WSOP 2026 Week #4: Reaching the Midpoint

The 57th edition of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) finally reached a halfway mark. But the excitement doesn’t even seem to cease. From the double championships of Calvin Anderson to Michelle Chin’s legendary return after an 11-year silence, the past week in Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas was full of drama. Let’s see what happened since our last recap.

One More Bracelet for the Foxen Family

The American professional poker player, Alex Foxen, grabbed his fourth trophy in 7 days after his wife. Kristen Foxen won the sixth golden reward during the WSOP Week #2. Alex bypassed a field of 466 entries, reminding the poker community who the true high-stakes end boss is. It happened within one day of play during the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty.

Foxen was already among the chip leaders at the final stages, so the road to winning seemed a quick cakewalk. But the heads-up match (HU) against Yixi Tang gave Alex a workout. Despite the fierce nature of Tang and a flopped pair of Queens, the stars turned away from him. The King on the turn helped Kristen’s husband lock the top spot on the leaderboard and a cash prize of $594,246.

Moreover, outstanding performance put Alex in first place in the WSOP Player of the Year race. Our congratulations to the Foxen couple!

Eelis Pärssinen Conquers High Roller Scene Grabbing $2.1M

Event #47: $25K High-Roller PLO brought Eelis Pärssinen, a professional Finnish grinder, the 2nd bracelet and $2.1M in cash. Eelis is known for crashing four-card tournaments, and this summer has brought him an extra accomplishment.

The 4-max table quickly reduced to 2, starting the jaw-dropping heads-up match between Pärssinen and US grinder Levon Khachatryan. The latter snap-called with a full house, but Eelis’ quads took him down to earth. From that moment on, Khachatryan never regained momentum. That is actually the sickest cooler of this summer. Thank you for another spectacular high-stakes action, Eelis!

Calvin Anderson Captures 2 Trophies The Same Week

WSOP 2026 is truly special for Calvin Anderson, the professional American poker player. First, he took down the $10K Razz Championship, capturing a golden trophy and $357,026 in cash. This victory made him the most winning Razz player and the only two-time champion of the $10K Razz event.

But the excitement doesn’t end there. In just three days, Calvin crashed the $10K H.O.R.S.E. championship. He surpassed 189 players and emerged victorious in a one-on-one duel against Josh Arieh – the 7th bracelet in his career.

After winning two trophies within a single week, he joined the club of seven-time WSOP champions, joining the ranks of Daniel Negreanu, Scott Seiver, Billy Baxter, and other legends. Great news, Calvin!

Bad Blood at the WSOP Seniors

A small talk at the $1K Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship table resulted in a chaotic confrontation. Fewer than 40 punters were remaining, and the tension was growing, resulting in an unholy argument between players.

Buck Bucceri faced an all-in bet from Ablahad Salim and started pressing, asking if Salid would show his cards if he decided to fold. That rude behaviour was actually a breach of poker etiquette. Farzad Bonyadi called out Bucceri, starting a heated argument. The situation reached its peak when Buck called with Ace-high, responding to Salim’s bluff. Bucerri won and expressed that he was not mad at Bonyadi, triggering a sequence of ugly insults. Well, both received a one-round penalty. That’s too much for a friendly senior tournament.

Michelle Chin Bursts Into the Mixed Games

An 11-year silence is finally over. Michelle Chin emerged victorious in the $1,5K Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw, outlasting the field of 657 opponents. Besides securing the first golden trophy in her career, the Taiwanese updated the best live cash record, taking home $161K.

She already surprised the audience in 2015. That year, she became the first-ever woman to win the WSOP Circuit Main Event. And 2026 ended her dry spell. The final table was packed with former bracelet winners, but Chin’s perfect strategy helped her to overpower the rivals. It’s a legendary milestone. Bravo, Michelle!

Week #4: WSOP Bracelet Winners in the Spotlight

Another week has passed, with 11 more maiden trophies awarded in Las Vegas. Take a look at the prominent champions:

The second half of the action at WSOP 2026 kicks off! The exciting Week #4 combined the dominance of legendary grinders with the rise of new stars on the poker scene. There are still many thrilling events left on the schedule – wait for the breaking updates soon!​