2026 World Series of Poker

Day: 3
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a997
Prize
$390,300
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,000
Prize Pool
$3,311,440
Total Entries
3,763
Level Info
Level
37
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
23
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 3,763
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Event #57: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha

Day 3 Completed

Harry Rubin Tops 3,763-Entry Field to Win First WSOP Bracelet

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
Harry Rubin
Harry Rubin

“Na, I’m just going to hang out with my dad tonight, guys, you go ahead,” said Harry Rubin to his rail after winning his first WSOP bracelet. PokerNews caught up with Burton Rubin, the winner's father, for a quick quote: “Harry’s actually my coach!” to which Harry laughed and responded, “No, he’s lying. My dad taught me to play years ago.”

Rubin has won his first bracelet and the largest live tournament score of his poker career after taking down Event #57: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha at the 2026 World Series of Poker. Rubin denied Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu of Romania his second bracelet in what could be described as every poker player's dream heads-up match, lasting just one hand.

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Harry RubinUnited States$390,300
2Narcis-Gabriel NedelcuRomania$260,220
3Toby JoyceIreland$191,500
4James SedlacekUnited States$142,140
5Roussos KoliakoudakisGreece$106,430
6Francois ScapulaFrance$80,390
7Dechang ZhangUnited States$61,260
8Tony CousineauUnited States$47,100

Rubin beat a field of 3,763 entries at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas to get his hands on the $390,300 top prize from the $3,311,440 prize pool. The Philadelphia resident began the final day fourth in chips and transformed that stack into his biggest score to date, and one of the most memorable moments of his life.

“Wow, it feels amazing, obviously, I still can’t believe I won that tournament,” said Rubin after PokerNews asked him how he was feeling straight after his victory. “This is my number one accomplishment by far.”

Rubin's motivation came from winning a tournament earlier this month at Aria. “Coming into the summer, I had played a couple of PLO tournaments. Honestly, I think I played five tournaments, so I did not have an idea of how to switch from cash to tournaments, but I knew I was going to have a profitable summer, so that felt good coming into today.”

Harry Rubin
Harry Rubin

Journey to his first bracelet

Twenty-three players came back with hopes and dreams of winning a WSOP gold bracelet and that $390,300 first-place prize. It did not take long for many to make their exit as six players were lost within the first 45 minutes of play, but, as with any poker tournament, play would slow down when the final table was approaching. That did not stop Harry Rubin from putting his foot on the gas.

“In these tournaments, you really need to have some gamble in you. This was part of my strategy coming into today, just raise and raise until they play back at you, then check your cards to see if you have it.”

Bobby James was one of many casualties to exit the tournament in a cooler with a set of kings against a set of aces at the hands of Rubin, who was not done there sending players to the cash desk. In the previous hand, Rubin gained a lot of his lead by taking a huge pot off Paul Zappulla in a post-flop collision, as Rubin made a flush against Zappulla’s aces, which took his stack to over 20 million and sent him into the final table as chip leader.

Bobby James
Bobby James

Rubin may have sat down at the final table as chip leader, but it was not all smooth sailing on the way to his heads-up match. “Yeah, well, after the dinner break, I was the chip leader. I had about 25 million, and over the next two hours, I really did not have any hands, and I went down to ten million, so I actually went from the leader to the bottom out of us five.”

During the break, Rubin was seen talking to his rail and later told PokerNews, “If I get some hands, I will make it work.” Rubin then held with his pocket kings against Roussos Koliakoudakis’s rundown and, shortly after, eliminated Koliakoudakis with a stronger pair.

Roussos Koliakoudakis
Roussos Koliakoudakis

Shortly after that elimination, Rubin went on a rampage after regaining the chip lead and eliminated all of his remaining competitors, starting with Toby Joyce in third place, where Joyce got his stack in with two pair but ended up losing to Rubin’s flush. If the heater was not hot enough already, Rubin eliminated Nedelcu on the first hand of heads-up play, where Rubin’s trips held to make him the eventual champion.

