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Event #51: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2026 World Series of Poker
Event #51: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
2026 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$5,189,400
Total Entries
558
Level
32
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 558
Filter
Level 32
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Alex Anton has won his first World Series of Poker bracelet and the largest live tournament score of his poker career after taking down Event #51: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em at the 2026 World Series of Poker. Anton denied France's Julien Sitbon of his second bracelet in a very short heads-up match.
Anton bested a field of 558 entries at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas to get his hands on the $678,300 top prize from the $3,515,400 prize pool. The American began the final day with the biggest stack and transformed that advantage into his biggest score to date, and one of the most memorable moments of his life.
"It feels really good," Anton told PokerNews after the win. "In some ways it's validating to family and friends."
Event #51: $10,000 Mystery Bounty Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Anton | United States | $678,300 |
| 2 | Julien Sitbon | France | $452,200 |
| 3 | Josh Reichard | United States | $313,400 |
| 4 | Champie Douglas | United States | $220,950 |
| 5 | Jovan Kenjic | Serbia | $158,500 |
| 6 | Jakob Miegel | Germany | $115,750 |
| 7 | Gregor Sverko | Croatia | $86,070 |
| 8 | Vadzim Lipauka | Belarus | $65,190 |
| 9 | Kent Stephens | United States | $50,310 |
A Long Journey to His First Bracelet
Anton arrived at the final table with the chip lead, but converting that against a lineup filled with some experienced tournament regulars was never going to be easy. He said one of his main goals throughout the day was simply staying focused and treating each decision individually.
"I was really just trying to focus on staying present," Anton said. "It's obviously a big spot for me. I've had some other runs, so I feel like I've made some mistakes of not being as present and not taking as much time. But today I felt really present and aware of everything. It helps to run well too, but the mindset was just take the hands one at a time."
Anton's route to this bracelet was somewhat different from that of many tournament regulars.
"I played online cash and then pivoted to live cash, and then like two years ago, started playing more tournaments," Anton said. "I've been traveling for like the past 18 months."
The 25-year-old reflected on the years of work that led to the biggest result of his career.
"I've been playing basically all day every day since I was 20," Anton said. "The tournaments, they're more like, I would just be grinding in a cave and family doesn't see anything. My girlfriend could come and see it live. I'm not in my boxers on the computer screen, so it's cool."
Anton Converts Chip Lead Into Victory
Anton started the final day with the chip lead and immediately put it to good use. The first casualty was Kent Stephens, who started the day third in chips, but after being on the wrong end of a cooler against Sitbon, Stephens was at risk against Anton. Stephens got it in good with two queens versus Anton's ace-queen, but the eventual champion spiked an ace on the flop to send Stephens to the rail in ninth place.
Sitbon scored the next knockout when his pocket queens held against the ace-jack of Vadzim Lipauka, while Anton added another elimination to his tally by busting Gregor Sverko in seventh place. Sverko, who had already pulled the tournament's largest $250,000 mystery bounty the day before, saw his pocket kings cracked when Anton spiked an ace with ace-nine.
Josh Reichard then briefly moved into the chip lead after felting Jakob Miegel and winning a big pot from Anton with pocket kings, although Anton did make the correct fold on the river with top pair. Reichard's turn at the top would not last long, however, as Anton soon won one of the biggest pots of the tournament against Reichard.
Five-handed, Anton opened with eight-five and found himself up against Reichard's ace-deuce. Reichard flopped top pair and called all the way down as Anton improved from bottom pair to trips on the turn before filling up on the river. Anton moved all in on the river, and Reichard made the wrong call, surrendering the chip lead and falling to the bottom of the counts, while Anton held roughly half the chips in play.
Next to stand in Anton's way was Jovan Kenjic, whose deep run came to an end in fifth place after Anton improved to quads on the turn to bust the Serbian professional. Sitbon then eliminated Champie Douglas in fourth place after rivering a flush to set up three-handed play with Anton way out in front.
