Fueled by the energy of a vocal rail and with a Peruvian flag draped over his chair, Juan Rodriguez rode his momentum all the way to victory in Event #39: Seniors High Roller No-Limit Hold’em at the 2026 World Series of Poker at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
In doing so, Rodriguez captured his first WSOP gold bracelet after outlasting a field of 844 entrants, earning a first-place prize of $673,011, and facing numerous bracelet winners and accomplished tournament veterans.
The final table of seven got underway at 1 p.m. on June 15 and wrapped up in less than six hours. The heads-up duel against Nariman Yaghmai moved swiftly despite Yaghmai entering with a slight chip lead. Rodriguez wasted little time taking charge, employing an aggressive approach to swing the momentum in his favor. Once he took the lead, he never looked back.
Throughout the long day, Rodriguez drew motivation from his family. “I used to play more for fun, and I wanted to collect rings and wins, but now I’m playing for my beautiful son, Max, so that he can have a future. That was going through my mind all day,” he said after the victory.
His wife, Maribeth, was on the rail from start to finish and experienced every twist and turn alongside him. “This was very hard to watch,” she admitted. “I was shaking on the sidelines every time he went all in.” Her nerves ultimately gave way to celebration as Rodriguez secured the bracelet and the biggest win of his career.
Event #39: $5,000 Seniors High Roller No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juan Rodriguez | Peru | $673,011 |
| 2 | Nariman Yaghmai | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | $448,634 |
| 3 | Qing Lu | United States | $314,158 |
| 4 | Chad Lipton | United States | $223,439 |
| 5 | Marc Rivera | Philippines | $161,446 |
| 6 | Arie Kliper | Israel | $118,541 |
| 7 | Kenneth Kim | United States | $88,469 |
| 8 | Luke Graham | United States | $67,130 |
Peru in the House
Rodriguez’s victory was met with an eruption of cheers from his sizable rail, which celebrated wildly after the final card was dealt. Reflecting on the support he received throughout the tournament, Rodriguez explained why so many people had gathered to cheer him on.
“I’ve been playing poker for a long time, and I think it’s important to have a good presence at the table,” Rodriguez said. “Over the years, I’ve made a lot of friends, first in Indiana and now in Florida. That’s why I have such a large rail here today.”
Originally from Peru, Rodriguez moved to Indiana at age 20 to pursue competitive tennis while attending college. He has lived in the United States ever since, but his Peruvian roots remain an important part of his identity. In fact, during Day 2 of the event, he made sure PokerNews corrected the flag displayed on his player profile.
Asked whether he still returns to Peru, Rodriguez’s face lit up. “Yes, I love the country,” he said. “I miss my family, I miss the music, and I miss the food.”
Rodriguez credits much of his poker success to the competitive drive he developed on the tennis court, along with the discipline he applies away from the table.
Despite the pressure of competing for a WSOP bracelet, Rodriguez later explained that he never felt overwhelmed, relying instead on his experience, competitive instincts, and the unwavering support of his family and friends throughout the event.
Rodriguez described his approach as both aggressive and exploitative, constantly adjusting based on the tendencies of the players around him.
“I was analyzing my opponents, and I determined which ones were trying to ladder up and which ones were playing for the top prize,” Rodriguez explained. “Then I used aggression in the appropriate spots to secure chips.”
That strategy was on full display during the money bubble when Rodriguez pulled off one of the tournament’s most talked-about bluffs. Facing Michael Rein, holding two pair, Rodriguez applied maximum pressure by shoving all in on the river, forcing his opponent to fold what turned out to be the best hand. The hand quickly made the rounds on social media, sparking widespread debate among poker fans and commentators over whether the fold was correct.
While many observers were quick to weigh in, Rodriguez showed empathy for his opponent’s predicament. “That is a tough spot to be in and a very hard decision. I felt sympathy for that guy,” he said.
The successful bluff not only helped propel Rodriguez deeper into the tournament but also showcased the fearless style that ultimately carried him to his first WSOP gold bracelet.
“King, King, King!”
Rodriguez’s march to the title gained momentum when he won two pivotal coin flips in quick succession. The first came against Arie Kliper, with Rodriguez’s ace-jack improving to crack Kliper’s pocket tens and earn a crucial double-up.
Shortly thereafter, he found himself in the reverse situation, holding pocket nines against Kenneth Kim’s ace-jack. This time, the pocket pair held, sending Kim to the rail and vaulting Rodriguez into contention for the chip lead.
As the cards were dealt, Rodriguez’s energetic rail could be heard shouting, “Stay low!” The plea proved prophetic, as Rodriguez avoided danger and emerged as the tournament’s new chip leader.
Rodriguez spent most of the final table atop the chip counts, relentlessly applying pressure to shorter stacks and leveraging his position to accumulate chips. Although he briefly surrendered the lead late in the day, before the heads-up match, he quickly regained control, steadily chipping away at his opponent.
When asked who posed the greatest threat at the final table, Rodriguez did not hesitate.
“Chad Lipton,” he said. “He was playing extremely well, and he knew everything that was going on. Every time he played a hand, I was rooting against him because he was fierce.”
The tournament concluded in dramatic fashion. Facing Yaghmai in the final hand, Rodriguez found himself needing a king to secure the title. As the dealer prepared to run out the remaining community cards, his rail began chanting, “King, king, king!” Their wish was granted when a king appeared on the river, clinching the pot and the championship. The room immediately erupted as Rodriguez’s supporters celebrated his first WSOP gold bracelet.
To Infinity and Beyond Day 4
Rodriguez came into the summer focused on seniors events after recently becoming age-eligible to compete.
“My goal is to play seniors events,” he explained. “In fact, I played a seniors event at another venue and bagged a big stack for Day 2, but I felt that winning a bracelet was more important, so I left my chips over there to get blinded off.”
That decision ultimately led to the biggest score of his career and his first WSOP gold bracelet. For Rodriguez, however, the victory meant far more than the money.
“My son is very important to me, and I will be using this money to help secure his future,” Rodriguez said emotionally.
“My son is very important to me, and I will be using this money to help secure his future”
His son Max, who is three and a half years old, may not fully understand the significance of a WSOP bracelet just yet, but he will certainly enjoy the celebration.
“He’s very excited about Toy Story right now,” Rodriguez said with a smile. “So he’ll be getting a surprise gift.”
As for the bracelet itself, Rodriguez was still taking in the magnitude of the achievement moments after the win. “I can’t believe how beautiful it is,” he said. “I almost didn’t want to touch it.”
After years of grinding on the felt, building friendships across the poker world, and balancing competition with family life, Rodriguez finally achieved his dream of becoming a World Series of Poker champion.
