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Russia’s Alexander Kostritsyn has won Event #97: $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. at the 2026 World Series of Poker, defeating Ali Eslami in heads-up play to claim his first career bracelet. The victory, worth $872,052, marks his largest tournament cash in eight years and the second-biggest of his career.
The event drew 148 entrants to the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for the summer’s final high roller tournament. Kostritsyn, who largely stepped away from full-time tournament play 14 years ago to focus on cash games, said he had only entered four tournaments this year before this win.
The final table featured several players in contention for Player of the Year honors, including then-leader Alex Foxen, Shaun Deeb, and Naoya Kihara. Foxen was eliminated just before the official final table after losing a Razz hand to Kostritsyn, a result that boosted Deeb’s POY chances. Deeb, however, finished eighth, while Kihara’s deep run allowed him to move into the POY lead.
Julien Sitbon overcame a short stack to survive multiple double-ups before eventually bowing out in fourth place during a Stud hand against Kostritsyn. Kihara, hoping to secure his third bracelet of the summer, fell short after a difficult Razz hand against Kostritsyn, with Eslami later eliminating him to reach the final two.
Kostritsyn built an early 2:1 chip lead in heads-up play against Eslami, who briefly rallied before Kostritsyn regained control. After a short break, Kostritsyn sealed the win, eliminating Eslami with a two-pair hand to claim the title.
Reflecting on the win, Kostritsyn said he plans to remain selective about his tournament schedule but did not rule out playing a fuller WSOP slate next year.
