Monday was a busy day at the 2026 World Series of Poker as two World Championship events concluded their action. In one, the Final Four of the $25,000 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em event became the “last man standing.” In the other, a noted high-stakes pro fended off two Poker Hall of Famers on his way to capturing the World Championship of Omaha Hi/Lo.
Danchev is the Last Man Standing in Heads-Up
The $25,000 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em tournament, Event #7 on the 2026 WSOP calendar, saw 128 entries whittled down to the Final Four on Monday. In one battle zone, perennial POY contender Alex Foxen was set to square off against Nikita Kuznetsov for a place in the Championship Round. On the other patch of baize, Dimitar Danchev was jet-lagged (he had arrived in Las Vegas from Russia only on Saturday for the 2026 WSOP) but ready to go to battle against Japan’s Ryuta Nakai. Although all the participants were guaranteed a $300,000 payday, they were all in the game for the WSOP bracelet.
Danchev would have some difficulties with Nakai, who was more than willing to grind Danchev into the felt slowly. It would be a bit of good fortune for Danchev to flop a set of fours against a turned two pair from Nakai; after the river, the board read 5-4-Q-J-9, and Danchev would check his set over to Nakai. who pushed all in with Q-J. Danchev beat him to the pot with his remaining stack, turning up pocket fours for the lead from the start. That hand sent Danchev to the lead and, five hands later, Danchev would stamp his name in the finals after his pocket Queens stood up to Nakai’s A-J.
Kuznetsov, meanwhile, had to deal with the tricky Foxen, but he kept the game under his control. Kuznetsov would win the opening hand and never let Foxen build any momentum, eventually moving out to a 3:1 lead over Foxen. In the end, it took a bit of a cooler to put Foxen away.
On a Q-2-5-6 flop and turn, the chips would start flying. Kuznetsov checked the action to Foxen, who responded by pushing in 250K in chips. Kuznetsov responded with some power of his own, pushing the action to 730K, and Foxen put out the remainder of his stack. Kuznetsov immediately called, and the cards went to their backs:
Foxen: Q-5
Kuznetsov: Q-6
The turn card had given Kuznetsov a dominant lead, and after another five failed to appear on the river, Kuznetsov was on his way to the final.
Kuznetsov would control the action through the early going of the Championship Match. In one instance, it was a kicker issue that saw Kuznetsov take the hand over Danchev. In another, Danchev actually found a fold with a 7-4 on a 4-10-6-4-6 board when Kuznetsov topped him with a J-6. Befitting his match with Nakai, however, Danchev would slowly be able to work his way out of the hole in the three-hour-plus match.
Danchev would take over the lead when he flopped a full house against Kuznetsov, who had flopped trip tens against Danchev’s pocket fives that found a boat on the 5-10-10 flop. It would be the beginning of the end for Kuznetsov, who would never again find himself in the lead. On the final hand, Danchev limped in with Q-7, and Kuznetsov checked with his Q-8. The 7-J-Q flop lit the fuse as Danchev worked the remainder of Kuznetsov’s chips out of his stack. Once another Queen came on the river, Kuznetsov thought the trap was set and check-called all-in against Danchev, whose full house, sevens over Queens, sealed the bracelet for the Russian.
Scott Clements Wins Bracelet #4, Shuts Down Hellmuth and Brunson
Twenty years ago, Scott Clements won his first WSOP bracelet. To celebrate that day, Clements apparently thought winning his fourth at the 2026 WSOP was the way to go. On the way to winning Event #9, the $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better World Championship, Clements had to deal with two Poker Hall of Famers, Phil Hellmuth and Todd Brunson, to achieve his goal.
Hellmuth was one of the early departures from the event, the victim of a well-timed flush that beat the Aces he held in his four-card selection, benefiting Dylan Weisman. The 17-time WSOP bracelet winner would be eliminated in seventh place. Brunson, for his part, lasted to the final three players, when Clements took a sizable chunk of Brunson’s chips before administering the coup de grace in third place.
Clements would dominate the heads-up segment of play, never letting Weisman into the mix. On the final hand, Weisman would limp in, and the duo saw a 4-3-3 flop. Clements indicated interest in the flop, but Weisman would raise, and Clements would make the call. On the seven turn, Clements would continue to push, and Weisman would push back all-in. Clements made the call and turned over the unwelcome news for Weisman:
Weisman: J-6-3-2 (trip treys)
Clements: 10-6-5-2 (made straight and low)
There was a card left to come, however, but it would be insignificant; it was a King, changing nothing in the hand, and Scott Clements picked up the fourth bracelet of his WSOP career. Weisman appears to be on a nice heater, however, as this was his second final table of the 2026 WSOP.
1. Scott Clements, $450,176
2. Dylan Weisman, $299,228
3. Todd Brunson, $203,242
4. James Obst, $141,126
5. Nam Le, $100,231
6. Ryan Bambrick, $72,849
7. Phil Hellmuth, $54,214
(Photo courtesy of WSOP.com)