First-Time Winners Shine at 2026 WSOP with Big Payouts

The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has completed 66 out of 100 scheduled events, with over 138,700 entries and $239.2 million in prize money distributed.

Lionel Barracano won the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Super Seniors event, securing $355,263. This event, which requires entrants to be at least 60 years old, attracted 3,323 participants and offered a prize pool of $2,924,240. Barracano's victory was his first WSOP bracelet, marking a significant milestone in his poker career.

Ciro Gonzalez won the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout event, earning $449,067 and his first WSOP bracelet. The event, which had 2,617 entries, followed a one-entry-per-player format. Gonzalez, a jewelry business owner from Cancun, Mexico, expressed his excitement about winning the bracelet, stating that the hardware is more important to him than the money.

Breno Drumond and Henrique Lessa won the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Tag Team event, taking home a combined prize of $239,432. This event, which saw 1,375 entries, featured pairs of players taking turns guiding their stack throughout the tournament. Drumond and Lessa are reportedly poker students of the 2025 winners, Kelvin Kerber and Peter Patricio, who offer coaching services.