History-Maker Michelle Chins the Competition to Win Maiden WSOP Bracelet

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Jun 23, 2026 5 min read

657 entered and by the end that number was whittled all the way down to just one. That one was Michelle Chin, who has taken down the competition in Event #58: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw to earn her maiden bracelet at the 2026 edition of the World Series of Poker.

Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas hosted three action-packed days of triple draw competition, with previous lowball champions, multi-bracelet winners and $25k Fantasy players alike, none of whom were able to match Chin's run.

With the prize pool standing at a whopping $872,167, Chin will not only be walking away with the lion’s share of $161,313, but of course, the ultimate piece of silverware available to the poker player; that being a coveted gold bracelet. The win represents a career-high live cash, eclipsing a previous best of $88,126 according to The HendonMob.

The loser of the heads-up battle, Daniel Strelitz, albeit undoubtedly disappointed about falling at the final hurdle, put up a stellar performance and was rewarded with $107,504 for his incredible run.

Event #58: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Final Table Results

An "Unreal" Feeling

Chin was already a history-maker. Back in 2015, she became the first woman to ever win a WSOPC Main Event, taking down a $1,675 tournament at Council Bluffs, Iowa. This time, it feels different.

Speaking with PokerNews, Chin explained the ways in which her bracelet run has been all the more incredible than her first taste of glory. “Unreal,” was the word she chose to describe the feeling of winning a bracelet, a feeling that many will never manage to attain.

“Back then, I was really new to poker,” she said, reflecting on her first win. “I didn’t realise how hard it is to win a tournament, it then took me 10 or 11 years to win another.” At the time, she had an almost perfect success rate, meaning the second time was just so much sweeter.

The grind it took to win a bracelet, compared to her ring, allows her to relish in the glory as she makes history again. Now that she “really understands” what it means to take down a competition, and acknowledges that “there are so few women in the poker world,” she’s absolutely capable of “showing half of the world that we can do it, too,” and has done just that.

“I didn’t realise how hard it is to win a tournament, it then took me 10 or 11 years to win another.”

Chin is now the most recent woman to win a bracelet in a mixed game variant, the last being Carol Fuchs all the way back in 2015. When asked how she got into mixed games, Chin mentioned that she started off with Pot-Limit Omaha.

“It’s just more fun to try new things.” That attitude had her delving even further into the world of poker variants, as Omaha led to all of the other games on offer. 2-7 is one of her favourite games, and it really showed as she got into the zone on the final day.

A defining factor of Chin's final day was the rail that supported her right from the shuffle up and deal. With every pot won, their cheers got louder, as she shared every emotion with them throughout the day of play.

“I feel very lucky to have a rail next to me. I’m grateful,” she added. The rail will undoubtedly be joining her as she celebrates with her career-best score, and she plans to take a little bit of time off to chill and revel in the victory. A great advocate for women in poker, women in mixed games, and poker in general, this surely won't be the last we hear of Michelle Chin.

Chin Becomes Second Woman to Win Open Event of 2026 Series

The final two tables were confirmed during the last level of Day 2, meaning just 12 players opened their bags to start the third and final day of play. Each had hopes of lifting the bracelet, but the first to be crushed were those of Steve Billirakis. He got all in drawing to an eight, but fell to the seven of Strelitz to leave him drawing dead.

The same fate was suffered by 11th place finisher Michael Rodrigues, who was denied even a hint of a sweat, as his ten draw was up against made nine. David May was then forced all in from the big blind quite shortly after. He managed to end up with a nine-seven, but tablemate Evan Sandberg wound up with an eight-six to end May’s day early.

Sandberg himself couldn’t last much longer, as he was next up on the chopping block. The $25k Fantasy player and two-time bracelet winner stood pat for his tournament life. Despite holding a nine-seven, he ran into the number two of Horacio Chaves, sending him home in ninth.

The final table bubble was a long one, with it taking over an hour for eight to become seven. The short stacks kept hanging around, with Sean Troha, Oliver Tot, and Alessio Isaia all getting doubles when they needed them the most. The latter’s luck ran out first, however, as he patted a jack-nine on the third draw, only for Nick Pupillo to pick up a nine and send the Italian packing.

Once the final table got going, the at-risk players were having a tougher time winning their all-ins than before. Almost instantly, Slovenian national Tot was up against the eight of Strelitz, drawing to just a three or a four. Good for A-5, but not for 2-7, his final card was an ace, and he was the final table’s first casualty.

Troha didn’t last much longer, as he patted behind with a ten, and showed him an eight. Ian Pelz was then all in and drawing two, but couldn’t improve from his three starting cards, as he ended with a king-queen low.

Pupillo was one shy of the podium, pairing up on the final draw to say goodbye to the table, as the final three entered a tumultuous stretch.

The chips and the chip lead were passing hands with frequency, until Chaves couldn’t hold on any longer. He went from half the chips in play to none, as a run of bad draws sent him spiralling down.

Chaves ended up unable to beat the nine of Strelitz, but didn’t go home empty-handed. As well as a cool $72,152, he got the best finish in Paraguay’s WSOP history, representing his country on the world stage at the same time as his dear ‘Albirroja.’

The heads-up battle started with Strelitz a clear leader, but he was completely overpowered as Chin transformed into a total machine. She caught fire, and won hand after hand until her opponent was all but forced all in. At the first time of asking, she knocked out her at-risk adversary by pulling an eight-seven. She hadn’t secured the win as Strelitz drew two, but his pair meant that Chin would bathe in WSOP glory.

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