WSOP Online | Lex Veldhuis came closest to a gold bracelet in his career, finishing 5th in the PLO Bounty Tournament.

On September 3rd, the 2026 WSOP Online continued its bracelet competition at GGPoker. Popular Dutch player Lex Veldhuis advanced to the final seven-player table in Event #14:$1,500 Super Turbo Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha, ultimately finishing in 5th place and earning a total of $41,465 in prize money.

Although he has yet to win his first WSOP gold bracelet, this is Veldhuis' best ranking in a WSOP event to date, and also his first time standing on the WSOP final table since 2009.

721 people competed, and the total prize pool exceeded $1.02 million.

The $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha attracted 721 participants, creating a total prize pool of $1,027,425. The top 84 participants can claim prizes from the regular prize pool.

Notable players including Mark Radoja, Tom Vogelsang, Niklas Astedt, Renan Bruschi, Pavel Plesuv, Joakim Andersson, and Rainer Kempe all made it into the money.

Key event data

Since moving to Costa Rica, he has been on fire, making the money 8 times in 14 bracelet events.

PokerNews points out that Veldhuis recently moved to Costa Rica with his family, and his performance in WSOP Online has been quite stable in the new environment.

As of the end of this event, 14 bracelet events have been completed in the 2026 WSOP Online, with Veldhuis successfully making the money in 8 of them.

Two recent Shenzhen running deals include:

From 10th to 5th place, Veldhuis gradually approached the gold bracelet in this online series and finally returned to the WSOP final table on September 3.

After a 17-year wait, Veldhuis achieves his best WSOP ranking.

Veldhuis last reached the WSOP final table in 2009.

He finished 7th at the $40,000 No-Limit Hold'em 40th Anniversary Event in Las Vegas that year. With the final 7 players selected for the Super Turbo Bounty PLO, he has at least equaled that record.

With "Shufuu" finishing in 7th place as the first player eliminated from the final table, followed by "Pelmsh88" finishing in 6th, Veldhuis has now set a new personal best for his deepest WSOP ranking.

AA failed to save them; their opponent hit a top set on the flop.

Veldhuis' ultimate dream of a gold bracelet ended in 5th place.

In a crucial hand, he faced off against "Cursed79" from Cyprus. Veldhuis entered the game with a pair of aces, but his opponent had already hit a top set on the flop and also had a straight and a redraw opportunity.

Ultimately, "Cursed79" won the pot and took Veldhuis's bounty, while Veldhuis was eliminated in 5th place.

His prize money consisted of:

• Regular ranking prize money: $30,118
• Bounty income: $11,347
• Total Revenue:$41,465

Although still four places behind the champion, 5th place has officially surpassed 7th place in 2009, becoming Veldhuis' closest comeback to the WSOP gold bracelet to date.

Kai Lehto won the heads-up tournament, earning a total of $147,200.

After Veldhuis was eliminated, two Brazilian players, Erick “xErick” Mossinger and Murilo Milhomem, finished in 4th and 3rd place respectively.

The final one-on-one match was between "Cursed79" and Finnish PLO specialist Kai "Lasi Paihinen" Lehto.

Lehto ultimately secured the WSOP gold bracelet with his final strike. In addition to the $69,195 place prize, he also accumulated $78,030 in bounties, bringing his total earnings to $147,225.

In addition, Lehto also acquired a 2026 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event Super Pass worth $30,000.

$1,500 Super Turbo Bounty PLO Final Table Results

Taiwanese player Shufuu finished 7th, earning a prize of nearly US$15,000.

Among the Asian players, "Shufuu" from Taiwan successfully advanced to the final 7.

Although he became the first player eliminated from the final table, his total earnings still reached $32,293 thanks to the $14,995 bounty and the $17,298 placement prize.

In the bounty tournament, Shufuu's performance once again demonstrated that the final ranking and actual earnings are not entirely consistent—his total earnings were even higher than those of Pelmsh88, who came in 6th place.

Next gold bracelet locked in: $1,000 Rounder Cup

After Event #14 concludes, the next gold bracelet for the 2026 WSOP Online will be awarded on September 6th.

Event #15: $1,000 Rounder Cup adopts a regional starting group format. Players from Asia Pacific, Eurasia, Europe, and the Americas will each play Day 1 on September 5th. The top 10% players from each region will advance, and the finals will be held on September 6th. The official name for this cross-regional tournament is "Battle of the Continents".

For Lex Veldhuis, although he has yet to win his first gold bracelet at this year's WSOP Online, he has completed 14 events and made the money 8 times. In addition, he achieved his best WSOP finish of 5th place in the PLO Bounty event, showing a very stable performance.

From 7th place in 2009 to 5th place in 2026, Veldhuis has finally rewritten his personal record, which had stood for 17 years. Next time, his goal will only be clearer—to truly turn the Shenzhen Run into his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Want to change Texas Holdem from "can understand" to "can win"?

If you want to learn more about Texas Hold'em, you can continue reading：

The Origins of Texas Hold'em: Why is it the World's Most Popular Poker Variant?
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings and Showdown Rules (Beginner’s Essentials)
Texas Hold'em Betting teaching: Check / Bet / Call /Raise and Betting Strategy Analysis
The importance of Texas Hold'em position? Why is the back position more advantageous?
How to play Texas Hold'em? Novices learn Texas Hold'em rules, processes and betting teaching in 10 minutes
Texas Hold’em starting hands guide: Which hands should you play? A complete guide to Starting Hands strategy
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Chart guide: Complete starting-hand charts and positional strategy
How to play Texas Hold’em: Complete rules and the flow of a hand (Preflop / Flop / Turn / River)

Hunter Poker offers comprehensive tutorials, hand analysis, and strategy sharing to help players upgrade from simply "reading the cards" to understanding the range . This allows you to make better decisions in every hand.

▶️ In Facebook .
📘 In YouTube .

Want to learn more about Texas Hold'em strategy and gameplay?

Free online Texas Hold'em tournaments usually require no entry fee, making them suitable for beginners to become familiar with the rules while also allowing advanced players to test strategies and gain tournament experience. View the full brand introduction to learn about each platform's freeroll schedule, tournament features, and suitable player groups.

Learn more