Naoya Kihara Wins WSOP 2-7 Championship for Second Bracelet

Naoya Kihara adds a second WSOP bracelet to Japanese poker history

Naoya Kihara has done it again. The Japanese pro captured the 2026 WSOP $10,000 no-limit deuce-to-seven championship and earned his second World Series of Poker bracelet, 14 years after his first breakthrough title.

Back in 2012, Kihara became the first Japanese player ever to win a WSOP bracelet. That milestone mattered then, and it matters even more now, because his latest victory confirms that his first win was not a one-off moment. He is now a two-time champion standing alongside the most accomplished Japanese names in WSOP history.

The final table was as tough as it gets. Kihara had to navigate a lineup that included Ryutaro Suzuki, Shaun Deeb, Phil Hellmuth, John Cynn, Alex Foxen, Chad Eveslage, John Monnette, and Dan Shak. In other words, this was not a soft run through a small field. It was a high-end championship in one of poker’s most technical formats.

For the win, Kihara collected $428,923, the third-largest live score of his career.

How the $10,000 deuce-to-seven championship played out

Kihara’s road to the title was anything but straightforward. He later revealed that on Day 1 he was down to just one small blind at one point. In a lesser event, that kind of stack would almost certainly mean the end. In a championship field, however, survival, discipline, and patience can still create a path back.

By the end of the opening day, Kihara had repaired the damage enough to bag chips among 56 players from 136 total entries. Registration stayed open through the first level of Day 2, and the field eventually grew to 198 entries, building a prize pool of $1,841,400.

That field size matters. The deuce-to-seven championship is not a niche side event in the practical sense anymore; it is a real high-roller battlefield where mixed-game specialists, bracelet winners, and elite all-around tournament players collide. For anyone studying the game seriously, this is the kind of event that shows how deep the modern tournament ecosystem has become.

By the end of Day 2, only 13 players were left. Suzuki led the way, Shaun Deeb followed closely, and Kihara sat in third. The remaining contenders also included Phil Hellmuth, Alex Foxen, John Monnette, 2018 WSOP Main Event champion John Cynn, Chad Eveslage, and Dan Shak.

Final-table pressure and the biggest eliminations

The first player to fall was Jason Daly, who had already won his third career bracelet earlier in the summer. Deeb took over the chip lead when his jack-low held up against Daly’s draw, sending Daly out in 13th place.

From there, the field began to shrink around the tournament’s biggest names. Eveslage, a four-time bracelet winner, ran into a dealt 7-6 low from Suzuki and exited in 12th. Alex Foxen’s run for a fourth bracelet ended in 11th when David Lin showed down another 7-6.

When the first break arrived, Kihara was actually last among the final 10 players. That is exactly the kind of detail that makes this result so impressive: he was not cruising from start to finish, he was grinding through the most dangerous stage of the event.

John Monnette, a five-time bracelet winner, lost a key battle to Deeb when both players drew one card to an eight low. Both improved to face cards, but Deeb’s jack beat Monnette’s king, and Monnette finished 10th.

Phil Hellmuth was next to fall. His chase for bracelet No. 18 stalled when his draw at an 8-6 low missed against Robert French’s J-7 low. Hellmuth’s final chips then moved to Kihara’s stack in a later hand, when Kihara drew two cards to a 7-5-3 and made J-10, leaving Hellmuth drawing dead. Hellmuth finished ninth for $41,656.

Why Kihara’s win matters beyond the bracelet

By the time the tournament reached the official final table bubble, the pace had become a test of nerves as much as cards. Robert French ultimately bubbled the final table after pairing his nine on a 9-8 low draw in a short-stack clash with Lin.

After dinner, the final seven took their seats, but another long stretch of real time passed before the next elimination. Per Hildebrand, who had a one-card draw at 8-7, faced Kihara’s two-card draw at 7-5 low. Kihara improved to a 10-8 low, Hildebrand bricked with a king, and the Swedish player exited in seventh for $54,467.

