button in Safari
Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
Day 3 Completed
2026 World Series of Poker
Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
Day: 3
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$3,478,000
Total Entries
148
Level
28
Limits
0 / 0
Ante
0
Entries
16
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 148
Filter
Level 28
Limit Flop: 200,000-400,000 Blinds, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
With the curtains nearly closed on the 2026 World Series of Poker, 148 entrants made their way to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for one last hurrah in Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. — the final high roller of the series. The field contained a who's who of poker talent, all of whom were looking to cap off their summer by winning one of the most prestigious bracelets of the festival.
In the end, it was Russia's Alexander Kostritsyn who emerged victorious, defeating Ali Eslami in a hard-fought heads-up match to capture his first WSOP bracelet and his first recorded live tournament cash in eight years. The victory earned him $872,052 — the second-largest score of his career.
Winner's Reaction
"I stopped playing tournaments [full time] 14 years ago," Kostritsyn told PokerNews shortly after his victory. "It feels nice. [A bracelet] is something I wanted to have. And I'm glad that I got it."
Before shifting his focus almost exclusively to cash games, Kostritsyn racked up over $3 million in live tournament earnings, including a victory in the 2008 Aussie Millions — where he defeated poker legend Erik Seidel heads-up for $1,450,396.
Kostritsyn explained he is selective about the tournaments he plays these days and joined the event late after playing cash until four in the morning the previous day.
"I've only played four tournaments this year. But this win is a good buy-in for the cash games I play... I felt my chances were good to win from Day 2. Well, I had chances. I just tried to make less blunders, so I needed less luck to win."
Looking forward, Kostritsyn said there is a "25 percent chance" he decides to play a full WSOP schedule next year — perhaps inspired by his first bracelet win.
Final Table Result Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Kostritsyn | Russian Federation | $872,052 |
| 2 | Ali Eslami | United States | $578,718 |
| 3 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | $394,433 |
| 4 | Julien Sitbon | France | $276,297 |
| 5 | Yueqi Zhu | China | $199,071 |
| 6 | Ari Engel | Canada | $147,648 |
| 7 | Walter Chambers | United States | $112,825 |
| 8 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $88,909 |
Final Day Action
Among the 16 players who returned to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas to compete for the prestigious mixed-game title were Alex Foxen, Shaun Deeb, and Naoya Kihara — who were sitting in first, second, and third place respectively in the WSOP Player of the Year race and looking to add valuable points to their standings as the summer series wrapped up.
It took less than one hour to reach the final nine players, with Qinghai Pan, Aaron Kupin, Maxx Coleman, Josh Arieh, Luke Schwartz, and William Kerkaert all failing to run up their stacks to fall short of the final table. Foxen bubbled the unofficial final table after falling to Kostritsyn in a hand of Razz. The elimination prompted Deeb to walk over and personally thank Kostritsyn, as Foxen's exit dramatically improved Deeb's chances of reclaiming the Player of the Year lead.
Deeb and Matthew Beinner entered the final table as the two shortest stacks and, despite each of them scoring an early triple-up, Beinner was sent out in ninth, while Deeb had to settle for an eighth-place finish — leaving the door open for Kihara to take the lead in the P.O.Y. standings with a podium finish.
With the shortest stacks eliminated and plenty of big bets in play, a couple of levels passed without another knockout, during which time Kostritsyn and Eslami pulled ahead of the pack. Walter Chambers eventually fell on the short stack and, with escalating blinds, he took a stand against Eslami in Hold'em only to be outdrawn on the turn to be the next to exit.
Julien Sitbon got short-stacked, but managed to double up multiple times and ladder past Ari Engel (sixth place) and Yueqi Zhu (fifth place) before ultimately busting in fourth place against Kostritsyn in a round of Stud.
