$25K HORSE sets the stage for epic POY clash at WSOP Paradise

It was a consequential finish to the $25,000 High Roller HORSE as the 2026 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas wound down to a close on Wednesday night. 

With only 16 players remaining to start the final day of play, there were serious WSOP Player of the Year implications on the line as the top three contenders for the honor – Alex Foxen, Shaun Deeb, and Naoya Kihara – were all still in the hunt for the bracelet and a last-gasp surge of points. 

When play began, Foxen was in pole position on the leaderboard with a slim lead over his two closest competitors, but an early exit for him paired with a deep run from Deeb or Kihara would yield a shake up to the race.

And that's exactly what happened. 

Across the first hour of play, a flurry of eliminations brought together the unofficial table of nine – at which all three of the POY frontrunners held seats – and Foxen's subsequent elimination in ninth left an opening for both Deeb and Kihara to climb the leaderboard. 

Deeb, clearly pleased to see at least one of his competitors hit the payout desk before him, offered his sincere thanks to the player responsible for Foxen's exit: Russia's Alexander Kostritsyn. 

Despite following Foxen out the door soon after in eighth place, Deeb banked enough points to take the lead. 

Kihara, meanwhile, managed to fight his way to a podium finish in third place – good enough to leapfrog Foxen on the leaderboard, but not quite enough to overtake Deeb. 

Kostritsyn takes the bracelet, Deeb takes the lead

In the end, it was Kostritsyn who reigned supreme over the 148-entrant field after defeating Ali Eslami during heads-up play. 

Following Kihara's elimination in third, the two players began heads-up play with even stacks. Kostritsyn pulled away in the early goings and, despite a spirited fight from Eslami, he managed to close out the victory soon after to claim his first WSOP bracelet. 

Alexander Kostritsyn outlasted the POY point-chasers to win his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

As it stands, the race for Player of the Year is now even tighter than it was prior to the conclusion of the $25K HORSE. 

With only 29 points separating Deeb in first place from Kihara in third place, the WSOP Paradise series later this year will no doubt provide us with a thrilling finish. 

Here's how the Top 5 looks as of now:

1. Shaun Deeb - 3,410
2. Naoya Kihara - 3,388
3. Alex Foxen - 3,381
4. Justin Liberto - 2,828
5. Josh Arieh - 2,750

$25,000 High Roller HORSE Final Table Results

^{Images courtesy of World Series of Poker/Travis P Ball.}