Naoya Kihara Claims Consecutive WSOP Bracelets at 2026 Las Vegas Series

Japanese poker professional Naoya Kihara captured his second and third World Series of Poker bracelets within days of each other during the ongoing 2026 series held across multiple Las Vegas venues, and this sequence of victories unfolded as the schedule moved through its June events.

Kihara first secured the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship, then followed that result days later by topping a 130-entry field in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship; he defeated James Cheung heads-up to claim the title along with the $301,970 first-place prize.

Sequence of the Two Championship Wins

The back-to-back results placed Kihara at the top of Japan's all-time WSOP bracelet leaderboard, and observers tracking the series noted how the timing of these events created a compact window for the accomplishment. The 2026 World Series of Poker opened on May 26 at dual Las Vegas locations, which allowed multiple high-stakes championships to run in close succession throughout the summer months.

Details from the final tables show Kihara navigating the specific formats of both lowball draw and seven-card stud, formats that require distinct strategic adjustments while maintaining consistency across consecutive days of play. The $10,000 buy-in levels drew established professionals, and the 130-player field in the stud event reflected typical turnout for these championship events.

Event Formats and Field Dynamics

The No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship emphasizes precise hand evaluation and drawing decisions under no-limit betting rules, whereas the Seven Card Stud Championship relies on fixed-limit betting structures and the management of exposed cards across multiple streets. Kihara's ability to shift between these requirements within a short timeframe stands out in the series records.

Cheung, who reached heads-up play in the stud event, competed against Kihara for the bracelet and the listed payout, and tournament reports document the progression from the 130 entrants down to the final two players. Payout structures for these events allocate the majority of the prize pool to the top finishers, with the winner receiving the largest share.

Placement on Japan's Historical Bracelet Standings

With these two additions Kihara moved ahead of previous Japanese bracelet holders on the cumulative list maintained by series organizers, and the updated ranking reflects the total number of WSOP bracelets won by players from that country since the series began tracking such statistics. Earlier Japanese winners had accumulated their bracelets across longer spans of the series history, making the compressed timeframe of Kihara's recent pair noteworthy in the data.

According to the PokerNews coverage of the events, the victories occurred in the same month and at the same host city, which aligns with the 2026 schedule that grouped multiple $10,000 championship events together. Series officials continue to publish updated leaderboards as additional bracelets are awarded throughout the summer.

Context Within the 2026 WSOP Schedule

The 2026 series operates at two primary Las Vegas venues, allowing parallel tournaments to proceed simultaneously and creating opportunities for players to enter events in quick succession when their schedules permit. Kihara's path through the two championships illustrates one such instance, with the lowball draw event concluding shortly before the stud championship reached its later stages.

Entry numbers for these specific $10,000 events have remained consistent with recent years, and the 130-player stud field generated a prize pool that supported the listed payouts. Series reporting from multiple outlets confirms the heads-up match result and the exact amount awarded to the winner.

Conclusion

Kihara's consecutive bracelet wins stand as documented results from the 2026 World Series of Poker, and the updated Japan leaderboard reflects the addition of these two titles. The events took place within the established June portion of the schedule at the designated Las Vegas locations, with the outcomes recorded in official series tallies and contemporaneous tournament reports.