Jamie Dwan on Winning a WSOP Bracelet for His Family and the UK Poker Scene

Images courtesy of the World Series of Poker (Miguel Cortes)

Of all the 100 WSOP bracelet events to be won in Las Vegas this summer, only four were won by British players. Scottish player Qibang Cheung took down the $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Event #6 for $103,185, Matthew Moss took down Event #43, the $800 NLHE Deepstack event, for $318,556, and Benny Glaser claimed victory in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, also known as Event #60, for $1.34 million.

The final British winner was confirmed in Event #90 when Jamie Dwan won his first bracelet in the $50,000 NLHE High Roller event. Having taken the biggest shot of his poker career in the event, Jamie’s victory was as personal as it could get, coming while his mother battled illness back home in Britain.

We caught up with Jamie to get to the bottom of the historic poker moment and what it meant to him to finally lift the gold bracelet in Las Vegas.

Home Is the Hero

“I certainly owe a few rounds after the incredible rail I had!”

Over the past few years, Jamie has built a strong reputation on the UK poker scene, cutting his teeth in live events in his home city of Manchester, as well as in other poker hotspots like Nottingham and Blackpool. Being part of his home country’s poker community means everything to Jamie.

I’ve been privileged to travel the world playing this beautiful game, but the UK is home and always will be home, he says. The characters in the UK scene make it what it is; there is nothing better than a trip to the bar after playing in Britain, and I certainly owe a few rounds after the incredible rail I had!

Jamie’s first ranking live win in poker was in Manchester on the Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT). Only a short time later, he booked a win on U.S. soil, with victory in 2024 in a Las Vegas turbo event.

That first trophy in the U.S. still stands out to me. It was my first ever day in Vegas, my first time playing a tournament there, and I ended up winning it.

I remember thinking I was the bee’s knees after that win. I booked a few bracelets bets right after as well, as I had momentum on my side. Vegas has a funny way of reminding you not to get too carried away.

Winning Big on the EPT

In the past 12 months, Jamie has enjoyed huge success in European Poker Tour (EPT) events. The brand has undergone major changes in recent years following the Amaya sale in 2014 and the recent return to a more player-focused experience. The EPT is still a huge draw to players like Jamie.

I love the EPT, and I believe it to be one of, if not the best live poker experience on the market. As a Brit and European, it carries extra weight as a series in terms of its stature as a title and a series.

Lots of my close friends have won EPTs or have had scores in that series that have really established themselves on the circuit. It’s a series and a title I have my sights on for sure.

Jamie’s 2026 reads like a ‘How To’ guide in how to space out event results in the first half of a year on the road as a poker pro. With victories in France, a profitable run in Monte Carlo, then an early WSOP record that kept him in profit, the year was already a success before he played the $50k High Roller.

Before the $50k this was my best ever year in poker, mainly through online poker. I have had a lot of success grinding the online series and have put a ton of time and effort into the grind as well as improving myself as a player.

Those efforts contributed to Jamie’s decision to ‘punt’ the $50,000 NLHE High Roller event. Already in profit for his 2026 WSOP, he took a shot after following his gut.

Nothing is deserved in poker and especially nothing as absurd as my recent score, but I did feel something big was coming, Jamie tells us. I’ve invested a lot of time in this game, and I love it. I think it’s nice to see grinders being rewarded, and I would like to think it gives a lot of grinders hope that eventually it all pays off.

Taking on Kid Poker

“The moment that he and I flipped on the final table was the moment it really felt like I could win the tournament.”

During Event #90, Jamie knocked out Daniel Negreanu at the final table in what was a ‘pinch me’ moment to the young pro who had idolized ‘Kid Poker’ growing up.

I first discovered poker due to my last name, laughs Jamie. It led to me watching classic poker shows like High Stakes Poker, seeing another Dwan playing in the biggest games. Through that, I began following Negreanu and would credit him and some of the classic clips and shows as being what hooked me.

Playing with his hero was something Jamie describes as ‘a very cool experience,’ and just sitting with Daniel Negreanu and chatting to him during the game about all things poker and the history of the game meant the world to Jamie.

