WSOP 2026 Opens with Five Bracelets and Heads-Up Drama

WSOP 2026 week one sets the tone

The first week of the 2026 World Series of Poker is already in the record books, and it delivered five bracelet winners along with an early reminder of why the WSOP remains poker’s most important summer stage. The opening stretch was shaped less by No-Limit Hold’em and more by mixed-game and Omaha action, with Seven Card Stud and Pot-Limit Omaha taking the spotlight.

That matters for players because the first events of the series often reward specialists. In a long festival like the WSOP, early momentum can build confidence, bankroll, and visibility, especially in formats where edge comes from deep technical knowledge rather than pure volume.

Daniyal Gheba, Jerome Neppl and the first bracelet stories

Event #2, the $5,000 Eight-Handed No Limit Hold’em tournament, produced one of the week’s biggest breakthroughs. Daniyal Gheba outlasted a final table that featured a strong Chinese contingent, including Ren Lin and runner-up Chenxiang Miao. Gheba earned $502,985, the biggest score of his poker career, and collected his first WSOP bracelet.

Event #3 was the $500 Casino Employees’ Event, traditionally the opening tournament of the festival but moved to the third event this year. The field reached 906 entries, creating a prize pool of more than $375,000. New Mexico poker dealer Jerome Neppl turned the event into a wire-to-wire performance, leading from Day One through the finish without ever facing serious pressure.

Neppl said he would still work the WSOP, which is why he entered the event in the first place. That makes the result especially meaningful: he left with a 2026 WSOP bracelet and $64,083, a career highlight that resonates strongly inside the poker ecosystem.

Perry Green brings extra attention to Omaha Hi/Lo

The most talked-about result of the opening week came in Event #4, the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better. Three-time bracelet winner and WSOP icon Perry Green made a deep run all the way to the final table, reminding the poker world that veteran skill still plays a major role in mixed games.

Green eventually finished sixth, but his presence helped turn the event into a storyline beyond the trophy itself. That kind of run matters at the WSOP, where history and personality often matter as much as prize money.

The title went to Jason Daly, who defeated Dorian Rios heads-up to win $191,362 and the bracelet. Daly’s victory was real, but Green’s deep run gave the event a bigger profile and helped shine a light on Omaha Hi/Lo, a format that rewards patience, discipline, and split-pot awareness.

Jesse Lonis falls short as Yang Wang breaks through

Event #5, the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha tournament, featured one of the biggest names in modern poker, Jesse Lonis. Lonis already owns two WSOP bracelets, and reaching another final table was another sign of his consistency at the highest level.

This time, however, the title went to China’s Yang Wang, who captured the first major win of his ten-year poker career. Wang defeated Lonis to earn $595,388 and the gold bracelet, a result that instantly raises his profile on the international circuit.

Pot-Limit Omaha continues to be one of the most important formats in the modern tournament landscape. It produces big pots, volatile swings, and a premium on stack management, making it a favorite among high-level players and one of the most entertaining games for spectators.

James Cheung completes the week’s bracelet list

The fifth bracelet of the week went to the United Kingdom’s James Cheung. Although he had been part of WSOP action for the past three years, he had not yet broken through. In his first tournament of the 2026 calendar, that changed.

Cheung defeated Brian Yoon, a player he said he had actually faced in his first-ever WSOP, to secure the title. He banked $103,185 along with his first WSOP bracelet, a breakthrough that can reshape how a player is perceived in future events.

For many grinders, the first bracelet is a career-defining moment. It validates the work, the travel, the study, and the resilience required to survive across a long summer series.

Foxen and Danchev lead the $25,000 Heads-Up World Championship

The marquee event of the first week has been the $25,000 Heads-Up World Championship, which drew 128 entries. The field was built through two Day One flights, with players eliminated on Day 1A given a chance to reenter on Day 1B. That structure helped create a loaded bracket and gave several players, including Martin Kabrhel and Thomas Boivin, a second shot.

The Final Four now features Alex Foxen, Nikita Kuznetsov, Boris Danchev, and Ryuta Nakai.

Foxen navigated a brutal path. He first beat Brandon Wilson, the current Player of the Year leader, and then eliminated Boivin in the Elite Eight. Boivin still walked away with $150,000, but Foxen earned his place in the semifinals the hard way.

Danchev also had to work for it. He beat Florian Pesce in the Sweet Sixteen, then got past Biao Ding in the Elite Eight. Ding had previously fought back against Daniel Negreanu, at one point overcoming a 5:1 chip deficit, but the comeback energy did not carry over into the next round.

• Alex Foxen vs Nikita Kuznetsov
• Boris Danchev vs Ryuta Nakai

Each player is already locked for $300,000, but the real prize is still ahead: $800,000 and the WSOP bracelet for the champion, while the runner-up will take home $528,000. Play begins at 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed live on the WSOP YouTube channel.

Why the opening week matters for the rest of WSOP 2026

The first week of WSOP 2026 has shown exactly what makes this series unique. Specialists can still dominate, mixed games still matter, and the biggest side story of the week is a heads-up championship that has already produced star-level matchups.

• mixed games continue to create real edge opportunities;
• Pot-Limit Omaha remains a high-variance, high-skill battleground;
• heads-up poker rewards preparation, adjustments, and mental toughness more than almost any other format.

With the Final Four set, the $25,000 Heads-Up World Championship is positioned to become one of the defining early moments of the summer. The bracelet race has started fast, and the biggest battles are still ahead.

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