“This is the Pinnacle” James Cheung Captures First WSOP Bracelet in $1,500 Stud

Three years in the past, James Cheung performed in his first World Collection of Poker with the mentality that he’s able to successful any event he enters. That mindset fueled a number of deep WSOP runs within the years that adopted, together with a number of titles in event festivals overseas. But regardless of a number of shut calls, a WSOP bracelet remained out of attain — till now.

In his first event of the 2026 WSOP, Cheung battled over the course of three days and bested a 359-entry discipline, which included defeating five-time bracelet winner Brian Yoon in a quick heads-up contest to assert his first bracelet in Occasion #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud and the $103,185 first-place prize — his largest event rating so far.

Occasion #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Ultimate Desk Outcomes

Winner’s Response

It was a full-circle second for Cheung, who mentioned Yoon was the primary professional he performed towards within the first WSOP he ever performed.

“It feels so proper to have the ability to play him heads-up and be capable of win the title,” Cheung informed PokerNews.

“He was the end-boss after I first performed within the WSOP. To beat him and win my first WSOP bracelet is a good event narrative for me.”

The second Cheung realized he had received, he let loose an enourmous “Sure!!!” that was probably heard all through the fully of the Paris Ballroom contained in the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

“As a poker participant, I’ve skilled myself to regulate my feelings and by no means be too excessive when successful or by no means be too low when shedding. I by no means depend my chickens till they hatch… Particularly heads-up, something can occur,” Cheung defined. “You may get coolered, you possibly can let the feelings get the higher of you. However once you lastly win, then, for me, it seems like all of the pent-up feelings, I can lastly chill out and allow them to out.”

“There is no higher feeling than making a deep event run”

The reduction and validation have been evident within the moments following his victory.

“(I really feel) wonderful. I type of really feel prefer it’s been a very long time coming. I am primarily a money recreation participant, however I have been enjoying much more event the previous few years. Money video games are good and regular, however there is not any higher feeling than making a deep event run.

“I knew that if I stored enjoying properly and conserving my head down, then ultimately I would get my likelihood to win a bracelet on the WSOP. It does really feel like a monkey off my again.”

Cheung had already loved appreciable success, significantly in Asia, previous to capturing his first bracelet. Nonetheless, Cheung described his win within the $1,500 Stud occasion because the “pinnacle” of his event profession to this point.

“For tournaments, that is the top,” Cheung mentioned. “Poker gamers all over the world are graded on what number of bracelets they’ve. It is the dream of many gamers to win one. It feels wonderful to be within the firm now of different bracelet winners. It nonetheless hasn’t totally sunk in but.”

Trying forward, Cheung plans to pursue a novel piece of WSOP historical past by making an attempt to win each the $1,500 Seven Card Stud occasion and the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship in the identical summer time.

“I’m planning on enjoying the $10k Stud. I assume there can solely ever be one $1,500 winner and $10k winner in the identical sequence, so I might need to go for that report.”

Ultimate Desk Motion

There was no lack of motion from the get-go in what could be an exceptionally swingy day, with each Jonathan Glendinning and Bradley Jansen doubling up on the primary and second fingers, respectively.

The chip chief coming into the ultimate day, Thomas Savitsky, received off to a tough begin after working into Yoon’s two pair early on, foreshadowing a troublesome day forward for the in a single day chip chief.

Regardless of the double, Glendinning could not keep his momentum. Glendinning grew to become the primary casualty of Day 3 after getting his chips in good towards Savitsky just for Savitsky to make a better pair on seventh road to remove Glendinning in sixth place.

Cheung took his first lead of the day after making open journeys and getting folds from each Savitsky and Gregory Josephson.

Bradley Jansen then discovered himself on the quick stack, however managed to just about quadruple his stack over a sequence of fingers that went his manner, which even prompted Cheung to supply a, “Good comeback, sir!” Nonetheless, Stud’s inherent volatility ultimately caught up with Jansen, and he discovered himself out in fifth after shedding a few smaller pots after which shedding a large pot to Cheung, who caught a flush towards Jansen’s two pair.

Cheung continued so as to add to his stack, and at one level had greater than half the chips in play four-handed following Jansen’s elimination. Josephson shortly emerged as Cheung’s largest impediment after successful two giant pots from Cheung in brief order to overhaul the lead.

In the meantime, the as soon as chip chief Savitsky continued to bleed chips and ultimately discovered himself out in a disappointing fourth place after committing the final of his chips towards Yoon, just for Yoon to instantly catch a straight to go away Savitsky drawing lifeless.

Three-handed play produced among the most dramatic swings of the event, with all three gamers experiencing huge swings to their stacks. Josephson and Cheung particularly traded the chip lead on a number of events till Cheung went on a heater that noticed him win 4 sizable pots off of Josephson inside a few orbits to go away Josephson quick.

Regardless of discovering a double up along with his quick stack, Josephson could not keep away from being despatched out in third place after committing his stack with a flush draw and bricking out towards Cheung’s two pair.

With a greater than 3:1 chip lead and huge betting limits, Cheung’s heads-up battle towards Yoon proved to be a brief one. After buying and selling a sequence of small pots, Cheung and Yoon received concerned in a big pot that resulted in Cheung making a set of kings and elevating Yoon, who suspected he is perhaps drawing lifeless. Yoon dedicated his closing chips into the center with an open pair of nines on sixth road and Cheung snap-called.

Yoon’s suspicions have been confirmed, and the supplier dealt every participant an irrelevant card on seventh to make Cheung’s victory official and put an finish to the event.

On this Collection