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The 2026 World Series of Poker has effectively wrapped up its fantasy side competition, with the 15th annual 25K Fantasy League crowning a first-time champion. Commissioner Daniel Negreanu took home the title with his Team DNegs, finishing well clear of the field in a season that saw a record-tying 24 teams compete for a $600,000 prize pool split among the top five finishers.
Team DNegs finished with 1,337 points, outpacing runner-up Team Banana’s 1,069 points. Negreanu officially collected the $250,000 first-place prize, though it was widely known that additional side bets, of an undisclosed amount, were also riding on the outcome.
Negreanu’s championship roster was anchored by Josh Arieh, who finished as the year’s sixth-highest point scorer with 356 points. Negreanu himself contributed 294 points, followed by Nick Pupillo (210), Dong Chen (150), Bryn Kenney (103), Jason Koon (73), and Eli Elezra (61). The victory came despite final team member Ben Lamb skipping this year’s WSOP entirely and contributing zero points.
The standout performer of the entire league, however, was Japan’s Naoya Kihara, who captured two bracelets and reached multiple other final tables. His 510 points set a new league record, making him the first player ever to surpass the 500-point threshold. Notably, Kihara had been drafted for just $1 by David “ODB” Baker’s Team Banana, making him the tournament’s ultimate value selection.
Among 192 total drafted players, only six failed to score a single point, with Team Browndog’s Scott Bohlman proving the costliest bust at a $35 draft price. Overall, 33 of the year’s 100 gold bracelet events were captured by fantasy-drafted players or ODB Bonus Players, including Greg “FBT” Mueller, who remains alive at the Main Event final table.
