Frank Koopmann Wins First WSOP Europe Bracelet of 2026 in Dramatic Fashion
A recreational player from Germany just claimed the opening bracelet of the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) — and he did it by flopping a set, turning quads, and watching his opponent’s king-high flush land on the river.
Frank Koopmann outlasted 181 entries and defeated eight-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb heads-up in one of the most dramatic final hands in recent WSOP memory, taking home €123,879 ($142,750) and the first gold of the Prague series.
A New Era for WSOP Europe in Prague
The 2026 WSOPE marks a fresh chapter for one of poker’s most prestigious festival series. After years at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, the World Series of Poker relocated the spring edition to the Hilton Atrium Prague — a larger, more central venue suited to the festival’s growing ambitions.
Early turnout has justified the move, with the opening two events drawing a combined 2,300-plus entries, with WSOP Europe’s 15-bracelet schedule still barely underway. Event #1, The Opener — a €1,100 No-Limit Hold’em mystery bounty — saw over 2,195 entries across four starting flights, generating a prize pool north of $1.26 million.
Phil Hellmuth has confirmed his return to the series, targeting bracelet number 18. The €5,300 WSOP Main Event, which carries a $10 million guarantee, begins April 3.
Koopmann Claims the €3,300 PLO Mixed Crown
Event #2 was a €3,300 Pot-Limit Omaha Mixed event rotating through three formats: Big O, PLO8, and PLO — a demanding structure that rewards players who can shift gears across disciplines. The field drew 181 entries, attracting a strong cross-section of the poker world’s elite.
Notable names who cashed included reigning WSOP Main Event Champion Michael Mizrachi (24th), mixed game specialist Benny Glaser (21st), and Bulgaria’s Stoyan Madanzhiev, who made the final table. Dario Sammartino, a familiar face at the big tables, bowed out in sixth.
Koopmann, a German recreational player with more than 20 years at the tables, entered the day as the decided underdog against a heads-up opponent with eight bracelets, a two-time WSOP Player of the Year title, and $17.5 million in career earnings.
The Hand That Decided It All
The final hand was the kind that gets replayed for years. Koopmann opened with A♠ 4♣ 4♥ 3♥ and called a three-bet from Deeb, who held A♦ K♠ Q♠ 3♦. The flop came 2♠ 10♠ 4♠ — giving Koopmann a set of fours and Deeb a king-high flush, with Deeb sitting at roughly a 63% favorite to win the pot at that point.
The turn changed everything. The 4♦ hit the board, giving Koopmann four-of-a-kind fours and locking up the hand before the river was even dealt. Deeb check-called a bet worth about a third of his remaining stack, and the dealer placed a meaningless K♣ on the river.
🙅 @shaundeeb was denied his 9th WSOP bracelet after running into quads.
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) April 1, 2026
💰 Deeb still gets his 2026 POY title defense off to a hot start with a runner-up finish and €81,784.
🏆 Frank Koopmann claims his first WSOP title and takes home €123,879! pic.twitter.com/VEB8xL1AoQ
Deeb called off his stack. He posted about the hand on X shortly after, describing seeing the “dry ace” in Koopmann’s hand and starting to celebrate — before realizing the other three cards read 4-4-3.
It was Deeb’s seventh runner-up finish in a bracelet-awarding event — a sequence of near-misses that would define most players’ careers. For Koopmann, it was his first bracelet in more than two decades of playing the game.
What Bracelet #9 Would Have Meant for Deeb
Deeb came into Prague as the reigning 2025 WSOP Player of the Year — a title he claimed in one of the closest races in WSOP history, edging out Benny Glaser and Michael Mizrachi across an 18-cash summer that included a $2.95 million PLO High Roller win. He arrived in Prague in arguably the best form of his career.
To understand what that ninth bracelet would mean, it helps to see where the current leaders sit. Nine would vault him past the eight-bracelet tier shared by Glaser and Mizrachi and into the company of Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan — names that define what a poker legacy looks like.
For recreational players watching from home, Koopmann’s win is a reminder of what makes poker unique. A 20-year grinder with $440,000 in career earnings just outlasted one of the most accomplished tournament players alive — and he did it by running into the deck.
What’s Next at the 2026 WSOP Europe
Deeb still has 12 bracelet events ahead of him in Prague, including the €5,300 WSOPE Main Event NLHE European Championship, the €5,300 PLO European Championship, the €20,800 NL Super High Roller, and the €8,400 GGMillion$ High Roller. Each one represents another shot at number nine.
Benny Glaser, who, like Deeb, sits on eight bracelets and narrowly lost the 2025 POY race, is also in Prague chasing the same milestone. Michael Mizrachi — a Hall of Famer after his 2025 double — rounds out what is shaping up to be an extraordinary three-way story running through the spring series.
The €5,300 Main Event gets underway April 3 at the Hilton Atrium Prague, and with Hellmuth, Deeb, Glaser, and Mizrachi all in the field, the storylines are only getting started.