WSOP 2026 Week 5: Anderson Joins the Double-Bracelet Club, Chin Makes Mixed-Game History

Calvin Anderson won the Razz and H.O.R.S.E. championships three days apart for bracelets #6 and #7. Michelle Chin became the first woman to win a mixed-game bracelet in 11 years. And the $1,000 Mystery Millions — which might break the all-time WSOP attendance record — just started its first flight.

Anderson’s Three-Day Heater: What Actually Happened

I’ve been following Calvin Anderson’s career for years, but even I didn’t see this coming. The guy won the $10,000 Razz Championship (Event #48, 155 entries, $357,026) on Thursday, and then turned around and took down the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship (Event #54, 189 entries, $413,580) on Sunday. Three days. Two of the toughest fields on the schedule. $770,606 in combined prizes.

His heads-up opponent in the H.O.R.S.E. was Josh Arieh — seven bracelets, 2023 POY. Their match lasted under 30 minutes before Anderson closed it out in the Stud Hi-Lo rotation. That’s not a fluke; that’s a man on a mission.

The Razz win also pushed Anderson past Phil Hellmuth for the most WSOP razz tournament earnings in history at $759,280. In a variant where the player pool is tiny and everyone knows each other’s game, dominating like that is genuinely absurd.

What This Means for Regular Players Like Us

Here’s what I think is underappreciated about Anderson’s run: four of his seven bracelets are in $10,000 championship events. That’s not just “good at poker” — that’s being the best in the room when the room is full of the best. For those of us grinding 1/2 and 2/5, it’s a reminder that mastering multiple game formats (not just No-Limit Hold’em) is what separates the truly elite.

I played a razz side game at a local card room last month, and honestly? I was terrible. But watching Anderson makes me want to learn. If you’ve never tried mixed games, this is your sign — the fields are smaller and softer than NLHE, and the skill edge is enormous.

Michelle Chin: 11 Years Between Milestones

Michelle Chin topped 657 entries in Event #58 ($1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw) for $161,313 and her first bracelet. She beat Daniel Strelitz heads-up, with Horacio Chaves taking third and setting a new Paraguayan WSOP record.

The bigger story: she’s the first woman to win a mixed-game open-event bracelet since Carol Fuchs in 2015. Eleven years. Let that sink in.

In her post-win interview with Poker.org, Chin didn’t sugarcoat it: “It’s horrible,” she said about the state of women in poker, especially in mixed-game events where female participation is even lower than in Hold’em.

My Take on the Gender Gap Issue

Honestly, I think Chin is right to be frustrated. The WSOP ran 58 events before a woman won a mixed-game bracelet this year. That’s not a pipeline problem — it’s an environment problem. Mixed-game tables at live events can feel like closed clubs, and I’ve seen firsthand how uncomfortable they can be for newcomers of any gender.

One bracelet won’t fix that. But visibility matters. Every time a Michelle Chin or Kristin Foxen wins under the spotlight, it chips away at the “poker is a boys’ club” default. Slowly, but it does.

Mystery Millions: Will It Break 28,000 Entries?

Event #63, the $1,000 Mystery Millions, started its first of six Day 1 flights on Monday. The format: two guaranteed $1,000,000 mystery bounties plus a $1,000,000 guaranteed first prize. Six starting flights — the most ever for this format.

Last year it drew nearly 20,000 entries. The all-time WSOP record is 28,371 (the 2019 Big 50). With an extra flight this year, organizers think they have a shot at breaking it.

I’m personally skeptical it’ll hit 28K — that Big 50 number was inflated by a historic $500 buy-in. But 22-24K seems realistic, which would still make it the second-largest WSOP event ever. We’ll update once all flights complete.

POY Race: Foxen Still on Top

Alex Foxen leads the Player of the Year standings at 2,720 points after his fourth career bracelet (Event #44, $10K Super Turbo Bounty) plus consistent deep runs. Anderson’s double-championship week should put him firmly in contention, though official point totals haven’t been updated yet.

With 44 events remaining including the Main Event, the POY is wide open. But Foxen’s combination of volume and peaks gives him a real cushion.

Sources: PokerNews — Anderson HORSE,
PokerNews — Anderson Razz,
PokerNews — Chin 2-7,
Poker.org — Chin Interview,
PokerNews — Mystery Millions