Whoever tastes winning a WSOP bracelet always wants to repeat the dose. However, for Justin Liberto, it took 11 years to win the second jewel of his career. This Wednesday (03), the American overcame 1,287 entries in Event #13 (US$ 1,500 Omaha Mixed) and received US$ 265,297, in addition to another bracelet for his shelf.
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Thus, Liberto‘s first WSOP title also represents the biggest prize of his career to date. On June 25, 2015, he won Event #51 (US$ 3,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed) and pocketed US$ 640,711. Since then, the player has reached several final tables, but saw the title slip away on several occasions.
However, after finally letting out a champion’s cry, he showed relief. “Yes, I was eager to close out a tournament”, said Justin Liberto in an interview with PokerNews. To win the title, he faced moments of great fluctuation throughout the competition, even after starting the decisive day with the chip lead.
In addition, the podium was completely dominated by players from the United States. Chris Lee finished in second place and won US$ 176,809, while Jean Laurent secured third place and took US$ 125,476. The final table also brought together well-known names, such as Brad Ruben and Australian Naween Fernando.
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Check out the final table payouts:
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Liberto | United States | US$ 265.297 |
| 2 | Chris Lee | United States | US$ 176.809 |
| 3 | Jean Laurent | United States | US$ 125.476 |
| 4 | Brandon Shack-Harris | United States | US$ 90.249 |
| 5 | Brad Ruben | United States | US$ 65.801 |
| 6 | Naween Fernando | Australia | US$ 48.642 |
| 7 | Joseph Weinberger | United States | US$ 36.464 |
| 8 | Edward Spivack | United Kingdom | US$ 27.725 |
An excellent start to the WSOP
However, this win did not represent Justin Liberto‘s first prize at the WSOP 2026. Before the title, he had already won three prizes, all in Mixed Games tournaments. With this, the player accumulates important points in the race for the Player of the Year ranking, reinforcing the excellent moment he is experiencing this season.
Thus, confidence remains a decisive factor in the American’s performance. “I believe in the power of poker momentum. I believe in confidence in decisions, and I feel very dangerous right now, so let’s see what happens”, said the champion to PokerNews. Furthermore, he highlighted the constant support of family and friends throughout his journey.
Finally, it is worth noting that Justin Liberto‘s profile on The Hendon Mob already records over US$ 7,565,637 in live winnings. Furthermore, the three biggest results of his career happened at the WSOP. After all, in addition to the bracelets won in 2015 and 2026, he also achieved two fourth-place finishes in the series that yielded prizes exceeding US$ 300,000.
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