Johnny Oshana accomplished an incredible feat in Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em. Oshana outlasted a massive field of 11,185 entries to capture his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, winning $250,000 out of the massive $2,751,510 prize pool.
When asked what it meant to win his first bracelet, an elated Oshana replied, “It feels awesome!”
“Now I’m looking forward to my second bracelet.”
Event #88: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnny Oshana | United States | $250,000 |
| 2 | Kenneth Baime | United States | $166,000 |
| 3 | Ryan Hull | United States | $124,500 |
| 4 | Luis Genel | United States | $94,000 |
| 5 | Said El Harrak | United States | $71,350 |
| 6 | Valentin Farkas | Croatia | $54,600 |
| 7 | David Hirst | Australia | $42,100 |
| 8 | Sumit Kumar | United States | $32,700 |
| 9 | Gary McCoy | Ireland | $25,550 |
Oshana’s path to victory was anything but easy. Entering Day 3 second in chips, he suffered an early setback when Kenneth Baime‘s pocket kings held against his pocket fives, leaving him with a significantly shorter stack.
“After that, I put it in my head, ‘I’m going to win this,'” Oshana said. “I was determined to get the bracelet. I had patience and waited for the right times.”
The setback ultimately became a source of motivation.
“I actually play better with a short stack, and that motivated me to win.”
Final Day Action
The final day began with just 12 hopefuls returning to battle for poker glory, and the action wasted no time heating up. Eliminations came in rapid succession, with Emma Stevenson, the last woman standing in the field, and Vu Tran becoming the day’s first casualties.
The remaining players continued to fall until only Oshana remained. He played with confidence throughout the final table, picking his spots carefully and capitalizing on key opportunities. One pivotal hand saw him make a top two-pair against Ryan Hull, adding to his growing stack.
Another defining moment came against overnight chip leader Luis Genel. Oshana managed to seize the chip lead after winning a crucial pot with a “big blind special” that improved to two-pair, shifting the momentum firmly in his favor.
The heads-up battle against Baime lasted more than an hour. Baime, a seasoned tournament veteran with an impressive poker résumé, refused to go quietly, and the chips changed hands several times. In the end, Oshana’s pocket sevens held against Baime’s ace-queen, sealing the victory and his first WSOP gold bracelet.
Away from the felt, Oshana works as a mechanical engineer and has been playing poker recreationally for 16 years, primarily with friends. Over the past decade, however, he has begun taking the game more seriously.
Throughout the final table, he kept reminding himself, “Slow down, don’t make mistakes, and don’t push it to the river every time.”
The victory marks the largest score of Oshana’s poker career. He plans to invest much of the prize money through his investment company while setting some aside to play future tournaments, including this week’s World Series of Poker Circuit event in Las Vegas.
“I also plan on taking my wife out for a nice dinner.”
His wife and three boys followed the action through PokerNews updates as the tournament unfolded. After conquering a field of more than 11,000 players over three grueling days, Oshana said he was most looking forward to heading home, sharing the news with his family, and finally getting some well-earned sleep.
This concludes PokerNews coverage of the $300 Gladiators of Poker, but don’t miss any of the action as the 2026 World Series of Poker continues in Las Vegas.
