Naoya Kihara Captures Back-to-Back WSOP $10,000 Championship Bracelets

Japanese poker professional Naoya Kihara secured his second consecutive WSOP $10,000 Championship bracelet during the 2026 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, and this victory unfolded on Day 13 of the series when multiple events reached their conclusions. Reports from the tournament floor indicate that Kihara navigated a competitive field to claim the title, building on his prior success in the same event category from the previous year. The win adds to his growing list of accomplishments in high-stakes bracelet competitions while the broader schedule continued with additional bracelet presentations and ongoing play in mixed-game formats.

Event Context and Schedule Details

Day 13 of the 2026 WSOP featured several final tables that wrapped up bracelet events, and Kihara's triumph in the $10,000 Championship stood out amid those results. The series operates throughout June in Las Vegas with daily action across dozens of tournaments, and this particular day highlighted both established players and newer contenders reaching the winner's circle. Coverage from live updates shows that Kihara's path to victory involved strategic play through later stages where chip stacks fluctuated and key hands determined advancement, while the overall series maintained its standard structure of buy-in levels and payout distributions.

Multiple bracelets changed hands on the same day according to tournament records, and Kristen Foxen appeared among the winners in one of the supporting events. Her result contributed to the day's tally of completed tournaments, and observers tracking the leaderboard noted how these outcomes shifted points standings for the Player of the Year race. The $10K Dealer's Choice event remained active with players still competing for their own bracelet, and that format allows participants to rotate through various poker variants during each session.

Kihara's Achievement and Prior Results

Kihara's repeat victory in the $10,000 Championship marks a notable sequence because few players have defended titles in that specific event category in recent WSOP history. Data from previous series shows that consecutive wins require sustained performance across large fields where entry numbers often exceed several hundred participants, and his success reflects consistent execution in no-limit hold'em structures. Tournament officials confirmed the payout amounts and final table payouts through standard reporting channels, and those figures align with the buy-in level established for the championship.

Additional context from the 2026 schedule reveals that Kihara entered the event after earlier appearances in other high-roller tournaments, and his chip accumulation during preliminary days positioned him well for the later stages. The series rules permit players to register in multiple events simultaneously when schedules permit, and this flexibility allows professionals to maximize their participation window during the month-long festival. Figures from the WSOP official site document the cumulative bracelet counts and help track how individual results accumulate over the full run of the series.

Broader Day 13 Developments

While Kihara celebrated his bracelet win, other final tables concluded across the convention center venues, and these simultaneous completions reflect the high volume of events running in parallel. Kristen Foxen's victory occurred in a separate tournament with its own field size and payout structure, and her result added another name to the list of bracelet recipients for the year. Ongoing play in the $10K Dealer's Choice continued into subsequent days because that event features a longer duration due to its rotating game formats and larger average stack depths.

Live reporting from the series captured key moments from multiple tables, and those accounts detail how players managed their stacks through critical decision points. The day's action also included side events and satellites that fed new participants into main tournaments, and this feeder system helps maintain consistent attendance numbers throughout the month. Tournament staff coordinated the distribution of bracelets and prize money according to standard procedures, and these ceremonies typically occur immediately after each final table concludes.

Ongoing Series Activity

The 2026 WSOP maintains a packed calendar with events overlapping across different buy-in levels, and the $10K Dealer's Choice represents one of several mixed-game options available to players seeking variety beyond standard hold'em formats. Participants in that event select from a menu of games during each orbit, and this element introduces strategic complexity that differs from fixed-game tournaments. Kihara's win in the championship event did not conclude his series participation because many professionals continue competing in additional tournaments after securing a bracelet.

Attendance patterns during June show steady daily turnout at the Las Vegas venues, and registration numbers for high-stakes events like the $10,000 Championship often draw international fields. The series structure allows for both preliminary days and final tables to run concurrently, and this setup enables efficient completion of the full schedule by the end of the month. Reports indicate that remaining events on the docket will continue awarding bracelets through the final weeks of the festival.

Conclusion

Naoya Kihara's second consecutive victory in the WSOP $10,000 Championship highlights one of the key results from Day 13 of the 2026 series, and this outcome sits alongside other bracelet presentations including Kristen Foxen's win. The ongoing $10K Dealer's Choice event continues to progress while the broader tournament schedule moves forward with additional days of competition. Official records from the series track these results and provide updates on player standings as the month unfolds in Las Vegas.