Marco Johnson Earns First World Series Of Poker NLH Bracelet

Almost two decades ago, Marco Johnson was an ascendant no-limit hold’em player. He was crushing tournaments and cash games, online and live, and became a main character in one of the most famous online cheating scandals in history after calling for the investigation that shed light on the infamous ‘POTRIPPER’ account.

At the table, Johnson got heads up for his first bracelet at the 2008 World Series of Poker. He battled Brazilian poker legend Alexandre Gomes heads up, and picked up one of the most fortuitous preflop all-in situations a player could hope for. Gomes five-bet all in with A♣10♠, and ran into Johnson’s pocket aces. The bracelet was just five board cards away.

By the turn, Gomes made trip tens, and Johnson didn’t find a one-outer. Gomes won the bracelet shortly thereafter, and Johnson settled for second place.

“That was probably the worst day of my career,” Johnson recalled in a 2013 interview. “As I was driving home, I honestly thought about quitting. It was that painful… In my head, I had already won and I was already wearing the bracelet. Of course, the board had other ideas, and he ended up winning. I didn’t know at the time that I would have other opportunities.”

Johnson’s trajectory changed that day. He turned his focus towards mixed games, won non-no-limit WSOP bracelets in 2013 and 2016, and played in the biggest mixed games in the world, in Bellagio’s ‘Bobby’s Room’ and beyond. But 18 years later, Johnson finally won his first no-limit hold’em bracelet.

The now 40-year-old from Northern California won a $2,500 no-limit hold’em freezeout at the 2026 WSOP, claiming a career-best $513,885 tournament cash.

Rheem Falls Short Of The Triple Crown Again

Johnson defeated Chino Rheem heads-up to secure his third career bracelet. In the process, Rheem once again fell just short of his own long-awaited first WSOP win. The three-time World Poker Tour champion and European Poker Tour winner narrowly missed out on joining poker’s triple crown club. It was Rheem’s fifth career runner-up finish at the WSOP, joining identical results at the 2006, 2022, 2024, and 2025 series.

As a consolation prize, Rheem’s $341,970 second-place payout pushed him over $20 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Johnson earned 1,620 Card Player Player of the Year points for this victory. He now sits in 46th place in the yearlong standings presented by CoinPoker. Rheem, who added a healthy 1,350 POY points to his total for 2026, rose to 14th place overall.

This $2,500 buy-in no-limit hold’em event hearkened back to a classic format that only the WSOP main event uses these days: a freezeout, with only one chance to enter and run up a stack. By the close of registration, 1,561 players got in, building a total prize pool of $3,473,225. Before Johnson and Rheem played heads-up for the bracelet, there were three long days of poker to be played, including a final day that went from 28 hopefuls down to a winner just before the clock struck midnight.

A Long Fight

After whittling the field down from 1,561 to 28 over two days, six previous bracelet winners remained in the mix. Faraz Jaka, one of those six players, held the chip lead, while Johnson started day 3 of the tournament in fifth place. Phillip Hui (23rd place), Shawn Buchanan (19th place), Tom Hall (16th place), and Joey Weissman (11th place) each fell short of the final table.

With nine players left, three big stacks stood out among the rest. Japan’s Kenzo Ishida led, followed closely by Johnson, and then Rheem, who battled back from one of the shortest stacks to start the day. Johnson surged way out ahead following a massive double-up through a previously ascendant Sebastian Schulze. Johnson’s pocket kings held against Schulze’s A♥K♠ to put Johnson head and shoulders in front of the rest of the pack.

Johnson picked off Schulze in ninth place ($44,840) and Pyeongkang Kim in eighth place ($57,780), extending his lead to more than three times as many chips as any of his six remaining opponents. Ishida picked up a knockout, eliminating Elliot Smith in seventh place ($75,390) to elevate his stack into second place just before a dinner break.

Johnson got lucky against Vamerdino Magsakay, rivering an ace-high club flush to clear 30 million chips and eliminate Magsakay in sixth place ($99,590). Ishida picked up a few pots at Johnson’s expense and then took out a short-stacked Srivinay Irrinki in fifth place ($133,170) to once again close the gap. Ishida inched past Johnson into the chip lead when he knocked out Jaka in fourth place ($180,210).

A Championship Won

Rheem had a long, steep hill to climb to get back into contention three-handed, with only 20% as many chips as either of his two remaining opponents. He got right to work, doubling through Ishida with K♠Q♥ against Ishida’s pocket eights.

Johnson re-established his lead, and Rheem eventually supplanted Ishida as he climbed into second place. Johnson did the dirty work again to take out Ishida, winning a race with A♠J♣ against Ishida’s pocket sevens, courtesy of a rivered J♦.

While Johnson had a 3:1 lead to start heads-up play, Rheem bounced back with a key double-up as pocket aces held off Johnson’s pocket jacks. That resurgence was short-lived, though, and Johnson had re-established his 3:1 lead by the time the final hand rolled around. Johnson’s A♦5♦ had Rheem’s A♠4♣ in tough shape, but according to the Card Player Texas hold’em odds calculator, they would chop 41.45% of the time.

The 4♠3♥2♥ flop changed that in a hurry, as Johnson hit the wheel right off the bat. Rheem still had a 13% chance to chop, with a five, or he could make an unlikely runner-runner full house. With face cards on the turn and river, though, Johnson’s straight held to bring the event to a close.

This was the second time Rheem featured in one of Johnson’s bracelet wins. At the 2016 WSOP, when Johnson won the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, Rheem finished in eighth place.

Three of Johnson’s four career live wins have earned him WSOP bracelets. His lifetime earnings now sit at $6,338,631.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: WSOP / Miguel Cortes