Urbanovich Wins WSOP Eight-Game Championship

Dzmitry Urbanovich, the prodigious Polish poker talent who burst onto the scene with a 2016 European Poker Tour Dublin Main Event victory at just 20 years old, has finally etched his name into World Series of Poker history. Before he was even legally permitted to play in the United States, Urbanovich had already amassed millions in earnings, including a staggering runner-up finish in the €100,000 EPT Grand Final High Roller for over $1.6 million. Now, a decade after his WSOP debut, the 31-year-old Warsaw resident has captured his elusive first gold bracelet, triumphing in the fiercely contested $10,000 Eight-Game Mixed Championship.

“I always wanted to win. I expected to win by this time way more. But it’s not easy,” Urbanovich candidly admitted to *PokerNews* live reporters following his hard-fought victory. This long-awaited win not only added $431,260 to his formidable career earnings, pushing his lifetime tournament haul to nearly $8.9 million, but also awarded him 840 *Card Player* Player of the Year points and 431 *PokerGO Tour* points.

The $10,000 Eight-Game Mixed Championship drew a robust field of 199 entries, generating a substantial prize pool of $1,850,700, with payouts extended to the top 30 finishers. The road to the final table was paved with the elimination of numerous poker luminaries on Day 2, including Paul Volpe (27th), Jerry Wong (24th), Marco Johnson (20th), Matthew Schreiber (18th), Rob Hollink (17th), Andjelko Andrejevic (16th), John Racener (15th), and Todd Brunson (13th).

Day 3 commenced with a dozen hopefuls, and while seven-time bracelet winner Brian Rast held the chip lead, Urbanovich was strategically positioned in fourth. The journey to the official six-handed final table saw further high-profile casualties. Four-time bracelet winner David ‘ODB’ Baker exited in 12th place ($27,080), followed by Nicholas Marchington (11th – $32,710) and recent $1,500 Stud Eight-or-Better event champion Taylor Atchison (10th – $32,710). Poker's all-time money leader, Bryn Kenney, finished 9th ($40,780), and two-time bracelet winner Ryan Miller bowed out in 8th place ($40,780).

Maksim Pisarenko, a bracelet winner himself, was the first to fall at the unofficial final table, finishing seventh ($52,430) when his split pair of queens were ultimately bested by Derek Hanauer’s buried pocket fives, which improved to nines full of fives on seventh street. The field then consolidated to six, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion.

The official final table saw another bracelet winner, Matt Vengrin, depart in sixth place ($69,460). His last chips went into the pot during an Omaha eight-or-better hand on a 7♦6♦6♣ flop with A♠J♠J♣7♣, but he was dominated by Alex Foxen’s K♠6♠3♣2♣. The 5♥ turn and 9♣ river secured the scoop for Foxen, who had trips and the only qualifying low.

Alex Foxen, a dominant force throughout much of Day 3, experienced a significant downturn during short-handed play. He notably doubled up a short-stacked Urbanovich twice in a Stud Eight-or-Better hand, initiating his slide. Despite a brief resurgence with a double-up in Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, Foxen soon ran into Urbanovich’s 7-6-4-3-2 in the same game, leaving him in perilous territory. Foxen’s tournament run concluded in fifth place ($94,730) when his 9-5-4-3-2 was outdrawn by Urbanovich’s 8-7-4-3-2.

This marked Foxen’s 12th final-table appearance of 2026, a year in which he has already claimed five titles, including his fourth career bracelet in a $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty event earlier this summer. With 7,109 total POY points, Foxen currently leads the *Card Player* Player of the Year race, presented by CoinPoker, and holds a strong fourth position in the *PGT* points race. His impressive performance further boosted his career earnings to over $60.9 million.

Brian Rast, the seven-time bracelet winner, followed Foxen to the rail, finishing fourth ($132,880). His slide culminated in the Stud round, where his jacks and threes were no match for Richard Bai’s six-high straight. This deep run marked Rast's 23rd final-table finish at the WSOP and his first of the current summer, increasing his lifetime earnings to nearly $29.5 million.

Three-handed play commenced with Bai holding the chip lead, but Derek Hanauer briefly surged ahead. Urbanovich then skillfully picked off a large bluff in Pot-Limit Omaha, seizing the lead and relegating Hanauer to the bottom of the chip counts. Hanauer’s impressive run concluded in third place ($191,570) when his 9-8-7-5-3 was bested by Bai’s 9-6-5-3-2 in Razz. This substantial payout represented Hanauer's largest career score, surpassing his $181,950 runner-up finish in the 2019 *WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Hammond* Main Event.

Heads-up play began with Urbanovich holding a commanding 3:1 chip advantage over Richard Bai. The Polish pro quickly solidified his lead, crossing the 10-million chip mark after showing down trip kings in Stud, leaving Bai with just under 1.5 million. The tournament's final hand unfolded in Pot-Limit Omaha. Urbanovich limped the button with A♣7♥6♣2♦, and Bai raised to 180,000 from the big blind with K♣10♦9♣6♠. The flop came Q♣7♣5♠, prompting Bai to bet the pot. Urbanovich swiftly moved all-in, and Bai made the call. The 3♥ turn and J♦ river ensured Urbanovich’s hand remained superior, bringing an end to Bai’s valiant effort in second place ($283,660). This career-best score elevated Bai’s tournament earnings to nearly $2.6 million.

**Final Table Results:**

| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Dzmitry Urbanovich | $431,260 | 840 | 431 | | 2 | Richard Bai | $283,660 | 700 | 284 | | 3 | Derek Hanauer | $191,570 | 560 | 192 | | 4 | Brian Rast | $132,880 | 420 | 133 | | 5 | Alex Foxen | $94,730 | 350 | 95 | | 6 | Matthew Vengrin | $69,460 | 280 | 69 |