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Darren Rabinowitz capped off the 2026 World Series of Poker by winning Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, earning $695,256 and his second career bracelet. The victory came just days after a heartbreaking 145th-place finish in the Main Event, where he was eliminated by a two-outer.
Rabinowitz said the quick turnaround helped rather than hurt him, noting that he never let the bad beat affect his confidence. Rather than taking time off, he chose to keep competing as the summer wound down.
The road to victory was far from smooth. Around 30 players remaining, Rabinowitz lost a massive four-way all-in that he called a “dream situation” slipping away, though he quickly refocused after a brief moment of frustration.
As the field narrowed, attention shifted to Phil Hellmuth, who entered the final table as chip leader with a chance to win a record-extending 18th bracelet. Notable eliminations along the way included Sean Winter, Niall Farrell, Artur Martirosian, Jennifer Harman, Brian Rast, and David Peters.
With an estimated 1,500 spectators packing the Horseshoe, Rabinowitz admitted the crowd overwhelmingly favored Hellmuth. Despite understanding the fans’ enthusiasm, he acknowledged extra motivation in wanting to prevent Hellmuth’s historic milestone.
Heads-up play stretched beyond an hour, with Rabinowitz holding a near 2:1 chip lead entering the duel. After Hellmuth briefly doubled through a turned straight, Rabinowitz steadily rebuilt his stack and applied consistent pressure until Hellmuth’s bottom pair fell short against top pair, sealing the bracelet for Rabinowitz.
