2026 WSOP: Jeff Madsen Wins Fifth Bracelet, Kristen Foxen and Jesse Lonis Compete in $25K High Roller

2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has entered the second weekend of the schedule, with players gradually adapting to the daily rhythm. One of the highlights of the past few days was professional poker player Jeff Madsen’s victory: coming from a short stack, he won the $1,500 Dealers Choice event (Event #20), claiming his fifth WSOP gold bracelet. Meanwhile, in the high roller realm, the $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em high roller has 22 players remaining, with Kristen Foxen and Jesse Lonis making deep runs.

Jeff Madsen Captures Fifth Bracelet

In the $1,500 Dealers Choice, ten players returned on Friday to battle for the title. This event is considered one of the toughest bracelet events as players must master 21 different poker variants. The chip leader at the start was Philip Wess (5.37 million), with Dario Sammartino in second holding 2.03 million.

The day began with eliminations from ten down to the seven-player official final table. John Bunch, Nathan Gamble, and Daniel Geyser finished 10th, 9th, and 8th respectively, setting the final table. Wess, who once held a commanding lead, saw his stack trimmed through several hands but still led with 3.72 million, followed closely by Canada’s Luteng Li at 3.28 million. Madsen remained short-stacked throughout, pushing all-in multiple times, and sat with 1.24 million chips, second-to-last (only ahead of Robert Klein’s 900,000).

Players navigated a mix of games—Stud Hi/Lo, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, and regular Stud—with only Klein being eliminated: he shoved, and Clayton Mozdzen hit a “wheel” (A-2-3-4-5 straight) while also making the best low, sending Klein out in 7th. Klein’s exit seemed to open the floodgates, and Madsen began a small surge.

In Seven Card Stud, Madsen chipped up from Kelvin Zhao, then nibbled at large stacks from Wess and Mozdzen. In Badacey, Madsen continued advancing, nearing the 3 million mark. His momentum carried into Badugi, where he again beat Wess and Mozdzen to move into second place.

Just before dinner break, the tournament turned. Madsen won two big pots in Badacey, taking chips from Sammartino, giving him over 6 million and the lead at dinner. From there, regardless of the game, Madsen was unstoppable, sweeping the table.

Among the final five, Madsen personally eliminated Mozdzen (5th), Sammartino (4th), and runner-up Wess, never being threatened during his post-dinner run. The final hand was Pot-Limit Double Draw High (a five-draw variant): Wess shoved with J♥8♥6♥2♥, while Madsen held pocket queens. After two draws, Madsen improved to trips with an A, a Q, and a 2; Wess needed a heart but missed. Madsen won his fifth WSOP gold bracelet and $161,057 first-place prize.

Final Table Payouts

• Jeff Madsen — $161,057
• Philip Wess — $107,341
• Luteng Li — $72,042
• Dario Sammartino — $49,383
• Clayton Mozdzen — $34,588
• Kelvin Zhao — $24,766
• Robert Klein — $18,137

$25K High Roller: Barak Wisbrod Leads, Foxen and Lonis in Pursuit

The $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em high roller still has two days of play, but Barak Wisbrod has already opened a gap. He sits on 5 million chips and produced one of the tournament's most brutal eliminations on Day 2: sending Jeremy Ausmus to the rail—Ausmus had already bought in four times on that day (multiple re-entries were permitted). In that hand, Ausmus’s 99 flopped a set, but Wisbrod’s K-Q made a straight on a board of A-J-10, winning the flip.

Wisbrod’s lead is clear; second-place Zachary Grech has 4.1 million, 900,000 behind. Joey Weissman is third with 3.3 million, but players further down the list pose more danger. In our 2026 WSOP player preview, we noted that Kristen Foxen holds two more bracelets than her husband Alex; she currently has 2.8 million and is in contention. Also looking to make the money deep are Jesse Lonis (tied for 7th, 2.7 million) and Philip Sternheimer (tied for 9th, 2.5 million).

Today is the “moving day” for the event; they will play down to the final table and crown a champion on Sunday. The first two days were streamed live on WSOP’s YouTube channel, and coverage is expected to continue Saturday and Sunday. Here are the top ten chip counts among the 22 survivors heading into Day 3 (Saturday):

1. Barak Wisbrod — 5,000,000
2. Zachary Grech — 4,100,000
3. Joey Weissman — 3,300,000
4. Ihar Soika — 3,200,000
5. Giuseppe Callo — 2,800,000
6. Kristen Foxen — 2,800,000 (tied)
7. Dejan Kaladjurdjevic — 2,700,000
8. Jesse Lonis — 2,700,000 (tied)
9. Philip Sternheimer — 2,500,000
10. Zachary Camp — 2,500,000 (tied)

(Images courtesy of WSOP.com)