Having moved into the Player of the Year lead, Kihara turned his attention to winning his third bracelet of the summer, which would have made him the third person to do so in three years alongside Scott Seiver (2024) and Benny Glaser (2025). Unfortunately for Kihara, a bad runout in Razz against Kostritsyn left him short. Eslami then claimed the rest of Kihara's chips after making a flush against him in Stud to set up heads-up play.
Kostritsyn and Eslami had nearly identical stacks before their duel began, but it didn't take long for Kostritsyn to pull out to a 2:1 chip lead after a couple of rounds of Stud went his way. Kostritsyn continued to chip away at Eslami, who got as low as five big bets before managing to claw his way back to a 2:1 deficit in a series of smaller pots.
Following a short break, everything went Kostritsyn's way. He first left Eslami short in a round of Razz before taking all but one chip from Eslami after making a set of kings in Stud. Eslami managed to double up once, but on the very next hand, Eslami was forced all in again and was eliminated after Kostritsyn drew two pair — awarding him his first WSOP bracelet and ending the tournament.
This concludes PokerNews' coverage of the event. For ongoing coverage of the event around the world, including the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table on August 3-5, be sure to check out our live-reporting hub here.
Level 28
Limit Flop: 200,000-400,000 Blinds, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Eighteen years ago, Alexander Kostritsyn emerged in the world of live poker with a victory in the 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event. He since won another two tournaments but his last recorded live cash according to The Hendon Mob was all the way back in 2018. That has now changed, because the online cash game player known under the moniker of "joiso" has earned the victory in Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. to win his first gold bracelet on the final day of the 2026 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Kostritsyn came out on top of an 148-entry strong field after defeating Ali Eslami in heads-up to earn the largest slice of the $3,478,000 prize pool, claiming the top prize of $872,052. Runner-up Eslami settled for a consolation prize of $578,718 whereas third-place finisher Naoya Kihara added $394,433 to his bankroll. Kihara also gained enough points to take over the lead in the Player of the Year race, which is set to conclude later this year during WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
Final Table Result Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Kostritsyn | Russian Federation | $872,052 |
| 2 | Ali Eslami | United States | $578,718 |
| 3 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | $394,433 |
| 4 | Julien Sitbon | France | $276,297 |
| 5 | Yueqi Zhu | China | $199,071 |
| 6 | Ari Engel | Canada | $147,648 |
| 7 | Walter Chambers | United States | $112,825 |
| 8 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $88,909 |
Stay tuned for a recap of today's action and the winner's reaction of the former StarCraft and Quake3 player Kostritsyn.
Level 28
Limit Flop: 200,000-400,000 Blinds, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Seven Card Stud
Alexander Kostritsyn: K♣K♥7♦/Q♠8♥4♣K♠
Ali Eslami: XxXx/10♣6♦A♥9♠/Xx
Alexander Kostritsyn completed and Ali Eslami called.
Eslami called a bet from Kostritsyn on fourth street and then led out for a bet after catching an ace on fifth. Kostritsyn raised and Eslami called.
Eslami check-called bets from Kostritsyn on sixth and seventh, and Kostritsyn tabled two kings in the hole for a set. Eslami mucked his hand and was left with a single T-25,000 chip behind.
"This would make a hell of a chip and a chair story," Eslami said.
Ali Eslami: 10♠2♦/3♣8♥6♣9♦/6♠
Alexander Kostritsyn: A♦6♠/9♣9♥10♥J♠/10♦
Eslami managed to double on the very next hand, but on the following hand, Eslami was forced all in again and drew to a pair of sixes while Kostritsyn drew to two pair to eliminate Eslami and put an end to the tournament.
Level 28
Limit Flop: 200,000-400,000 Blinds, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Razz
Alexander Kostritsyn: XxXx / Kx6xAxJx / Xx
Ali Eslami: XxXx / Ax7xKx9x / Xx
Ali Eslami completed with an ace and Alexander Kostritsyn defended a king. Eslami bet fourth street to get called and then called a bet by Kostritsyn on fifth street. Eslami regained the lead on sixth street. He bet and Kostritsyn called.