You would think after a huge score and the feeling of winning a WSOP bracelet that big stakes would be on the table, but not for Rubin, who humbly said, “I only come out for two weeks of the summer. I actually had my flight booked for tonight, but obviously I’m going to miss that,” Rubin said with a chuckle. “I’m looking forward to going to California tomorrow and spending time with my family.”

Rubin also wanted to shout out how supportive his family has been of his profession. His dad told PokerNews, “Yeah, what he does is great. This is what he likes to do, and this is what he’s really good at. You should do the things you love in life and what makes you happy.”

Harry Rubin
Harry Rubin

Stay tuned to PokerNews for continuing coverage from the 2026 WSOP, with dozens of bracelets still to be awarded throughout the summer in Las Vegas.

Tags: Bobby JamesBurton RubinDechang ZhangFrancois ScapulaHarry RubinJames SedlacekNarcis-Gabriel NedelcuPaul ZappullaRoussos KoliakoudakisToby JoyceTony Cousineau

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu Eliminated in 2nd Place ($260,220)

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu
Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu on the button opened to 2,400,000 and Harry Rubin defended from the big blind.

After they checked the 77K flop, Rubin bet 2,200,000 on the 5 turn. Nedelcu counted his stack and moved all-in for 8,000,000. Rubin snap-called.

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu: AKJ4 All in
Harry Rubin: A997

"He is only looking for a king," Rubin told his rail. The 9 landed on the river and he was crowned as the 2026 WSOP $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha champion.

Tags: Harry RubinNarcis-Gabriel Nedelcu

Toby Joyce Eliminated in 3rd Place ($191,500)

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
Toby Joyce
Toby Joyce

Harry Rubin raised to 2,000,000 on the button, and Toby Joyce called in the big blind.

The flop came 6KA, and Rubin fired out a bet of 2,200,000. Joyce then went all in, and Rubin called.

Toby Joyce: A965 All in
Harry Rubin: KJ102

The 4 on the turn kept Joyce in the tournament but the Q on the river sent him home in third place.

Tags: Harry RubinToby Joyce

Nedelcu Rivers a Flush to Double

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu limped from the button and called after Harry Rubin in the big blind raised to 2,800,000.

Rubin directly moved all-in on a flop of 5K10. Nedelcu snap-called off his last 4,400,000.

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu: QQ85 All in
Harry Rubin: K1099

After the 8 turn, Nedelcu rivered a flush with the 4 to double up.

Tags: Harry RubinNarcis-Gabriel Nedelcu

Nedelcu's Turn to Double

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Harry Rubin in the small blind opened to 2,400,000, Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu in the big blind moved all-in for 3,100,000 and Rubin snap-called.

Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu: J1063 All in
Harry Rubin: Q985

Nedelcu managed to hit a full house on 6933Q to double up.

Tags: Harry RubinNarcis-Gabriel Nedelcu

Rubin's Show at This Point

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Harry Rubin raised in the small blind to 2,400,000, and Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu called in the big blind.

Rubin fired out a bet of 5,600,000 on a flop of KJ9, and got a quick fold from Nedelcu.

Tags: Harry RubinNarcis-Gabriel Nedelcu

Joyce Flops a Set to Double

Level 37 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante
Toby Joyce
Toby Joyce

Toby Joyce opened from the button, Harry Rubin in the small blind three-bet and Joyce called to be at risk for 7,900,000.

Toby Joyce: JJ87 All in
Harry Rubin: AA55

A jack on the flop on K8J79 gave a set to Joyce, who doubled up.

Tags: Harry RubinToby Joyce

Level: 37

Blinds: 400,000/800,000

Ante: 800,000

Rubin Chipping Up

Level 36 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Toby Joyce raised to 1,800,000 in the small blind, and Harry Rubin called in the big blind.

The flop came A84, and Joyce fired out a bet of 2,100,000 before being put all in. Joyce folded.

Tags: Harry RubinToby Joyce

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