BENNY GLASER WINS POKER PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR 9TH WSOP BRACELET
Benny Glazer wins the 2026 WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship for his ninth bracelet, defeating Josh Arieh in poker's most prestigious mixed-game event.
Jun 26 2026 07:34 PM EST
Las Vegas, Nevada (June 26, 2026) - After the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event, the $50,000 Poker Players Championship is regarded as the most prestigious title a poker player can win.
Set at a $50,000 buy-in, not only does the Poker Players Championship essentially serve as a high roller tournament, but its inclusion of No-Limit Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz, Pot-Limit Omaha, Limit Hold’em, No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw makes it essential for players to be elite at nearly every major poker variant if they hope to have a realistic chance at capturing the title.
Unlike most tournaments that reward specialists in a single discipline, the Poker Players Championship demands complete mastery across multiple games. Competitors must constantly adjust their strategy as the format rotates, making the event the ultimate test of versatility, endurance, and technical ability. For that reason, winning the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy is widely viewed as one of the greatest accomplishments in professional poker.
With a high buy-in and nearly every popular poker variation under the sun, the Poker Players Championship has long been a battleground for legends and some of poker's best to build their legacies on the biggest stage.
Winning the first-ever Poker Players Championship (previously known as the $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E.) in 2006, late poker legend Chip Reese set the benchmark for what the title would stand for in years to come, with the event's trophy named after him in his honor.
Michael Mizrachi, Scotty Nguyen, John Hennigan, and Daniel Negreanu are just a few of the poker legends who have etched their names—some more than once—onto the Chip Reese Trophy. Now, another elite mixed-game specialist has earned his place alongside them.
Benny Glaser hoisting the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy.
Benny Glazer wins the 2026 WSOP Poker Players Championship
Over the past decade, few poker players have been able to rival the WSOP accomplishments of Benny Glazer. Hailing from Southampton, United Kingdom, Glazer's aptitude across nearly every poker variation has made him a force to be reckoned with each summer at the World Series of Poker.
During last year's WSOP in 2025, Glazer pulled off the remarkable feat of winning three WSOP bracelets in a single series. The seventh poker player in history to win three WSOP tournaments during one summer, Glazer joined Puggy Pearson (1973), Ted Forrest (1993), Phil Hellmuth (1993), Phil Ivey (2002), Jeff Lisandro (2009), and Scott Seiver (2024) as the only players ever to accomplish the achievement.
While Glazer has accumulated plenty of hardware throughout his career, the grandest achievement of his poker journey took place Thursday night at Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas when he captured the $50,000 Poker Players Championship title.
The victory not only earned Glazer his ninth WSOP bracelet but also secured the title that many poker professionals consider the most difficult bracelet event on the annual schedule. Winning the Poker Players Championship requires surviving five days against the world's best all-around players while navigating nine distinct poker disciplines, a challenge few players have ever conquered.
Benny Glaser celebrating WSOP bracelet #9 with his rail.
Benny Glazer beats out Josh Arieh, Phil Ivey, and Jason Mercier
The Poker Players Championship consistently attracts the strongest mixed-game fields in poker, producing final tables filled with accomplished professionals and former champions. The 2026 edition was no different, as the eventual final table featured Benny Glazer, Josh Arieh, Phil Ivey, Maxx Coleman, Paul Volpe, Kristopher Tong, and Jason Mercier.
Collectively, the seven finalists entered the day with 38 WSOP bracelets and decades of experience competing in the biggest tournaments in the world.
Coming into the final table with the chip lead, the table was set for Glazer to win the most coveted championship in mixed-game poker. Still, maintaining that lead against such an accomplished lineup would prove far from easy.
One by one, the remaining field slowly dwindled down as every player fought to keep their championship hopes alive. Former bracelet winners and seasoned mixed-game veterans all fell short, leaving Glazer one step closer to completing the biggest victory of his career.
After Phil Ivey was eliminated in third place, an exciting heads-up duel between Glazer and Josh Arieh was set, with both players essentially even in chips.
As the heads-up battle progressed, Glazer steadily gained momentum. Eventually, Glazer reduced Arieh's stack to the point where the outcome seemed inevitable.
Playing Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Arieh moved all-in before the flop, and Glazer quickly called with the superior holding. By the turn, Glazer had improved to the better two pair, eliminating Arieh and bringing the tournament to an end.
With that final pot, Glazer officially overcame a field of 108 entrants to capture his first Poker Players Championship, his ninth WSOP bracelet, and one of the most coveted trophies in poker. The victory further cements his legacy as one of the greatest mixed-game players of his era and adds another remarkable chapter to an already historic World Series of Poker career.
2026 $50,000 Poker Players Championship Final Table Results
1st place: Benny Glazer - $1,343,7642nd place: Josh Arieh - $895,8373rd place: Phil Ivey - $600,6984th place: Maxx Coleman - $417,6075th place: Paul Volpe - $301,4056th place: Kristopher Tong - $226,1727th place: Jason Mercier - $176,732
