Naoya Kihara Becomes First Double Bracelet Winner of 2026 WSOP Following Incredible Three-Day Blitz

Derick Elomina discovered poker at 14, playing home games with his high school friends. What began as a pastime quickly grew into a passion that shaped his career. By 21, he entered the poker industry as a field reporter — just old enough to step foot inside the casino. Starting as a hand reporter, he steadily honed his craft, blending sharp observation with growing writing skills. Known for his dedication, he constantly roams the floor to capture the action, conduct interviews, and deliver live updates. With a strong commitment to the game and a passion for telling poker’s stories, Derick continues to build his path in the industry.

Updated: 2026.06.08

The 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has produced another historic headline from the Japanese poker community. While tournament fields continue to grow making the path to a single gold bracelet immensely difficult, Tokyo’s Naoya Kihara has completely disrupted the series by capturing two championship titles in just a three-day window.

With this remarkable run, Kihara stands alone as Japan’s most decorated poker player, breaking away from compatriots Ryutaro Suzuki and Shiina Okamoto to become the country’s first and only three-time WSOP bracelet winner.

From One Chip to Gold in the 10K 2-7 Lowball Championship

Kihara’s summer surge began with an improbable survival story in Event #17: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship . Late on Day 1, he executed a bluff holding a pair of fives against Benny Glaser , which was called. The hand decimated his stack, leaving him with a single 1,000-denomination chip in front of him.

Faced with a near-impossible deficit, Kihara launched a spectacular chipping-up sequence to finish the opening day at 96,000. He carried that momentum all the way through a competitive 198-entry field, ultimately defeating David Lin heads-up on a 14-hour final day to secure a $428,923 payday.

The victory carried heavy sentimental weight, ending a 14-year bracelet drought. Kihara originally put Japanese poker on the global map in 2012 when he won a $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Six-Handed event to become Japan’s first-ever WSOP champion.

#17 $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship ($10,000)

Total Prize

$1,841,400

Entries

198

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	$428,923	NK Naoya Kihara Japan	2,959.10
2	$288,711	DL David Lin United States of America	2,092.40
3	$198,302	JC John Cynn United States of America	1,708.44
4	$139,038	RS Ryutaro Suzuki Japan	1,479.55
5	$99,557	SD Shaun Deeb United States of America	1,323.35
6	$72,834	DS Dan Shak United States of America	1,208.05
7	$54,467	PH Per Hildebrand Sweden	1,118.44
8	$41,656	RF Robert French United States of America	1,046.20
9	$41,656	PH Phil Hellmuth United States of America	986.37

Check the 30 Payouts & Results ...

Naoya Kihara First Double Bracelet Winner in WSOP 2026

Hardly pausing to celebrate his milestone, Kihara registered for Event #23: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship just one day later. He proceeded to navigate a elite field of 130 entries, creating a total prize pool of $1,209,000.

The final duel saw Kihara face off against the United Kingdom’s Qibang Cheung , who was chasing his own slice of history after winning Event #6: $1,500 Seven Card Stud earlier in the series. Kihara controlled the heads-up match to stop Cheung’s run, capturing his second title of the week and adding $301,970 to his summer haul.

Reflecting on his run, the Tokyo pro pointed to a combination of factors.

Poker is a mix of luck and skill. I’m pretty sure I have enough skill, but I need luck also to win the tournament. For a few days, I’m really lucky.

When asked about breaking the national record, he joked,

For me, it’s too late. I should have done it before. At least one more bracelet I need.

A Swift Finish to a Star-Studded Final Table

$10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship Final Table

The final day of the Seven Card Stud Championship featured several notable deep runs. Jason Kluska was the first casualty of the official final table, dropping out in eighth place after entering the day down to his final big bet. He was followed out the door by two-time bracelet winner and stud specialist Ryan Miller in seventh.

Former WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi held the chip lead early in the day but steadily lost momentum as the table thinned. Mizrachi was ultimately eliminated in sixth place when Chris Brewer hit trip threes to crack his pocket aces. Brewer’s run concluded shortly after in fifth place via a brutal river card when Jeremy Ausmus completed a full house on seventh street to beat Brewer’s flush.

Following the dinner break, Cheung took commanding control of the table, eliminating Ausmus in fourth place after a string of heavy pots. Meanwhile, mixed-game veteran Allen Kessler engineered a brief resurgence, building up from a short stack to briefly hold the chip lead to the delight of a vocal rail. However, Kessler dropped consecutive large pots to Cheung and Kihara, exiting in third place to a standing ovation.

Heads-up play began with Kihara holding a comfortable chip advantage. Unlike his grueling battle in the 2-7 Lowball Championship, Kihara enjoyed a direct run of premium cards that left little room for complex decisions. He maintained relentless pressure on Cheung, preventing any counter-attack and rapidly bringing the tournament to a close.

#23 $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship ($10,000)

Total Prize

$1,209,000

Entries

130

ITM

#	Payout	Player	SPI
1	$301,970	NK Naoya Kihara Japan	2,397.72
2	$201,308	QC Qibang Cheung United Kingdom	1,695.45
3	$139,036	AK Allen Kessler United States of America	1,384.33
4	$98,782	JA Jeremy Ausmus United States of America	1,198.86
5	$72,254	CB Chris Brewer United States of America	1,072.30
6	$54,458	MM Michael Mizrachi United States of America	978.87
7	$42,333	RM Ryan Miller United States of America	906.25
8	$33,974	JK Jason Kluska United States of America	847.72
9	$28,179	BR Brad Ruben United States of America	799.24