Yang Wang Denies Jesse Lonis Heads-Up in Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha

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May 31, 2026 4 min read

Yang Wang navigated his way through an exciting final day in Event #5: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha to take home $595,388 and his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

The result takes his recorded lifetime earnings, as per The Hendon Mob, across the $6,000,000 mark.

Just seven players returned to fight it out in Day 3 for the title, with Wang entering heads-up play against two-time WSOP bracelet winner Jesse Lonis with a more than 5:1 chip lead, before closing out victory under the lights of the Horseshoe Las Vegas

Event #5 attracted a field of 716 runners generating a total prize pool of $3,293,600.

$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table Results

Winner's Background

Wang has been playing poker for over 10 years and has been competing in the highest-level Omaha buy-in events for the last few years.

This is Wang’s fourth-largest career cash to date, with his previous best coming with a second place in the 2024 $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha WSOP Paradise event for $1,006,680.

He had previously made two WSOP final tables: the 2024 WSOP $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha and in the Triton $100,000 Main Event at WSOP Paradise last year - both six-figure scores.

This is, however, Wang’s first major title. "I’m feeling happy very, very happy," were his first words when speaking to PokerNews after claiming the title.

"I feel way more confident right now and feel that the tournaments later on I will win again."

"I folded a lot of big hands at the final table and just waited and waited until the right spot came along"

When asked what might have been the biggest factor for his success in the big field and tough final table, Wang responded, "Patience, always patience. I folded a lot of big hands at the final table and just waited and waited until the right spot came along."

"When it was seven-handed, I was patient and waited for the right spot, but with two or three left I was more aggressive."

Wang said there were several big spots that helped him through the final table.

"With seven left, I folded a big hand that left me with just about ten big blinds and feel that was the biggest decision, as if I had called, I would have busted."

Wang also said he was thinking about his mother during the last hand, when he finally realized he'd be walking away with the bracelet.

"As this is my first bracelet, I will remember the whole journey."

Day Three Final Table Play

Just seven players returned for Day 3 after a Day 2 starting field of 120 was whittled down to the final seven in just ten levels of play. It was the Lonis show on Day 2, and it looked like a forgone conclusion that Lonis would soon be claiming his third WSOP bracelet.

However, the Poker Gods thought differently, and after starting the day as the second shortest stack Wang picked up chips early with a double up through Evan Krentzman.

With Lonis bleeding chips and doubling up multiple players, Wang told PokerNews he knew that if he picked his spots correctly, he could ladder up the prize pool table.

He left himself extremely short at one point but never gave up the fight, picking up back-to-back double ups to put himself back in the hunt.

With his newly captured chips Wang put the pressure on Dylan Weisman in a crucial hand, which left Weisman on fumes and added to Wang’s increasing stack. Weisman was eliminated in sixth place just moments after the hand.

Stephen Hubbard was then eliminated in fifth, followed in relatively quick fashion by Justin Scott in fourth, and the final table entered a consolidation period.

Three-handed play went on for over four hours with chips flying backwards and forwards between the three players constantly and not much movement in the chip standings.

After taking the chip lead from Lonis, Wang continued to push on and built a healthy 2:1 chip lead over his two opponents after pushing Lonis off a huge pot.

The road was still not smooth and had its ups and downs, but Wang managed to keep the chip lead and, after knocking out Krentzman in third place took a commanding chip lead into the heads-up battle with Lonis.

Heads-up play was brief, with Wang entering the match at a significant 5:1 advantage. Lonis never got any momentum, and the final hand saw Wang’s Q♣10♣9♦5♦ outdraw Lonis’ A♠K♠Q♦9♠ to give him the title and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

• Tags Yang Wang Zackary Estes Jesse Lonis Evan Krentzman Justin Scott Stephen Hubbard Dylan Weisman Jarred Graham Edward Leonard WSOP26