That was the turning point. Once the short-stack pressure eased, Kihara started stacking eliminations in quick succession.

Dan Shak went next, losing a one-card seven draw battle when Kihara’s jack held and Shak paired a king. Shak’s search for a first WSOP bracelet continues, and this run ended in sixth for $72,834.

Shaun Deeb, who had led multiple times during the day, was eliminated soon after. He and Cynn both stood pat, but Cynn’s dealt 8-7 was better than Deeb’s 10-6. Deeb finished fifth for $99,557.

At four-handed play, the event looked like a race between Kihara and Cynn with Lin and Suzuki trailing. But Lin surged back into the mix in dramatic fashion. He doubled through Suzuki with a 7-6, then won the rest of Suzuki’s chips when he drew an ace to match his K-Q draw. Suzuki, short-stacked and drawing at 9-7 low, paired the nine and finished fourth for $139,038.

Lin then doubled again in a huge pot at Cynn’s expense. Lin drew one card at 8-7 low and had to beat Cynn’s pat J-8 low. He peeled a six to make his eight low, leaving Cynn short. The 2018 WSOP Main Event champion was later all in drawing dead and exited third for $198,302.

Expert analysis: what this result says about tournament poker

Kihara’s second bracelet is more than a feel-good story. It is a strong reminder that modern tournament poker rewards format depth, not just popularity or volume.

In a draw event like deuce-to-seven, the best players are usually the ones who understand:

• when to pat and when to draw;
• how to pressure short stacks without overplaying medium-strength lows;
• how to survive long stretches of low card equity;
• how to adjust when elite opponents are also making disciplined decisions.

Kihara’s Day 1 comeback from near-zero chips is especially instructive. Many players think they need constant momentum to win a championship. In reality, one of the biggest edges in poker is the ability to stay composed after disaster and keep making technically sound decisions.

For players looking to improve, it is worth studying beyond no-limit hold’em. Resources like poker school can help build a broader foundation, while playing in the right poker rooms and poker clubs gives you exposure to formats that can become a real edge if the field is unfamiliar. Even understanding the value of promotions & bonuses matters when you are planning a mixed-game schedule and managing bankroll efficiently.

From an industry perspective, results like this also help keep non-hold’em events relevant. When a respected champion from Japan beats a final table stacked with global stars, it reinforces the idea that poker’s most valuable skill is adaptability.

Heads-up against David Lin and the decisive seven

Kihara entered heads-up play with the chip lead, but Lin briefly moved ahead. The match eventually came down to one of the biggest pots of the tournament, and Kihara needed one final draw to secure the title.

Lin moved all in after a 4-bet and showed 10-8-5-4-2 low. Kihara tabled 6-5-3-2 and drew one card. He needed a seven, eight, nine, or ten to win the pot. The best possible card arrived: a seven.

That final card mattered not just because it ended the event, but because it perfectly captured the essence of deuce-to-seven. The discipline is built on narrow margins, precise hand reading, and the ability to stay calm when the entire tournament rests on one last draw.

For players who follow the schedule closely and want to find extra value in big series, it is also smart to track poker agent opportunities and the best promotions & bonuses before committing to a long tournament grind.

Final takeaway: Kihara’s run is a blueprint for long-term success

Naoya Kihara’s second WSOP bracelet is a reminder that poker careers are not defined by one peak moment. They are built through resilience, discipline, and the willingness to keep competing even when the results do not come easily.

He was the first Japanese bracelet winner in 2012. In 2026, he became a two-time WSOP champion by beating a brutal final table in one of poker’s purest technical formats. That combination of history, skill, and persistence is exactly why his victory stands out.

For Japanese poker, it is another landmark. For mixed-game fans, it is a validation of the format. And for tournament players everywhere, it is proof that the path back to the top is always open if you keep making the right decisions and never stop adapting.

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