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Event #65: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2026 World Series of Poker
Event #65: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$3,474,067
Total Entries
2,617
Level
33
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
33
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 2,617
Filter
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
After getting a taste of the World Series of Poker in the past, Ciro Gonzalez planned a return trip to Las Vegas with a friend to celebrate their 60th birthdays and play in Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
After busting early on Day 2, Gonzalez took his friend's advice to register Event #65: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em. That turned out to be a wise decision, as the Cancun, Mexico native put his aggressive style to great use and conquered a field of 2,617 players to earn his first WSOP gold bracelet. Gonzalez defeated Kyle Lin in a short heads-up battle to start the celebration with his friends on the rail.
Gonzalez had never posted a five-figure score before, but claims the massive first-place prize of $449,067 from the prize pool totalling $3,474,067. He was still processing the win shortly after action had wrapped up, but had clear thoughts about what the win means to him.
"Wow, I'm so happy," Gonzalez told PokerNews shortly after posing for his winner photos. "I have some results, right, but nothing like this. I'm so excited. But the bracelet is the most important for me. The money is always good, and we play for that, but the bracelet is something special."
Event #65: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciro Gonzalez | Mexico | $449,067 |
| 2 | Kyle Lin | United States | $299,218 |
| 3 | Julian Eibel | Germany | $220,399 |
| 4 | Octavio Borra | Argentina | $163,838 |
| 5 | Nethanel Cohen | France | $122,923 |
| 6 | Brandon Hamlet | United States | $93,091 |
| 7 | Jan Sanchez | United States | $71,167 |
| 8 | Aram Zobian | United States | $54,926 |
| 9 | Leonardo Alves | Brazil | $42,801 |
Gonzalez owns an artisanal jewelry business in his hometown, and picked up Texas Hold'em 16 years ago after playing other variants of the game for decades. He recalled the conversation with his friend that inspired him to register for this event.
"I'm busted. He continued the next day and cashed, but me, I'm busted. I feel sad, and he told me, go play the freezeout. It's gonna be a good tournament."
While his friend earned a cash in the Super Seniors, Gonzalez navigated his way into the final day of the Freezeout with a chance to make the trip even more memorable.
Day 3 Dominance
Gonzalez entered the final day among the top five of the 33 returning players and had clear goals in his mind before taking his seat.
"The first one is I try to make the final table, that's my first objective is to make that. That was my first target. And then to get the pay jumps."
It took just five hours of play to trim the field down to the unofficial final table of ten, and Gonzalez not only achieved that objective but sat second in chips. It did not take long for Gonzalez to take control, gaining the chip lead after the first elimination and never relinquishing it from that point on.
Gonzalez started to get on a roll by flipping out Aram Zobian in eighth place. From there, the seventh-place spot was the only one Gonzalez was not responsible for.
Another pocket pair claimed Brandon Hamlet in sixth, followed by Gonzalez picking up kings against the queens of Nethanel Cohen for another elimination.
That set up a pivotal hand against Octavio Borra, as Gonzalez shoved the turn and caught the river to claim another victim.
"I have too many lucky cards, too many lucky places. I feel like a monster. I'm a very aggressive player all the time, I pushed and pushed and pushed."
Julian Eibel got his chips into the middle in great shape, but Gonzalez spiked the turn to earn a massive lead for heads-up play.
Lin could not hold on for long, as Gonzalez won another flip to close out the dominant victory.
"It's great to do it for me, you know, and I think it's still setting in. This is for my daughter, the bracelet is. Oh, it's for her."
Gonzalez planned to enjoy the night celebrating with friends, and will likely fire the next freezeout event before taking another shot at the WSOP Main Event.
That concludes our coverage of Event #65, but be sure to catch PokerNews live reporting from the remainder of the 2026 World Series of Poker and other exciting events around the poker world.
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Ciro Gonzalez has outlasted a field of 2,617 players to get his hands on his first WSOP gold bracelet and a first place prize of $449,067, nearly one hundred times his previous largest cash to date as per The Hendon Mob.
