Raphael Caixeta Captures First Gold Bracelet of 2026 GGPoker WSOP Online Series

The 2026 WSOP Online series on GGPoker kicked off with a bang as Brazil’s Raphael Caixeta conquered a field of 3,607 entries in the $700 7th Annual WSOP Kick-Off bounty event. The victory earned Caixeta his first gold bracelet and a total of $207,167 in prize money, along with a $30,000 package to the live Super Main Event at WSOP Paradise in The Bahamas.

Caixeta, described in his WSOP profile as an online tournament grinder, navigated a prize pool of nearly $2.4 million. The final table featured a mix of well-known names and anonymous screen names, with Caixeta ultimately defeating Malaysia’s Khaw “Apacgg” Chin Wah in heads-up play. The runner-up collected $160,310 – a strong start for the rest of the series.

While the event is a traditional poker tournament rather than a video-poker competition, the GGPoker platform that hosted it also offers video-poker variants, and the large field size and prize pools underscore the platform’s importance in the online gaming ecosystem. Video poker players who follow the broader online poker landscape may find the results and strategies from such events useful for understanding how tournament dynamics play out on the same network where they play video poker.

Key facts
| Detail | Value |
|——–|——-|
| Event | $700 7th Annual WSOP Kick-Off (bounty) |
| Entries | 3,607 |
| Prize pool | $2,398,655 |
| Winner | Raphael Caixeta ($207,167 + $30k package) |
| Runner-up | Khaw “Apacgg” Chin Wah ($160,310) |

Caixeta’s Path to the Bracelet

The tournament drew players from across the globe, with notable names such as Aliaksei Boika, Vlad Darie, Bernhard Binder, Thomas Muehloecker, Leonard Maue, Kevin Martin, Niklas Astedt, Pavel Plesuv, Joseph Cheong, Jessica Teusl, and David Williams all cashing but falling short of the final table.

The final nine started with “fantexi0058” from China bowing out in 9th place for $34,092. Milaim “PinkDevil9” Tafaj followed in 8th ($34,391), and Miguel “Zerschlagen” Angelo Faria Lopes fell in 7th ($44,907). South Korea’s Eui “Rollpounder” Kim exited in 6th ($57,751), and China’s “baidan823” took 5th ($74,732). Poland-based Ukrainian Oleksii “ITakeIt” Trofymenko was eliminated in 4th ($87,761). Argentina’s “Lichu89” finished 3rd, earning $104,258 before Caixeta and Chin Wah played for the title.

Final Table Payouts

The final table payouts reflected the top-heavy structure of the bounty format, with the top three all receiving six-figure sums including bounty payments. The full breakdown:

• 1st: Raphael Caixeta – $207,167 + $30k package
• 2nd: Khaw “Apacgg” Chin Wah – $160,310
• 3rd: “Lichu89” – $104,258
• 4th: Oleksii “ITakeIt” Trofymenko – $87,761
• 5th: “baidan823” – $74,732
• 6th: Eui “Rollpounder” Kim – $57,751
• 7th: Miguel “Zerschlagen” Angelo Faria Lopes – $44,907
• 8th: Milaim “PinkDevil9” Tafaj – $34,391
• 9th: “fantexi0058” – $34,092

Gladiators of Poker Update

The WSOP Online series continues with the $300 Gladiators of Poker event, which attracted 13,214 entrants for a $3,686,706 prize pool. Day 2 began with 1,307 players already guaranteed $603 each. Brazil’s Silvio Costa leads the remaining field with 1,292,168 chips, followed by Bernard Larabi (1,039,246), Samuel Mullur (902,214), Pedro Neves (773,193), Peter Traply (639,614), Nevan Chang (562,509), and Joe Serock (380,546). The final table is set to conclude on August 17, with the champion earning $470,672, a gold bracelet, and another $30,000 WSOP Paradise package.

What This Means for Video Poker Players

Although this event is a traditional online poker tournament, GGPoker is one of the largest online poker networks, and many video poker players use the same platform for cash games and video poker machines. Understanding the tournament scene on GGPoker can help players assess the platform’s overall traffic, promotions, and reliability. Caixeta’s deep run and heads-up victory also demonstrate the value of a patient, aggressive approach – a mindset that applies equally to video poker tournament play, where bankroll management and reading opponents are key.

The 2026 WSOP Online series will award 33 bracelets, including a $25 million guaranteed Main Event. Video poker players who also enjoy tournament poker may want to follow the series results for insights into current trends and player performance.

Source: PokerNews – https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/08/raphael-caixeta-wins-first-bracelet-2026-wsop-online-52151.htm

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