Koji Fujimoto Wins WSOP $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw Title

Koji Fujimoto breaks through in one of poker’s toughest WSOP events

Winning a World Series of Poker title in $10,000 deuce-to-seven triple draw is never a simple matter of cards running well. This is one of the most technical games in the entire tournament schedule, where hand reading, draw patterns, and disciplined lowball strategy matter from the first discard to the final showdown. That is exactly what makes Koji Fujimoto’s victory so notable: the Japanese pro didn’t just survive a brutal field, he beat Nick Schulman heads up to claim his first WSOP bracelet and $392,478.

For Fujimoto, this result is the payoff for a steady rise in mixed games over the last few years. For the wider poker world, it is another reminder that players who invest in less mainstream formats can still reach the very top of the game. If you want to study more about those formats and where serious players build their edge, check out our poker school and poker rooms pages for more context on where mixed-game volume and learning often begin.

A stacked field and a brutally deep run to the final table

The event drew 176 entries, and by Day 3 only 11 players were still chasing the bracelet. That alone tells you how strong the field was. This was not a soft final stretch where one player could coast; it was a room full of proven specialists, Hall of Famers, bracelet winners, and players with real mixed-game credentials.

• Nick Schulman, already a winner of the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event earlier in the summer and now chasing bracelet No. 9;
• Todd Brunson, a Poker Hall of Famer and veteran of countless high-level mixed-game battles;
• Billy Baxter, age 85, with seven bracelets and five career deuce-to-seven titles on his resume;
• Brandon Shack-Harris, Robert Wells, Andrew Kelsall, and Tommy Hang;
• Justin “Boosted J” Smith and WPT champion Nam Le.

That kind of lineup is exactly why WSOP mixed-game events carry so much prestige. The field is smaller than a giant hold’em event, but the quality is often higher, and the margin for error is much thinner.

Nick Schulman had control, but Fujimoto kept applying pressure

By the time the official six-handed final table was set, Schulman had pulled ahead to 3.8 million chips, with Hang on 2.2 million, Smith on 1.8 million, and Fujimoto on 1.55 million. In other words, Schulman entered the endgame with both momentum and leverage.

That advantage mattered. Schulman eliminated Brunson in sixth place for $62,404, making a 7-5-4-3-2 wheel against Brunson’s 10-9 low. He then continued to apply pressure as the table shortened. But triple draw is a format that can punish even the strongest chip leader, because the game is built around incremental edge, not one huge all-in pot.

Fujimoto stayed patient, avoided major mistakes, and continued to find spots where his draws and decisions gave him enough equity to stay alive. That patience eventually paid off when the match shifted from Schulman’s control to a more balanced fight.

Final table rundown: how the bracelet was decided

The final table featured several momentum swings and a series of exits that reflected just how close the margins were.

• Todd Brunson finished 6th for $62,404. Short stacked, he made a 10-9 low by the third draw, but Schulman’s wheel ended his run.
• Justin Smith was eliminated in 5th for $84,845. He showed 8-7-6 low, but Tommy Hang squeezed him with an 8-7-5 low.
• Andrew Kelsall took 4th for $119,011. He drew one card on all three draws and needed improvement from 8-7-4-2, but Fujimoto’s 10-7 low held and Kelsall paired an eight.
• Tommy Hang bowed out in 3rd for $172,064. In three-handed play, his stack was chipped away by both Schulman and Fujimoto before Schulman caught another wheel to close him out.

That left Schulman and Fujimoto heads up, with Schulman holding a 3:2 chip lead. On paper, that is a meaningful advantage, especially against a player without Schulman’s resume. But Fujimoto has been building a serious mixed-game track record, and he proved he could withstand the pressure.

Expert analysis: what Fujimoto’s win means for players and the game

This bracelet matters for more than the payout and the trophy.

First, it reinforces a core truth about poker: specialization in mixed games can still produce elite results. In an era where no-limit hold’em gets the most attention, players who study draw games, limit structures, and mixed formats can still create a major edge.

Second, Schulman’s deep run shows how valuable format versatility is. He already won the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event earlier in the summer and added another final-table appearance in a different game. That kind of consistency is what separates great all-around players from one-game specialists.

Third, Fujimoto’s victory is another signal that the global mixed-game landscape is expanding. Japan has now produced multiple WSOP successes in 2026, including the pair won by Naoya Kihara earlier in the summer. For serious players, that means the talent pool is broadening, and the next generation is learning these games faster and with more structure than ever before.

For anyone looking to study the ecosystem around these events, it helps to follow not just tournaments but also the everyday grind in poker clubs, the learning resources in poker school, and the value offered by promotions & bonuses when building a bankroll for mixed-game experimentation.

What comes next for Koji Fujimoto and WSOP mixed games

Fujimoto’s first bracelet is likely to carry real momentum. In poker, especially in niche formats, a breakthrough win can change how opponents view you, how often you get invited into high-level games, and how confidently you approach future final tables.

For the WSOP, the event is another proof that mixed games still matter deeply to the series’ identity. While hold’em may attract the biggest fields, titles like this preserve the championship feel of the World Series: legends at the table, technical poker at the center, and a bracelet that means something in the history of the game.

Fujimoto earned this one the hard way. He beat a stacked field, handled an elite final table, and finished the job against one of the game’s most respected names. That is exactly the kind of win that sticks with players, fans, and historians alike.

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