♣4♥)Okay♣5♣8♠Q♠(Okay♦) for a pair of kings. Jeremy Ausmus confirmed the (A♠A♦)3♠7♦10♦6♣(J♦) for a successful pair of aces to assert the pot, sending miller to the rail with $42,333. The 2-time bracelet winner now has greater than $1.8 million in recorded event scores.
Mizrachi must wait for one more day to earn his ninth profession bracelet. The four-time $50,000 Poker Gamers Championship winner and Poker Corridor of Famer began his last hand with pocket aces within the gap main the break 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 exhibiting.
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. Whereas 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 previous collegiate distance runner now has greater than $30.4 million in recorded cashes to his title.
Ausmus And Kessler Fall Simply Brief
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. Consequently, 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 title, 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♥Okay♥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 Proceed The Streak
Kihara held roughly a 3:2 chip lead over Cheung when heads-up play acquired underway. He was capable of increase that benefit because the battle wore on.
After successful a large pot with a spade flush, Cheung was left with simply 5 huge bets. That quantity dwindled even additional when Kihara confirmed him aces up in one other hefty conflict.
Within the last deal of the day, Cheung accomplished after which three-bet all-in after Kihara raised. The ultimate board for the 2 contenders had been as follows:
Kihara – (J♣10♣)5♣10♥2♦Okay♠(J♠)Cheung – (Okay♥5♥)7♣9♣4♣8♥(9♠)
Kihara’s jacks and tens had been good for the pot and the title. Cheung was awarded $201,308 because the runner-up, the biggest payday but for the UK resident.
Closing Desk Outcomes
Place
Participant
Payout
POY Factors
PGT Factors
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
Photograph credit score: WSOP/ Travis Ball, Lennart Hennig.
