The Muck · WSOP Daily Brief
Day 12 Edition
Jeff Madsen picked up his fifth bracelet this morning, declared he wants POY to go with it, and is apparently playing his best poker in a decade. Meanwhile, Hustler Casino Live brought a high-stakes cash game to the WSOP floor for the first time, promptly had a player removed mid-stream by casino compliance, and the $25,000 High Roller 6-Handed has just started Day 1. Through 12 days of play, roughly 20+ bracelets have been handed out. The summer is chugging.
Story 01 of 6
Jeff Madsen defeated a 656-player field in Event #20: $1,500 Dealers Choice to claim his fifth WSOP bracelet and $161,057. The final hand came in Pot-Limit Double Draw High, where Madsen's queens held against Philip Wess's flush draw. Dario Sammartino finished fourth for $49,383. Madsen's last bracelet was in 2015 - 11 years ago - and his first came in 2006, making this his 20th year in professional poker. He has over $7.2 million in career earnings and has cashed more than 100 times in WSOP bracelet events. He's now explicitly gunning for a second POY title.
Why it mattersMadsen already has a win and multiple cashes early in the summer, which is exactly the kind of start that builds a real POY run. He won the first POY of his career at 21 years old - the youngest ever at that point. A second one, 20 years later, would be one of the cleaner bookend stories in modern poker. He also said he plans to win one or two more bracelets this summer, which is aggressive but not crazy for someone playing at his current level.
Story 02 of 6
Hustler Casino Live aired the first-ever high-stakes cash game livestream from the WSOP floor on June 5, at Paris Las Vegas. Commentators Alan Keating and Brent Hanks were on the call. Midway through the session, a regular on the show - a player identified as 'Britney' - had her chips removed from the table without explanation. The stream went to a promo graphic, then returned without her. PokerNews confirmed the issue: Britney bought into the game with a large sum of cash rather than using a wire transfer or approved service like LuxonPay. She was initially cleared by the cage after retrieving a check from another casino, but a compliance officer pulled her when they wanted more background information. Nik Airball noted the situation at the table. She had already lost over $175,000 before being removed. The Million Dollar Game - HCL's marquee event - is still scheduled for June 12.
Why it mattersThe WSOP's cash-payment crackdown is showing up in unexpected places. Tournament compliance (the patch rules, the cash payment restrictions) is now also bleeding into the cash game ecosystem. It's a tighter regulatory environment than players are used to, and the fact that it happened on a livestream makes it a public-facing controversy rather than a backstage incident.
Story 03 of 6
Event #24: $25,000 High Roller Six Handed No-Limit Hold'em shuffled up today at noon PT. As of early action, 11 players were registered with everyone starting at 150,000 chips - the field will grow through late registration, which runs through Level 9. The event runs June 6-8, with a champion crowned Sunday. The 2025 winner was Blaz Zerjav, who turned a 336-entry field into $1,734,717. Players confirmed in today's field include Orpen Kisacikoglu, Ben Heath, Chang Lee, Justin Arnwine, and Alex Anton. This is one of the premium high-roller events on the WSOP schedule, and the six-max format means every seat is a grind from hand one.
Why it mattersThis event has historically drawn elite fields with international representation. Six-max creates more variance and more dramatic confrontations than nine-handed play. Whoever bags Day 1 at a premium stack is a strong headline story for tomorrow.
Story 04 of 6
On June 5, Naoya Kihara won his second WSOP bracelet after a remarkable comeback from a single chip to end a 14-year bracelet drought. The specific event was not confirmed in available reports at time of writing. Adding a layer: per PokerNews Day 11 coverage, Kihara then returned to the tournament floor the next morning - the day after his bracelet win - and led chip counts in another event, suggesting a player fully in form.
Why it mattersA 14-year gap between bracelets followed by a single-chip miracle run is exactly the kind of thing that puts a story in the 'tournament of the year' conversation regardless of buy-in.
Story 05 of 6
Phil Hellmuth reached the final table of Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship - drawing enormous attention given the bracelet #18 storyline - but busted in seventh place for $54,214. Scott Clements won, collecting his fourth career bracelet and $450,176. Clements now has one of the strongest mixed-game bracelet resumes in the field.
Why it mattersHellmuth reaching an Omaha Hi-Lo final table extends his record for career WSOP final table appearances, which is its own story. But it's also a reminder that being the most decorated player in WSOP history doesn't make the last hand go your way.
Story 06 of 6
Shaun Deeb was eliminated in fifth place in Event #17: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship, per PokerNews coverage. The WSOP's official X account noted Deeb sitting second in the early POY standings. Jeff Madsen's win today formally positions him as Deeb's competition if Madsen plays the volume he's promising.
Why it mattersThe POY race has a $1 million prize and is global this year - WSOP Europe and WSOP Paradise results count alongside Las Vegas. Best 15 results count, wins worth 6x, final tables 4x. It's early but Madsen has the first W on the board.
Approximately 20+ bracelets awarded through Day 12. The following are confirmed recent winners. Full running list available at wsop.com.
Fifth career bracelet, first in 11 years. Won on 20th anniversary of poker debut.
Naoya Kihara won his second bracelet on June 5 with a single-chip comeback. Specific event number not confirmed in available sourcing at time of publication.
Coaching student of Matt Jaka. Won the inaugural Circuit bracelet version of this event.
Won via heads-up cooler in the GGMillion$ High Roller event.
Fourth career bracelet. Denied Hellmuth's shot at #18.
Second career bracelet. Defeated Nikita Kuznetsov heads up.
First bracelet. Won under tutelage of Kristen Foxen.
Event #24 $25K High Roller 6-Handed just started Day 1 today; all players even at 150,000 starting stack. Chip counts will be meaningful by end of Day 1 tonight. For earlier completed events, chip counts are no longer relevant.
Notable eliminations from the past 48 hours.
Reached the final table hunting bracelet #18. Scott Clements won it instead.
Despite the finish, Deeb is reportedly sitting second in the POY standings.
Aces cracked, missed his first WSOP cash of 2026. The bracelet #8 run remains dormant.
Won Event #20 Dealers Choice today for $161,057 - his fifth career bracelet. Has additional cashes including an 11th in the $5K PLO. Publicly stated his intention to win a second POY title 20 years after the first. The math is starting to work in his favor.
WSOP's official account noted Deeb sitting second in the early POY standings as of June 5. Two-time POY winner playing his usual heavy volume schedule. A fifth-place finish in the $10K 2-7 hurts but doesn't disqualify.
Defending POY and Main Event champion. Bagged Day 1b of the $10K GGMillion$ High Roller with 93,500 chips (below average, with Day 2 scheduled). Still in the mix by resume and intent.
Seventh in the $10K Omaha Hi-Lo - a final table, but not the result he wanted. Still sitting on 17, still showing up to events where he has a shot. The quest for #18 continues.