Erik Seidel Narrowly Misses 11th WSOP Bracelet In $3,000 Six-Max PLO

Erik Siedel

The last few days of the 2026 World Series of Poker offered a brief tease of a little more history. After this festival crowned multiple nine-time and eight-time WSOP bracelet winners late in the schedule, Erik Seidel got heads-up for a shot at his 11th career WSOP victory on the penultimate day of play.

It was Seidel’s third deep run of the summer, and his first heads-up match for a bracelet since winning no. 10 at WSOP Paradise in 2023. An 11th win would have tied Seidel with Phil Ivey for the second-most bracelets of all time, behind only Phil Hellmuth.

But on that particular day, Joshua Wang of China was simply unstoppable. Wang made quick work of Seidel and several other impressive names to close out his debut career bracelet and first-ever six-figure tournament cash in the $3,000 six-max pot-limit Omaha event.

Later that night, Garrett Dwire of Minnesota joined the group of first-time bracelet winners. The 24-year-old survived a 16-hour day 2 session and a field of 4,622 to win the $500 buy-in Summer Saver no-limit hold’em event.

With just one more day of summer WSOP action to go, here’s a closer look at the two new bracelet winners.

Joshua Wang Denies Erik Seidel, Other Top Pros In $3,000 Six-Max PLO Win

Joshua Wang lived out almost every poker player’s dream. He won his first career WSOP bracelet, a career-best $407,137 payday, and steamrolled a decorated assortment of competitors at the final table of a $3,000 six-max PLO event.

Wang closed out his impressive run by defeating Seidel heads-up, denying the 66-year-old poker legend an 11th career WSOP title.

Wang started the third and final day of the tournament in the middle of the pack, in ninth place among 18 returning players. But by the time Wang eliminated Krasimir Yankov in seventh place, courtesy of a rivered set of aces, he’d taken a commanding chip lead.

At that point, Wang was still staring down a final table lineup that featured Seidel, five-time WSOP bracelet winner Robert Mizrachi, mixed game standout and three-time bracelet winner Chris Vitch, and multi-time Triton Super High Roller winner Ding Biao.

But there would be no comeback for any of those star players. Wang eliminated all but one of his final table opponents, including a double KO, as he blitzed his way to victory. He rivered a queen-high straight to knock out Ding in sixth place ($65,840), just before the dinner break.

From the moment they came back from dinner, it took 90 minutes to go from five-handed play down to a winner. Mizrachi took out Pakinai Lisawad, with pocket aces holding off pocket kings as neither player’s other cards came into play. That joy was short-lived, however, as Mizrachi and Vitch both headed to the rail on the very same hand.

A Dominant Finish

Vitch opened for a big raise, Mizrachi three-bet, and then Wang four-bet enough to put both of them all in. Vitch called, and Mizrachi quickly joined the fray as all three players revealed their cards.

• Mizrachi: A♥A♦K♣8♥
• Wang: J♠10♦9♠8♦
• Vitch: 8♣7♣6♥4♥

Mizrachi had the lead with his pair of aces, but he had a lot to contend with against two coordinated hands with multiple ways to win. The K♠3♦2♦ flop seemed to favor Wang, but the 5♣ turn made Vitch a six-high straight. Mizrachi was locked out of the main pot, but he’d survive if he could dodge a diamond on the end.

The river was the 5♦, however, and Wang’s ten-high flush sent Vitch out in fourth place ($128,819), and Mizrachi was eliminated in third place ($185,282). Suddenly, Seidel was heads-up for his 11th career WSOP bracelet.

Seidel got all in with the best of it on a 8♣6♠4♣ board, tabling a flopped eight-high straight. Wang had top set, with pocket eights, as well as a club flush draw. The 4♦ turn ended the tournament, giving Wang an unbeatable full house.

Wang, whose previous best career live cash was worth $31,891, made 12 times that much and beat a Poker Hall of Famer to secure the hardware. The win also came with 1,368 Card Player Player of the Year points, elevating Wang into the top 300 in the yearlong race presented by CoinPoker.

Final Table Results – $3,000 Six-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha

Garrett Dwire Saves His Summer With A Bracelet Win

Before his run in the $500 buy-in Summer Saver event at the 2026 WSOP, Garrett Dwire had a single result of more than $4,000. The 24-year-old’s eighth-place finish in the 2025 Minnesota Poker State Championship earned him $21,214 in his home state. Dwire didn’t have a single prior WSOP cash to his name.

Now, he’s a WSOP bracelet winner.

Dwire outlasted a field of 4,622 runners to win a $210,000 first-place prize. It took two long days of poker, including a 16-hour final day, for Dwire to finally put the tournament away. Among the final table players, only Karen Sarkisyan (6th – $45,000) and Ming Chen (9th – $21,000) had any previous major results. Sarkisyan, who is from Russia, finished second to Ole Schemion in the final Partouche Poker Tour event ever held, back in 2012. Chen won an Asian Poker Tour Jeju title.

Martin Kabrhel navigated through this massive field and narrowly missed out on the final table. The six-time bracelet winner finished in 12th place ($13,000).

Dwire eliminated the last four opponents standing in his way to close out the tournament. On the final hand, Amadeus Janotta called off his last eight big blinds with A♠7♥, and he was ahead of Dwire’s J♦3♠. Dwire spiked a jack on the turn, and he made trip jacks on the river to complete his path to victory.

Dwire earned 660 Card Player POY points in his first qualifying result of 2026.

Final Table Results – $500 No-Limit Hold’em Summer Saver

Photo credit: WSOP / Monique Marestein, Travis Ball