WSOP Event #88 | Johnny Oshana's short-stack comeback wins first gold bracelet in an event with 11,185 participants.

On July 14, 2026, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #88:$300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold'em concluded its final showdown in Horseshoe against Paris Las Vegas. American player Johnny Oshana emerged victorious from a massive field of 11,185 entries, defeating Kenneth Baime heads-up to claim his first WSOP gold bracelet and a $250,000 first-place prize. The total prize pool for the event reached $2,751,510.

This is also Oshana's biggest live tournament result to date. Early on the final day, he fell from the leading group into the short-stack zone, but then patiently waited for his chance to fight back, winning several key pots and ultimately completing a comeback to claim the title.

The short code crisis became a turning point, and Oshana regained its rhythm.

Oshana entered the final 12 with the second-highest chip count of the final day, but suffered a major setback early in the game. He opened with pocket fives on the button and called Kenneth Baime's 3-bet from the small blind.

The flop came 2♥K♠2♣. Baime continued betting, and Oshana called. After the turn, 10♠, Baime bet again and left a small amount of his back. Oshana went all-in to apply pressure, but was quickly called. Baime revealed pocket kings, completing a full house. Oshana's pocket fives had no chance of recovery, and his chip count dropped significantly.

Oshana said after the game that the loss actually made him more focused. He believes that he can make clearer choices when he has a short score, so he did not lose patience due to the early setback, but waited for the right time to go all in and accumulate chips.

Ryan Hull hit two pair, bringing the scoreboard past 100 million.

Midway through the final table, Oshana gradually recovered his losses. He and Ryan Hull fought a significant pot, with Oshana raising to 5,500,000 from the cutoff position, and Hull calling from the big blind.

The flop came Q♣4♠10♠. Hull checked, and Oshana bet 10,000,000, which was called. The turn was J♦, giving Oshana top two pair with Q♥J♥. He quickly bet 20,000,000 again, and Hull called with K♥Q♠.

After the river card 10♥, both players checked, and Oshana showed two pair to take the pot, pushing his chip count past 100 million and officially returning him to the core of the championship race.

Big blind defense defeats Luis Genel, completing a chip lead.

Another pot that decided the outcome of the tournament occurred between Oshana and overnight chip leader Luis Genel. Genel raised from early position to 4,500,000, and Oshana called from the big blind with 8♦6♣.

The flop came 8♥J♠6♠, giving Oshana bottom two pair. He checked first, then raised slightly to 7,000,000 after Genel's continuation bet of 3,500,000. Genel immediately went all-in, and Oshana called.

Genel revealed K♦J♣, top pair against Oshana's two pair. The turn 8♠ completed Oshana's full house, but the river 7♥ did not change the outcome. Oshana doubled up, officially taking the chip lead over Genel and seizing control of the game.

After a grueling one-on-one battle lasting over an hour, Pokémon 7 secured the gold bracelet.

With the number of players at the final table dwindling, Oshana and the experienced Kenneth Baime entered heads-up play. Their heads-up match lasted over an hour, during which the lead changed hands several times, but Baime never allowed Oshana to easily pull ahead.

In the final hand, Oshana held 7♥7♦ against Baime's AQ. The community cards failed to help Baime hit a stronger pair, and Oshana's pocket 7s successfully held his advantage, officially ending this low-buy-in tournament with over 10,000 participants.

Baime finished as runner-up with $166,000, Ryan Hull came in third with $124,500, and Day 2 chip leader Luis Genel finished in fourth with $94,000.

Event #88 Final Table Results

From Mechanical Engineer to WSOP Gold Bracelet Champion

Outside the poker table, Oshana is a mechanical engineer. He has been playing poker for 16 years, mainly playing casual games with friends, until he started to take tournaments more seriously in the last decade.

Throughout the long final table, Oshana constantly reminded himself to slow down, avoid unnecessary mistakes, and choose the right time to enter large pots. From suffering a major setback early in the final day to rebuilding his chips and taking the lead, his patience proved to be a crucial factor in his ultimate victory.

Oshana plans to invest most of his winnings in his own investment company, while retaining some funds for future tournaments, including the WSOP Circuit in Las Vegas. He also stated that he will have dinner with his wife to celebrate; his wife and three sons will follow his victory through PokerNews updates from home.

Match data compilation

Gladiators of Poker attracted over 11,000 entries with a low buy-in of $300. Oshana had to go through multiple starting groups and three days of competition to reach the final heads-up stage. His comeback from second-highest chip stack to short stack on the final day to win the championship makes this victory one of the most dramatic and inspiring stories of a comeback in the later stages of the 2026 WSOP.

With his first gold bracelet in hand, Oshana has set his sights on the next WSOP title. For this mechanical engineer who has long competed as a recreational player, defeating 11,185 opponents not only sets a new career best but also officially adds a WSOP title to his poker resume.

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