Max Stenberg won the WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 PLO Championship

Swedish poker player Max Stenberg claimed victory in the prestigious $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha tournament at the WSOP, outlasting 327 participants and winning $282,125.

Today, Sweden is celebrating a major victory in the poker world: Max Stenberg has become the champion of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Overcoming a field of 327 entrants, Stenberg claimed the top prize of $282,125 from a total prize pool of $1,553,250. Max Stenberg’s Road to the WSOP Championship This triumph was a long-awaited one for Max Stenberg. In 2025, at the WSOP Europe festival in Rozvadov, he came close to winning a bracelet, making it to the last two tables in the €2,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event, but finished in 12th place. In 2026, playing in the WSOP Online on the GGPoker platform, Stenberg managed to overcome his previous setbacks and, for the first time in his career, won a WSOP gold bracelet. The Final Table: Battle for the Title and Prizes In the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, the top 45 players made the money, each at least getting their buy-in back. Among those who cashed were well-known pros such as Benjamin Miner, Rodrigo Selouan, Joakim Andersson, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Anton Suarez, and Espen Myrmo, who became the "final table bubble boy." The final table featured seven players. Starting with the second shortest stack was Israel’s Ravid Garbi, who was the first to bust from the final table, earning $47,020 for seventh place. Sixth place went to Ioannis Kontonatsios, a Greek Omaha specialist living in Cyprus. His result — $63,684. Bjorn Verbakel, known for his victory in the €550 PLO event at WSOP Europe 2021, finished fifth this time, taking home $85,442. Spaniard Lautaro Guerra, playing from Mexico, continued his impressive run in Omaha tournaments, finishing fourth and earning $115,177. Guerra now has over $6.2 million in WSOP tournament winnings, almost all of which have come from Omaha events. Austrian Andreas Freund, who started the final table with the shortest stack, managed a significant comeback and reached the final three. However, his run ended there — third place and $155,259. Final Table Results for Event #18: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship 1st place: Max Stenberg (Sweden) — $282,125 2nd place: Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu (Romania) — $209,290 3rd place: Andreas Freund (Austria) — $155,259 4th place: Lautaro Guerra (Spain/Mexico) — $115,177 5th place: Bjorn Verbakel (Netherlands) — $85,442 6th place: Ioannis Kontonatsios (Greece/Cyprus) — $63,684 7th place: Ravid Garbi (Israel) — $47,020 The Bracelet Duel: Stenberg vs. Nedelcu The heads-up battle for the title was between Max Stenberg and Narcis-Gabriel Nedelcu. At stake were not only the WSOP gold bracelet and cash prize, but also a special $30,000 Super Pass, granting entry to the Super Main Event at WSOP Paradise 2026. For Nedelcu, this final was a chance to win his second WSOP bracelet. The Romanian had already won a bracelet by taking down the $1,500 8-Game event at the 2025 WSOP in Las Vegas. In addition, this summer he finished second in the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event. However, once again, Nedelcu was unable to overcome the final hurdle — he finished runner-up, earning $209,290. Max Stenberg, having defeated his opponent, became the new champion of the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, taking home the top prize, the bracelet, and the special pass to WSOP Paradise. Context: The Series, Platform, and Participants Event #18: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship was held as part of WSOP Online 2026 on the GGPoker platform. The WSOP Online series is the largest online event in the poker world, where official WSOP bracelets are awarded. The tournament attracted 327 players, creating an impressive prize pool of $1,553,250. Among the participants and prize winners were both seasoned professionals and players who already hold WSOP titles. For example, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi is one of the most recognizable players in the world, while Lautaro Guerra is considered one of the top Omaha specialists on the modern scene. What is Pot-Limit Omaha and How is This Format Different? Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) is a poker variant where each player is dealt four cards, and must use exactly two of them along with three community cards to make a hand. Unlike No-Limit Hold’em, bets in PLO are capped at the current size of the pot, which adds dynamism and strategic depth. Omaha tournaments traditionally attract the strongest players, as the game requires an excellent understanding of probabilities and the ability to work with a wide range of hands. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, this news is a great reason to pay attention to Pot-Limit Omaha tournaments. As Max Stenberg’s example shows, even after setbacks in live series, you can achieve success in an online tournament if you keep improving your skills and don’t give up after defeats. It’s also worth noting that many WSOP Online prize winners are players who actively participate in various formats and don’t limit themselves to Hold’em only. For PPPoker club members, this is a signal: expand your arsenal, try different types of poker, especially Omaha, where the fields are often softer and the prizes can be quite significant. Finally, participation in major online series like WSOP Online on GGPoker is becoming increasingly accessible thanks to modern platforms. This means PPPoker club players can build their careers without traveling to live tournaments, honing their skills and earning prizes online — perhaps the next WSOP champion will start their journey at the PPPoker club tables.