Garrett Dwire Wins Event #95: $500 Summer Saver NLHE

Garrett Dwire emerged victorious in Event #95: $500 Summer Saver No-Limit Hold’em at the 2026 World Series of Poker, conquering a massive field of 4,622 entries to capture the $210,000 top prize and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

The inaugural Summer Saver event proved to be an instant success, generating a prize pool of $1,848,716. Although all 626 players who returned for Day 2 had already locked up a minimum cash of $1,010, every competitor had their sights set on poker’s ultimate prize: a WSOP bracelet.

After an arduous 16-hour day, Dwire was exhausted, but the adrenaline was still flowing after finally closing out a lengthy heads-up battle to capture his first World Series of Poker bracelet.

“It means a lot,” Dwire said moments after the victory. “I ran very well today, and I was very fortunate. I thank my faith and God for everything.”

The action had been relentless from the opening shuffle. Dealers constantly shouted, “Payout!” as players were eliminated at a rapid pace, and by the dinner break, only 42 hopefuls remained.

Originally, tournament officials planned to hold the dinner break once the final table was reached. However, after players had already been competing for nearly six straight hours, the decision was made to move the break earlier. The change sparked controversy, with several players, including Martin Kabrhel, voicing their displeasure.

After dinner, the pace slowed considerably. Later that evening, the unofficial final table of ten was reached, guaranteeing that a first-time WSOP bracelet winner would be crowned.

A Breakthrough Summer

The victory pushed Dwire’s live tournament earnings past the $200,000 mark, according to The Hendon Mob. Considering he is just 24 years old, the future appears bright for the Minnesota native.

Away from the felt, Dwire is attending law school at the University of Minnesota while working as a law clerk at Osterbauer Law Firm, where he credits Ben Harper and Joe Osterbauer as two of his biggest supporters.

“I’m really excited to call them,” Dwire said. “They’ve been a huge support in both my life and my poker journey.”

The first phone calls the following morning would also go to his parents, who may not know much about poker but have supported him every step of the way. He also couldn’t wait to speak with his girlfriend, Marija Phelps, whom he described as one of the biggest pillars in his life, second only to his faith.

Hard Work Pays Off

Dwire first discovered poker as a teenager and immediately fell in love with the game. His first World Series of Poker experience last summer, however, did not go according to plan.

Instead of becoming discouraged, he doubled down on improving, studying extensively with close friend Joey Osterbauer. The hard work paid immediate dividends.
Entering the final table as the chip leader, Dwire never let up, applying pressure throughout the night while maintaining his composure.

“It was very cool to have the Minnesota kids on the rail.”

Several of Minnesota’s professional poker players were there to support him, offering advice during breaks and helping him identify the best spots to apply pressure to his remaining opponents.

Dwire also relied heavily on physical reads and betting tells throughout the day.

“A few of the factors that carried me were some reads I had on opponents, and betting tells that let me be more aggressive.”

To avoid giving away his own tells, he developed a routine.

“I stared at one spot on the wall so I wouldn’t give anything away.”

Even the way he wore his hoodie played a role. By keeping the hood over his head while leaving his arms free, he felt more comfortable and confident concealing his emotions at the table.

He also credited fellow professional Umut Ozturk for inspiring his approach.

“I credit Umut Ozturk . He’s been a huge inspiration to me.”

Key Moments

One of the day’s biggest turning points came early when Dwire flopped trips and extracted maximum value, giving himself a massive boost in chips and confidence.

“At that point, I started to believe I was going to win, for a split second, but then I quickly refocused and got my head back in the game.”

Another pivotal hand came with seven players remaining, when his jack-queen held against Gerald Esposito‘s king-nine to score a crucial elimination.

When asked who challenged him the most, Dwire pointed to runner-up Amadeus Janotta.

“He made it really tough for me the whole time.”

He also identified Mark Evangelista as one of the strongest players at the final table and admitted he was relieved when Evangelista was eliminated in fifth place.

Looking Ahead

As for what’s next, Dwire plans to play more tournaments closer to home in Minnesota before likely making a trip to Arizona with Osterbauer for another event.

“But I’m going to pray about this for sure.”

For now, though, the young law student has achieved what every poker player dreams of: capturing his first WSOP gold bracelet, rewarding months of study, unwavering faith, and the support of family and friends with a victory he’ll never forget.

Final Table Payouts

Among the notable players to fall during the day was Day 1b chip leader Michael Danley, whose impressive run came to an end in 63rd place for $6,300. Several bracelet winners also hit the rail, including David Prociak (43rd – $5,500), Allyn Shulman (158th – $1,650), and Christopher Staats (255th – $1,350).

Also cashing but falling short of Day 3 were several 25K Fantasy Draft selections and some bracelet winners: Martin Kabrhel (12th-$13,000), Justin Fawcett (27th-$6,800), Andreas Frohli (61st$3,900), Blaz Zerjav (114th – $1,850), Christian Harder (122nd – $1,850), Tristan Wade (140th – $1,850), Valentin Vornicu (170th – $1,650), Ryuta Nakai (173rd – $1,650), and former Main Event champion Ryan Riess (182nd – $1,650).

That concludes our coverage of Event #95, but be sure to catch PokerNews live reporting from the remainder of the 2026 World Series of Poker and other exciting events around the poker world.