Lex Veldhuis has come closer than ever to winning his first World Series of Poker bracelet, finishing fifth in the $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha during the 2026 WSOP Online series.
The Dutch poker streamer reached his first WSOP final table in 17 years after navigating a 721-entry field on GGPoker.
Veldhuis eventually collected $41,465 including bounties, but the money was secondary to what was within reach.
A WSOP bracelet has remained one of the most significant omissions from a poker career that has taken Veldhuis from high-stakes cash games to becoming one of poker’s best-known streamers.
This time, he got down to the final five.
Lex Veldhuis Reaches First WSOP Final Table Since 2009
Veldhuis has spent much of the 2026 WSOP Online series making deep runs.
He finished 10th from 771 entries in the $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha before taking 16th in the $2,500 Turbo NLH Championship.
The breakthrough finally arrived in Event #14.
Veldhuis survived a 721-entry field to reach the seven-handed final table of the $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty PLO.
It was his first WSOP final table since 2009.
That previous appearance came during the WSOP’s 40th anniversary celebrations in Las Vegas, when Veldhuis finished seventh in the $40,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for $277,939.
Seventeen years later, he finally went two places better.
2026 WSOP Online $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty PLO Results
| Place | Player | Prize | Bounties | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kai “Lasi Paihinen” Lehto | $69,195 | $78,030 | $147,225 |
| 2nd | “Cursed79” | $69,195 | $28,068 | $97,263 |
| 3rd | Murilo Milhomem | $52,440 | $11,320 | $63,760 |
| 4th | Erick “xErick” Mossinger | $39,742 | $10,281 | $50,023 |
| 5th | Lex Veldhuis | $30,118 | $11,347 | $41,465 |
| 6th | “Pelmsh88” | $22,825 | $1,050 | $23,875 |
| 7th | “Shufuu” | $17,298 | $14,995 | $32,293 |
Finnish player Kai “Lasi Paihinen” Lehto ultimately took the bracelet and $147,225 including bounties.
The tournament generated a $1,027,425 prize pool, with 84 players reaching the money.
Another Big WSOP Online Run for Veldhuis
Veldhuis’ fifth-place finish continues what has been an impressive WSOP Online series.
More importantly, it puts him back within touching distance of a piece of poker history he has been pursuing for much of his career.
Veldhuis has played WSOP events stretching back to the 2000s, but bracelet success has remained elusive.
His longevity makes the latest result particularly notable.
The poker world of his previous final table in 2009 looked very different.
Online poker streaming had not yet developed into the major entertainment category it is today. Twitch had not even launched.
Veldhuis would eventually become one of the players who helped change that.
His ability to combine serious high-level poker with live commentary helped make poker streaming accessible to an audience that might never have watched hours of an online tournament otherwise.
That makes his latest bracelet run different from the average online tournament result.
Thousands of viewers have been able to follow the pursuit with him.
WSOP Online Is Producing Big Results
Veldhuis may still be waiting for bracelet number one, but several familiar names have already collected gold during the current online series.
Poker Type recently reported how Ben “Bencb” Rolle won his second WSOP bracelet and $1.37 million after defeating 5,518 entries in the Millionaire Maker.
Spain’s Antonio Galiana won his third WSOP bracelet after taking down the $600 Super Six Bounty 6-Handed event.
Before that, Stefan Schillhabel secured bracelet number two in an extraordinary 7,277-entry Flip & Go.
Veldhuis has now come tantalizingly close to joining them.
How Close Has Lex Veldhuis Come to a WSOP Bracelet?
This is the deepest Veldhuis has ever finished in a WSOP bracelet event.
His previous best was seventh place in 2009.
That means a poker career spanning thousands of tournaments, millions of hands and an enormous streaming audience has now produced its closest encounter yet with WSOP gold.
For some players, fifth place would simply be another tournament result.
For Veldhuis, there is considerably more history attached to it.
He has been competing at the WSOP since long before poker streaming became his defining public platform.
He has watched friends, rivals and fellow online professionals win bracelets.
Now, at 42, he has produced his best WSOP finish.
The Bracelet Chase Continues
There should be more opportunities before the 2026 WSOP Online series is finished.
Veldhuis has already demonstrated that he is running deep often enough to make another challenge realistic.
He has reached the final 16 in three recent events and made his first WSOP final table since 2009.
That is not a bracelet.
But after 17 years between final tables, fifth place represents something significant. Lex Veldhuis has never been closer.
