Naoya Kihara Wins WSOP Stud Championship, Third Bracelet in Three Days
Japan's Naoya Kihara has captured his third gold bracelet in just three days, winning the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #23, the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship. Concluding on June 8th at Horseshoe & Paris Las Vegas, Kihara outlasted a field of 130 players to claim $301,970 (approximately $410,000 USD) of the $1,209,000 prize pool. While it took him 5,103 days to win his second bracelet, it only took him three days to secure his third.
Three Days, Two Championships After 5,103 Days
Kihara's performance this series is unprecedented in WSOP history. Just days prior, he miraculously came back from a single chip to win his second bracelet ($428,923) in the $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw Championship. The day after that victory, he entered the Stud Championship, led the Day 1 chip count, and pushed through to the final table to add a third title. He is now the sixth player in WSOP history to win two $10,000 Championship events in the same series, joining Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar, Greg Merson, George Danzer, and Jason Mercier.
Another Heartbreak for Allen Kessler, Dramatic Final Table
The final table of this event was filled with storylines beyond just the bracelet. Michael Mizrachi, eliminated in 6th place, staged another miraculous comeback after losing most of his stack on Day 1, but ultimately fell short of the win. Chris Brewer, finishing 5th, made his second final table of the series but suffered a brutal elimination on 7th street when his flush was cracked by Jeremy Ausmus's full house. The player with the loudest rail on this final day was Allen Kessler, who finished 3rd. He started the final day with a short stack but survived Mizrachi and Brewer, even briefly taking the chip lead, coming agonizingly close to a bracelet. Despite massive crowd support, Kessler's tournament run ended when he ran into Kihara's hand, securing $139,036 (approximately $190,000 USD).
Heads-Up Dominance Against James Cheung
His heads-up opponent was James Cheung (United Kingdom), who had already won a bracelet earlier in the series by defeating Brian Yoon in the $1,500 Stud event. A win for Cheung would have made him the first player to win both the $1,500 and $10,000 Stud events in the same series. However, Kihara seized the chip lead from the start of heads-up play and never relinquished control, dominating the match from beginning to end. "I've been very lucky the last few days. Poker is a combination of luck and skill, and I think I have enough skill, but you also need luck to win tournaments," Kihara said after his victory. When asked about his late success, he laughed, "It's a bit late. I should have done this sooner.""
Japan's All-Time Leader, and "One More"
With this victory, Kihara now stands alone as the all-time WSOP bracelet leader for Japanese players, surpassing Ryutaro Suzuki and Shiina Okamoto (two-time Ladies Championship winner) to reach the pinnacle of Japanese poker history. After becoming the first Japanese WSOP bracelet winner in 2012, he has now, after 14 long years of waiting and contemplating retirement, become the player with the most bracelets won by a Japanese national. It's also noteworthy that the season is not yet over. Kihara stated immediately after his win, "I need at least one more.""
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