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Alexander Kostritsyn Wins First Bracelet in Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
Stud Games: 100,000 Ante, 100,000 Bring-In, 400,000 Completion, 400,000-800,000 Limits
Eighteen years ago, Alexander Kostritsyn emerged in the world of live poker with a victory in the 2008 Aussie Millions Main Event. He since won another two tournaments but his last recorded live cash according to The Hendon Mob was all the way back in 2018. That has now changed, because the online cash game player known under the moniker of "joiso" has earned the victory in Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. to win his first gold bracelet on the final day of the 2026 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
Kostritsyn came out on top of an 148-entry strong field after defeating Ali Eslami in heads-up to earn the largest slice of the $3,478,000 prize pool, claiming the top prize of $872,052. Runner-up Eslami settled for a consolation prize of $578,718 whereas third-place finisher Naoya Kihara added $394,433 to his bankroll. Kihara also gained enough points to take over the lead in the Player of the Year race, which is set to conclude later this year during WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.
Final Table Result Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Kostritsyn | Russian Federation | $872,052 |
| 2 | Ali Eslami | United States | $578,718 |
| 3 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | $394,433 |
| 4 | Julien Sitbon | France | $276,297 |
| 5 | Yueqi Zhu | China | $199,071 |
| 6 | Ari Engel | Canada | $147,648 |
| 7 | Walter Chambers | United States | $112,825 |
| 8 | Shaun Deeb | United States | $88,909 |
Stay tuned for a recap of today's action and the winner's reaction of the former StarCraft and Quake3 player Kostritsyn.