WSOP Event #95 | Garrett Dwire defeats 4,622 competitors to win his first gold bracelet; 24-year-old law student takes his first gold medal.

On July 15, 2026, the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #95:$500 Summer Saver No-Limit Hold'em concluded. 24-year-old American player Garrett Dwire emerged victorious from a field of 4,622 entries, defeating German player Amadeus Janotta heads-up after a 16-hour final day to claim his first WSOP gold bracelet and a $210,000 first-place prize.

As the first Summer Saver event held at this year's WSOP, this tournament generated a total prize pool of $1,848,716. A total of 626 players entered Day 2, and all returning players had secured at least $1,010 in prize money, but in the end only Dwire successfully converted his deep play into a gold bracelet.

Garrett Dwire wins his first WSOP gold bracelet

After a day of intense competition, Dwire was quite exhausted when he won the championship, but he still couldn't hide his excitement at winning his first gold bracelet after the long head-to-head match. He attributed the victory to luck, faith, and the long-term support of his family and friends.

This $210,000 prize also brings Dwire's live tournament winnings to over $200,000. For the 24-year-old from Minnesota, this victory also sets a new career high for single-event winnings.

Law student and legal assistant, continuously accumulating professional experience outside the poker table.

Outside of the poker table, Dwire is currently studying at the University of Minnesota Law School and working as a legal assistant at Osterbauer Law Firm. He expressed his special gratitude to Ben Harper and Joe Osterbauer, acknowledging their significant support in both his life and poker career.

Dwire plans to share his achievement with his parents and girlfriend, Marija Phelps, as soon as possible after the tournament. Although his parents are not familiar with poker, they have always supported his choice; he also considers his girlfriend and faith to be the most important pillars in his life.

After failing in his first WSOP appearance, he continued to invest in research.

Dwire was introduced to poker in his teens and quickly developed an interest in the game. However, he did not achieve the desired results in his first WSOP appearance the previous year. Faced with this setback, he did not choose to give up, but instead devoted more time with his friend Joey Osterbauer to studying and improving his skills.

A year later, Dwire entered the Summer Saver final table as the chip leader and maintained the lead throughout the final stages. He consistently put pressure on short-stacked and mid-level players while avoiding overly risky decisions due to his lead, ultimately carrying the advantage to heads-up victory.

Establish an advantage by reading cards and understanding betting details on the spot.

Dwire stated that reading the cards live and observing opponents' betting habits were key reasons why he was able to increase his attack frequency on final day. By observing his opponents' actions and betting patterns, he could more accurately determine when to apply pressure.

To avoid revealing too much information, Dwire would stare at a fixed spot on the wall for extended periods during the game, minimizing changes in expression and gaze. He would also wear a hoodie, but keep his arms free to move, striking a balance between comfort and concealing his emotions.

Dwire also mentioned that professional poker player Umut Ozturk provided a lot of inspiration for his playing style. During the final table, several professional poker players from Minnesota were also on the sidelines supporting him and helping him analyze his opponents and attacking opportunities during breaks.

Flipping three cards becomes a turning point in confidence

Early on final day, Dwire hit trips on the flop and successfully extracted maximum value from his opponent. This large pot significantly improved his chip count and gave him a chance to win the tournament.

However, he quickly refocused on the current hand, avoiding thinking about the championship prematurely. With only seven players remaining, Dwire held onto his QJ against Gerald Esposito's K-9, ultimately securing the crucial elimination and extending his lead.

Dwire believes that runner-up Amadeus Janotta was the opponent who put the most pressure on him throughout the final table. Janotta put up a strong fight in the heads-up stage, keeping the championship battle going for a long time; Dwire also ranked fifth-placed Mark Evangelista as one of the strongest players at the final table.

The pace slowed down after the rapid elimination rounds, and the dinner break arrangements sparked controversy.

After Day 2 began, the elimination process was extremely rapid, with the dealer frequently announcing that players had won prizes. By the time of dinner break, the number of players had dwindled from 626 to 42.

The tournament was originally scheduled to have dinner and rest after the final table was set, but because the players had been playing for nearly six hours straight, the organizers decided to bring the break earlier. This last-minute adjustment caused dissatisfaction among some players, including Martin Kabrhel, who all expressed their opinions on the arrangement.

After dinner break, the pace of the game noticeably slowed down. When the unofficial ten-player final table was formed, none of the remaining players possessed a WSOP bracelet, confirming that a new champion would be crowned in this event.

Event #95 Final Table Results

Final table rankings and prize money are compiled based on results published by PokerNews.

Chinese athlete Xiang Lin finished fourth.

Chinese player Xiang Lin successfully advanced to the final four and ultimately took home a prize of $79,000. Although he didn't make it to the final three, he was still one of the highest-ranked non-European/American players at the final table.

Several renowned athletes were eliminated on Day 2.

Day 1B chip leader Michael Danley finished in 63rd place, earning $6,300. Several WSOP bracelet winners also failed to reach the final table, including David Prociak in 43rd place, Allyn Shulman in 158th place, and Christopher Staats in 255th place.

Martin Kabrhel finished in 12th place, taking home $13,000, just three spots away from the final table. Other notable players who made it into the money included Justin Fawcett, Christian Harder, Valentin Vornicu, Ryuta Nakai, and former WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess.

Match data compilation

The tournament data is compiled based on the original PokerNews article.

After failing to make a breakthrough in his first WSOP appearance, Garrett Dwire spent a year learning and adjusting his strategies, eventually winning the title in a major event with 4,622 entries. Starting from the chip leader position at the final table, he relied on live card reading, betting details, and a stable mindset to maintain his advantage, turning months of hard work into his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Next, Dwire plans to play in more tournaments near Minnesota, and may also travel to Arizona with Joey Osterbauer. His first gold bracelet has been a turning point in his career, but the 24-year-old law student's poker journey is still in its early stages.

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