WSOP 2026: Marco Johnson Secures Third Bracelet After Heads-Up Showdown with Chino Rheem (Event #49)

As the name suggests, the 49th event of this year’s WSOP was a classic freezeout, with each player getting only one shot. The 1,561 entries generated a prize pool of $3,473,225, and only 28 players advanced to the final day. Faraz Jaka started as the chipleader but eventually had to settle for 4th place, earning $180,210. His run ended against Kenzo Ishida, who held his ground with top pair against Jaka's all-in, advancing to the final three.

Ishida was one of the most formidable opponents in the finale. However, in a critical phase, he faced Johnson with pocket sevens, but couldn't hold against A-J. The flop and turn kept the Japanese player in play, but a jack on the river sent Ishida to 3rd place with $246,800, paving the way for an all-American heads-up between Johnson and Rheem.

Rheem Put Up a Fight, but Johnson Had the Final Say

The heads-up began cautiously, but Johnson gradually took control. Rheem managed to survive a huge all-in with aces against Johnson’s jacks, giving him a brief second wind. Still, the American grinder across the table stayed unfazed. In one of the pivotal hands, Johnson correctly called the river with A-high, capitalizing on Rheem's unsuccessful bluff with Q-high, shifting the dynamics of the showdown.

The decisive hand came at the 200,000/400,000 level. Johnson moved all-in from the button, and Rheem called with his remaining 12,500,000, holding A♠4♣ against Johnson’s A♠5♦. The flop 4♦2♠5♣ gave Johnson a straight. Neither the turn K♣ nor the river Q♥ helped Rheem, leaving the seasoned American as the runner-up with $341,970.

For Marco Johnson, this marks another significant career highlight. Following bracelets in Limit Hold’em and H.O.R.S.E., he added a No-Limit Hold’em title, bringing his WSOP collection to three gold bracelets.

Final Table Results of Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em

Source: WSOP, PokerNews

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