He is an incredibly friendly guy and a great ambassador for GGPoker and the game of poker. The moment that he and I flipped on the final table was the moment it really felt like I could win the tournament. The aura of the guy is through the roof. In my head, when the cards were shown and we were flipping, it felt like that was the end of the road.

To Jamie, the idea of winning the flip – which he eventually did – was something he could barely contemplate.

How could someone like me, still young, possibly knock out such an established and legendary name such as him? When I won the flip, that’s when it hit me; yes, this is real, and yes, I have a real chance of doing something incredible here.

Short Handed Heroics

Jamie’s victory in the event was never going to come easy, and short-handed, he really had to battle to stay alive. Without the pressure of having a big lead to defend for hours, Jamie continued to play fearless poker and believed in himself from the first card to the last.

It really felt throughout that I was just riding the wave. I had chips early through the bubble and some of the ITM stage, and then from Day 3 to the win I was rarely ever not the shortest stack. This is tournament poker, though, and anything can happen.

Never getting down on his chances, despite him being short-stacked, Jamie kept the faith, and eventually, it was repaid.

As long as I had chips, I always felt like I had a chance, Jamie declares. Even when we got heads up, and I was facing a 5:1 deficit, I still believed I would be able to close it out.

Doing It for the British Rail

“I won’t let this be a flash in the pan.”

The moment Jamie came back to beat Austrian pro Daniel Rezaei to capture his first WSOP bracelet was huge for him personally but also for the British rail behind him inside Paris Las Vegas. Having such support in Vegas is special and British players can often rely on it, a point that is not lost on the appreciative Jamie.

Having the rail there feels like the privilege of my life, Jamie says. Every single person on that rail helped more than they can believe. It gave me the confidence to perform at the highest stage. I can’t thank them enough, and I love every single one of them.

Only the United States, Canada and France had more players taking part in WSOP events this past summer in Las Vegas, but only four players from the United Kingdom booked wins. Jamie was keenly aware of that fact in his moment of victory.

After a rough series for the Brits, I was so proud to be able to bring home some glory for everyone on and off the rail. The amount of people who told me the highlight of their summer was being on my rail fills me with immense pride and privilege. I’m so lucky to have the friends and support that I had.

The win was easily Jamie’s record score during his career, with the $2.2m top prize tipping his earnings past the $3m point when he was previously working steadily towards seven figures. I asked Jamie how he goes about separating his ‘life-roll’ from increasing his bankroll after such a big win and how it might change the events he plays in the future.

Not much is going to change for me, to be honest. I’ve grinded a large bankroll from online and am pretty set in my day-to-day life already. I’m very conscious not to let something like this affect my spending and my exposure too much.

I’ll be playing a bit bigger and taking bigger pieces, but I want to make sure I don’t get carried away and remain grounded always. I won’t let this be a flash in the pan.

Winning the Title for Mum and Dad

“I’m lucky to have such supportive parents who have always been there for me.”

In his post-match comments, Jamie told the world that the win was for one person, and that wasn’t himself. His Mum was back home cheering him on and battling illness, so Jamie won the bracelet and dedicated it to her.

My mum is the strongest person I know, and I know that she wanted me out there and giving it my all, he tells us. I am so lucky to have such supportive parents who have always been there for me and continue to support and follow my poker journey. I’m so proud and lucky that I’ve been able to come back and share the experiences with them.

Fans around the world were struck by the humanity of Jamie winning it for his Mum, and he can’t wait to finally return home to Manchester to share the bracelet celebrations with his family.

I’m so delighted to be able to win this for her and my family in general. Once I’ve finished my victory lap, I’ll be giving the bracelet to my parents and looking forward to spending some time with them and my family on a holiday before getting straight back to the grind. I love you mum and dad, thanks so much for helping me do this.

Jamie Dwan’s latest achievement in his poker career may be his biggest for some time. The passionate UK poker pro is far from finished, however, and is determined to use the victory as a springboard for further success. With a superb support network behind him, this could only be the beginning for one of the 2026 WSOP’s standout successes.