India's Kartik Ved secured a third-place finish in the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #1, the $550 Mini Mystery Millions, earning $200,000 (approximately 270 million KRW). The newly introduced event drew a colossal field of 20,488 players, making it the 7th largest in WSOP Las Vegas history, with a prize pool of $9,352,772 (approximately 12.8 billion KRW). While the title went to American Philip Chun, Ved, a prominent Indian grinder, showcased the strength of Asian players by navigating the massive field to a final table high finish.
Third Place Again for India's First WSOP Bracelet Winner
Ved is a highly respected veteran in the Indian poker scene. He became the first Indian to win a WSOP online bracelet in 2020 after taking down the WSOP Online $840 Super Turbo Bounty. Currently active as a professional player and coach, he is considered one of the top 5 players in India. His online moniker is 'TheInternetKid'. However, a live gold bracelet has eluded him. After a third-place finish in the 2022 WSOP $1,000 Mini Main Event ($275,593), he once again landed in third place in this Mini Mystery Millions, deferring his quest for a live bracelet to another opportunity.
Massive 20,488-Player Field and the $1 Million Bounty
This event, a new low-buy-in, multi-flight tournament introduced by WSOP this year, attracted 20,488 participants across six starting flights, thanks to its accessible $550 buy-in. With 793 players remaining at the start of Day 2, approximately $4.09 million in bounty prizes were distributed after the bubble burst. The highly anticipated $1 million mystery bounty was claimed by American recreational player Andrew Shelton on his single entry, instantly making him a millionaire. Ved continued his strong run to the final three players, even eliminating the 9th-place finisher Jurgen Pirgu with A-Q, but was ultimately stopped by eventual winner Philip Chun, finishing in third place.
India's Top Grinder Eyes Live Bracelet
Ved's third-place finish underscores the significant growth of Indian poker in recent years. India has been increasing its influence on the global stage, with players like Santhosh Suvarna winning $5.41 million in the $250,000 Super High Roller in 2024. Numerous Indian players, including Ved, have been making deep runs at the WSOP annually. With an online bracelet and two major event third-place finishes, the only thing left for Ved is a live gold bracelet. The series has already seen strong performances from Asian players, including China's Yang Wang winning his first bracelet in the $5,000 PLO and Japan's Ryuta Nakai reaching the semifinals of the $25K Heads-Up Championship. With 100 bracelets still to be awarded in the series, Ved's continued pursuit of a live bracelet in the Main Event in July is highly anticipated.
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