While Sitbon and Reichard battled for the next pay jump, Anton continuously raised and slowly edged even further away from his opponents. Reichard eventually got his last chips in with jack-ten against Anton's pocket sevens. Anton turned a full house to eliminate Reichard in third place and take more than a 4:1 chip lead into heads-up play.
Anton Defeats Sitbon
Sitbon put up a fight heads-up, managing to keep his stack afloat and remaining just one double-up away from getting right back into the match. In the end, however, Anton's dominance proved too much to overcome, and after roughly twenty minutes of play, the tournament was over.
On the final hand, Anton completed with seven-six and called a raise from Sitbon, who held pocket tens. Sitbon continued on the flop, and Anton called with an open-ended straight draw. The turn brought Anton the nut straight, and when Sitbon moved all in, he was already drawing dead. With the outcome decided before the river was dealt, Sitbon had to settle for a runner-up finish, while Anton celebrated the first WSOP bracelet and the largest score of his career.
Before leaving the winner's photo area, Anton also gave a shoutout to his longtime girlfriend Andrea.
"My girlfriend pretty much is the only person," Anton said. "We've been together for like seven years. She's a singer-songwriter, so we've like, it's kind of a sick come up for us of like going from ground zero to like building our careers. I think like a year ago she was starting to do like arenas and now I'm winning bracelets and we're like seeing it happen together."
Stay tuned to PokerNews for continuing coverage from the 2026 WSOP, with dozens of bracelets still to be awarded throughout the summer in Las Vegas.
Level 32
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Alex Anton emerged victorious in Event #51: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em, adding his first WSOP bracelet to his poker achievements and a new career best score.
A full recap of the final table, payout information, and winner quotes will be available shortly.
Level 32
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Alex Anton called 150,000 on the button with 7♥6♥, Julien Sitbon made it 1,100,000 with 10♦10♣, and Anton called.
The flop came 5♦A♥4♠, and Sitbon bet 750,000 and Anton made the call.
The 3♦ on the turn meant Sitbon was drawing dead and he decided to go all in for 4,200,000 and Anton snap-called.
The J♦ on the river completed the run out and Sitbon was eliminated in second place for $452,200.
Level 32
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Alex Anton called 150,000 on the button with 7♥4♣, Julien Sitbon checked behind with 6♠2♦.
Both players checked on a flop of 9♠K♥Q♥, the 2♣ on the turn improved Sitbon to a pair and they both checked again.
Sitbon decided to go for some value on the Q♦ river for 500,000 and Anton quickly folded.
Level 32
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
There were 900,000 chips in pot on 6♣8♥K♠8♣.
Alex Anton in the big blind fired out a bet of 900,000 on the turn with 10♦7♣, and Julien Sitbon called with A♣6♦.
Anton took his time before he decided to shut the bluff down, and Sitbon quickly checked behind and picked up the pot.
Level 32
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Alex Anton called 150,000 on the button with K♥4♦, Julien Sitbon called in the big blind with 4♣3♠.
Both players checked on a flop of 9♦7♣4♥, and both checked on the A♥ turn and the Q♣ river.
Anton picked up the pot as his King kicker played.
Level: 32
Blinds: 150,000/300,000
Ante: 300,000
Level 31
: Blinds 120,000/240,000, 240,000 ante
There will be a short break before the start of heads-up.
Level 31
: Blinds 120,000/240,000, 240,000 ante
Julien Sitbon raised to 500,000, and Josh Reichard jammed from the small blind for 3,980,000.
Alex Anton four-bet to put Sitbon all in, causing Sitbon to get out of his chair and shout, "Holy, f**king s**t."
After just a few moments, Sitbon tossed away K♠J♠, and Anton had another chance to bust Reichard.
Josh Reichard: J♣10♣ 
Alex Anton: 7♠7♦
Reichard needed to connect with his jack-ten, or the tournament would head into heads-up play with Anton holding a huge chip lead.
The 6♥4♠4♣ flop was good for Anton's pocket sevens, and the 7♥ turn sealed Reichard's fate as Anton improved to a full house.
The 6♣ on the river was merely a formality, and Reichard's run came to an end in third place.