Stay tuned for a winner's interview and full recap of the day's action.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciro Gonzalez | Mexico | $449,067 |
| 2 | Kyle Lin | United States | $299,218 |
| 3 | Julian Eibel | Germany | $220,399 |
| 4 | Octavio Borra | Argentina | $163,838 |
| 5 | Nethanel Cohen | France | $122,923 |
| 6 | Brandon Hamlet | United States | $93,091 |
| 7 | Jan Sanchez | United States | $71,167 |
| 8 | Aram Zobian | United States | $54,926 |
| 9 | Leonardo Alves | Brazil | $42,801 |
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
After a chopped pot the previous hand when all the money got in the middle pre-flop with both players holding king-queen, it was obvious that the players were going to get back into action.
Ciro Gonzalez open-jammed all in from the button and Kyle Lin squeezed his cards whilst standing up and slammed them down on the table whilst tossing in the call.
Kyle Lin: 4♦4♥ 
Ciro Gonzalez: A♣8♠
Lin was ahead but needed to dodge some overcards to stay alive for the double.
Not the door card Lin wanted to see though on the 8♦2♥J♠ flop, but he still had outs to stay alive. The 7♣ turn didn't help him and, when the 8♥ peeled off on the river and gave Gonzalez trips, Lin was sent to the rail as our runner up in the event.
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Ciro Gonzalez opened to 750,000 on the button, and Kyle Lin defended his big blind to see the 7♣10♥4♦ flop. Lin checked to Gonzalez, who continued for 475,000.
Lin slid out a check-raise to 1,500,000, and Gonzalez called to the J♥ turn. Both players checked, and the dealer revealed the J♣ river.
Lin led out for 2,500,000, and Gonzalez took a moment before announcing a raise to 6,500,000. That put the pressure back on Lin, who slid his cards into the muck.
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Ciro Gonzalez called from the button and Kyle Lin checked his option.
The action went check check on the Q♣3♣5♣ flop for the players to see the 8♣ peel off on the turn.
Lin checked to Gonzalez, who fired out for 325,000. Lin made the call.
The players checked down the 7♦ river and Lin tabled Q♦5♥ for two pair, which was good as Gonzalez mucked his cards. Lin was pushed the pot to start the climb up towards the leader.
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $449,067 | ||
| 2 | $299,218 | ||
| 3 | Julian Eibel | Germany | $220,399 |
| 4 | Octavio Borra | Argentina | $163,838 |
| 5 | Nethanel Cohen | France | $122,923 |
| 6 | Brandon Hamlet | United States | $93,091 |
| 7 | Jan Sanchez | United States | $71,167 |
| 8 | Aram Zobian | United States | $54,926 |
| 9 | Leonardo Alves | Brazil | $42,801 |
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
The final two players have agreed to pause the clock and take a short break before heads-up play begins.
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Julian Eibel limped in the small blind, and Ciro Gonzalez announced all in from the big blind. Eibel made the quick call, and the hands were turned up.
Julian Eibel: K♠Q♠
Ciro Gonzalez: K♣7♦
Eibel was safe after the A♠8♦2♣ flop, but Gonzalez drilled the 7♠ to take the lead. The A♣ river could not save Eibel, as he exited in third place.
Level 33
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Ciro Gonzalez raised from the button to 625,000 and was looked up by Octavio Borra in the small blind.
On the 3♦5♦6♥ flop, Borra check-called Gonzalez's 435,000 continuation-bet for the players to see the 8♥ come on the turn.
Borra checked once more to Gonzalez, who announced that he was all in. "Huh?" came the response from Borra, double confirming that Gonzalez had in fact moved all in before he snap-called.
Octavio Borra: 5♥5♣
Ciro Gonzalez: J♥7♥
Borra was miles ahead with his flopped set and needed to avoid a 4x that would give Gonzalez a straight and the flush outs. The pokers Gods, however, have their sick caps on today and served up the Q♥ as the river. That gave Gonzalez his flush and sent Borra to the rail in a brutal fashion in fourth place.