Eslami checked and then folded to a bet.
Level: 28
Limit Flop: 200,000-400,000 Blinds, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Level 27
Limit Flop: 150,000-300,000 Blinds, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Alexander Kostritsyn and Ali Eslami are taking a 15-minute break before resuming their heads-up battle.
Omaha Hi-Lo
In a min-raised pot to the J♥7♠4♥ flop, Kostritsyn check-raised and then called a three-bet by Eslami. The 10♠ turn saw Kostritsyn bet and Eslami call. They checked the 3♣ river and Kostritsyn tabled the K♦J♣7♣4♣ for two pair. Eslami's A♦Q♥8♥6♥ settled for the chop after missing both draws.
Kostritsyn raised the next button and Eslami called. Eslami bet the J♥9♥7♦ flop to earn a call and did so again on the 6♦ turn. Eslami bet the 7♣ river as well and Kostritsyn snap-folded.
When play resumes, the blinds will be 200,000-400,000 with betting limits of 800,000.
Level 27
Limit Flop: 150,000-300,000 Blinds, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Limit Hold’em
Alexander Kostritsyn raised on the button and Ali Eslami defended his big blind.
Eslami led out for a bet on the 10♥Q♦9♠ flop and called a raise from Kostritsyn.
The 5♠ fell on the turn and Eslami check-folded facing a bet from Kostritsyn.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Kostritsyn limped on the button and Eslami checked his option
Eslami check-called a bet from Kostritsyn on the 8♥A♠6♠ flop, but check-folded facing another bet from Kostritsyn on the K♥ turn.
Level 27
Limit Flop: 150,000-300,000 Blinds, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Razz
Alexander Kostritsyn: XxXx / 3x7xAxKx / Xx
Ali Eslami: XxXx / 4xAxQxKx / Xx
Alexander Kostritsyn completed and called a raise by Ali Eslami, who bet his lead on fourth street to get called. Kostritsyn bet fifth and sixth street to earn a call before they checked seventh street. Kostritsyn tabled the Jx9x8x and it was good enough to win the pot.
"So I did make a good move," Eslami grinned.
Alexander Kostritsyn: XxXx / 9x3x
Ali Eslami: XxXx / 6x10x - folded on fourth street
Eslami completed with a six and called a raise by Kostritsyn, who then bet fourth street to win the pot right there.
Alexander Kostritsyn: XxXx / 6x3xKx - folded on fifth street
Ali Eslami: XxXx / Ax2x6x
Eslami completed, Kostritsyn raised, and Eslami called. Eslami check-called on fourth street, then bet fifth street for Kostritsyn to snap-fold the king.
Seven Card Stud
Alexander Kostritsyn: XxXx / 7♥Q♠2♦5♣ - folded on sixth street
Ali Eslami: XxXx / 10♥K♦2♣K♣
In a limped pot to fourth street, Eslami bet and called a raise before he check-called on fifth street. Having paired his king on sixth street, Eslami bet and Kostritsyn snap-folded.
Level 27
Limit Flop: 150,000-300,000 Blinds, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Stud Games: 75,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 300,000 Completion, 300,000-600,000 Limits
Omaha Hi-Lo
Ali Eslami raised on the button and called a three-bet from Alexander Kostritsyn.
Eslami called bets from Kostritsyn on the 2♠A♥9♣ flop and 10♣ turn, but folded facing a final barrel from Kostritsyn on the A♠ river.
On the next hand, Kostritsyn limped on the button and called after Eslami raised from the big blind.
Kostritsyn called a bet from Eslami on the 2♦6♣K♥ flop and then check-raised a bet from Kostritsyn on the 6♠ turn. Kostritsyn called.
Kostritsyn called a final bet from Eslami on the 7♣ river and Eslami turned over A♥A♠9♦3♦ for aces-up. Kostritsyn nodded his head in acknowledgement and sent his cards into the muck.
