Marius Kudzmanas Wins WSOPE 2026 Main Event, Defeats Japan’s Akihiro Konishi

The 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE)  Main Event reached its conclusion at King’s Casino Prague , where Marius Kudzmanas carved his name into the history books. Kudzmanas outlasted a record-breaking field of 2,617 entries to become the first-ever player from Lithuania to claim the prestigious title. This year’s main event proved its immense popularity by generating a massive €13,085,000 (~$15,083,140) prize pool, which easily surpassed the €10 million guarantee.

Marius Kudzmanas 2026 WSOPE Main Event Champion

While Kudzmanas had already established himself as a force in the online poker world with two WSOP bracelets, this win finally secured the major live trophy that had long been his primary goal. Kudzmanas secured the victory by defeating Japan’s Akihiro Konishi heads-up, cracking Konishi’s pocket kings with seven-six on the final hand to claim the €2,000,000 (~$2,305,410) first-place prize, which marked the biggest live cash of his professional career.

The Main Event is the most special tournament of them all. If you run deep in the main event, it’s obviously the best feeling ever.

#5 €5,000 Europe Main Event (5,300 EUR)

Total Prize USD

$15,083,140

Total Prize

€13,085,000

Guaranteed

€10,000,000

Entries

2,617

ITM

393

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	€2,000,000 $2,305,410	MK Marius Kudzmanas Lithuania	9,172.01
2	€1,200,000 $1,383,245	AK Akihiro Konishi Japan	6,485.59
3	€800,000 $922,165	CH Chris Hunichen United States of America	5,295.46
4	€575,000 $662,805	NB Nikolay Bibov Bulgaria	4,586.01
5	€425,000 $489,900	AG Antonio Guimaraens Spain	4,101.85
6	€320,000 $368,865	HZ Hengtao Zhu Finland	3,744.46
7	€245,000 $282,415	TE Thomas Eychenne France	3,466.69
8	€185,000 $213,250	BS Brandon Sheils United Kingdom	3,242.80
9	€140,000 $161,380	JN Joona Nyholm Finland	3,057.34

Check the 393 Payouts & Results ...

Early Final Table Departures

The final session was marked by a shift in momentum as several of the top stacks were forced to the rail early. Joona Nyholm , who entered the day with the shortest stack, was the first to exit in ninth place after a failed flip against Chris Hunichen . He was soon followed by Brandon Sheils in eighth place. Sheils, who started third in chips, saw his stack dwindle after an unsuccessful move against Hunichen’s pocket aces before he eventually ran ace-queen into Nikolay Bibov’s ace-king.

The early exits continued with 2025 EPT Barcelona winner Thomas Eychenne . Despite starting second in chips, Eychenne’s run ended in seventh place, falling short of the top-three finish he had hoped for to reverse a recent downswing. The departure of these high-caliber players opened a window for Kudzmanas to take control.

It was much easier after they [Sheils and Eychenne] were gone because they are very good players. It’s nice to be with as many amateurs as possible left.

Eychenne’s final hand was a heartbreaking one. Kudzmanas moved all in with pocket nines, and Eychenne made the call holding pocket kings. The flop delivered a two-outer for Kudzmanas, giving him a set and securing the knockout, sending Eychenne to the rail in seventh place.

The momentum shifted further when Day 4 and Final Day chip leader Hengtao Zhu attempted an ace-high bluff against Kudzmanas. The Lithuanian professional found a courageous hero call with a small pair, which ended Zhu’s run in sixth place.

I felt like I’m the best player at the table. I just needed to not get any big coolers and just play my game as best as possible.

Navigating The Final Five

As the table narrowed, the eliminations accelerated. Antonio Guimaraens fell in fifth place when his ace-three was bested by the ace-queen of Konishi. Kudzmanas then solidified his lead in a massive 61-million chip pot against Bibov. Although Bibov’s ace-queen dominated Kudzmanas’s ace-jack, a jack on the flop handed the pot to Kudzmanas, sending Bibov home in fourth place.

During the three-handed battle, Konishi managed to stay alive by doubling through Hunichen with pocket queens against sevens. This left Hunichen severely short-stacked, and he was eliminated shortly after in third place by Konishi.

A Decisive Heads-Up Battle

The final duel began with Konishi holding a 2-to-1 lead, which he quickly stretched to a 4-to-1 advantage. However, the experience of Kudzmanas proved vital as he won four straight pots to seize the lead. He further distanced himself by sniffing out another bluff from the Japanese player. Konishi managed one final surge, doubling his sixteen-big-blind stack and narrowing the gap with a rivered set of trips, but the final hand was just around the corner.

I’m trying to put a lot of pressure on my opponent and just take down every pot I can

In the final hand, Konishi looked down at pocket kings on a single-raised flop and continued to bet his overpair. Kudzmanas, holding seven-six for a top pair and an open-ended straight draw, responded with a check-raise. Konishi moved all-in, and Kudzmanas made the call. While Konishi was ahead on the flop, a seven on the turn gave Kudzmanas trips, leaving Konishi with few outs. The river changed nothing, confirming Konishi’s runner-up finish for €1,200,000 (~$1,407,780).

This result represented a life-changing score for Konishi, whose career earnings jumped from $280,000 to $1.6 million. With this win, Kudzmanas claimed his third career bracelet and cemented his legacy as a 2026 WSOPE Main Event champion.

All photos and quotes courtesy of PokerNews.