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Frenchman Lionel Barracano Captures Maiden Bracelet in Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors
After four exciting days of action on the felt here at here at the 2026 World Series of Poker, Lionel Barracano has triumphed over Kevin Song in Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors, earning a payday of $355,263, along with his first career bracelet.
Hosted by the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, the event drew a sizable field of 3,323 entries, all of whom had to be at least 60 years old in order to participate. With only 15 hopefuls returning to vie for a share of the $2,924,240 prize pool on the final day, the Frenchman emerged as the last player standing, prompting his rail of supporters to erupt in celebration as the final card was dealt.
With the help of his close friend Greg as a translator, Barracano explained to PokerNews how special it was to share such a memorable moment with his entourage.
"It feels really good to be able to share this joy with friends around. It's a very, very good feeling."
"I've been playing poker for 20 years now, but without any big results, so I'm very happy. It's every poker player's dream to win a bracelet, so I'm very happy to have done it, especially at my age."
Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Barracano | France | $355,263 |
| 2 | Kevin Song | Korea, Republic of | $236,712 |
| 3 | Donald Briggs | United States | $176,564 |
| 4 | Paul McMullin | United States | $132,696 |
| 5 | Nancy Birnbaum | United States | $100,488 |
| 6 | Alexander Dovzhenko | Ukraine | $76,683 |
| 7 | Micheal Dokell | United States | $58,970 |
| 8 | Dhesikan Ananchaperumal | United States | $45,703 |
| 9 | Glen Clementi | United States | $35,699 |
Redemption Story After a Deep Run Two Years Ago
Barracano mentioned he discovered poker through his nephew 20 years ago and began playing online poker in France shortly thereafter. He has since played a mix of online and live cash games and tournaments, with his biggest career score prior to today coming two years ago.
"Two years ago in 2024, I made 12th in this very same tournament, so I guess it's a kind of a special relationship for sure."
That close call helped him prepare for another deep run, giving him a better understanding of how to adjust in a Seniors event and navigate his way through a massive field.
"It's very interesting to play this field because it's a very less aggressive [form of] poker. So apart from the age thing, the adaptation is related to the large number of players in this kind of tournament."
Barracano entered Day 4 in the middle of the pack and began the final table with an average stack, flying under the radar for a good portion of the afternoon. He held steady until play got down to five-handed, where he got it all in with ace-eight against Song's pocket jacks, hitting an ace on the turn to jump from last place to second.
In what proved to be a major turning point, Barracano continued to chip up, going on to secure another big double up in a blind versus blind confrontation with Donald Briggs. After being left on fumes, Briggs was eliminated just two hands later, setting the scene for heads-up play, where Song began with a slight lead over Barracano.
Brief Heads-Up Match to Deny Song Second Bracelet
The duel began with Barracano and Song trading a few small pots, before fireworks erupted early in the match when all the money went in preflop. Barrancano was the one at risk, and his pocket jacks held against the ace-trey of Song, propelling him into a huge chip lead.
Despite being left with less than ten big blinds, Song carefully navigated his short stack, proving he wasn't going down without a fight. He found a double up with pocket aces to begin to close the gap, but Barracano still held more than a two-to-one lead.
Stifling any chance of a comeback for Song, Barracano wasted little time in attempting to close out the tournament for a second time. In what proved to be the final hand of the event, Barracano got it in good with pocket fives against the pocket fours of his seasoned opponent. He didn't have much to sweat after a five appeared on the flop, virtually locking up the win as the turn and river were mere formalities before he joined his friends on the rail to collect the bracelet.
That wraps up PokerNews' coverage of Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors at the 2026 WSOP. Check out the live reporting hub for coverage of other events this summer.