Adriaan Jacobs claimed his WSOP bracelet at the age of just 21

Adriaan Jacobs Clinches WSOP Bracelet at Just 21

South African pro Adriaan Jacobs has triumphed in Event #78: $600 Deepstack No-Limit Hold'em at the 2026 WSOP in Las Vegas, pocketing a cool $282,817. The tournament drew a massive field of 5,177 runners and played out over four gruelling days at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.

Jacobs, who celebrated his 21st birthday just two weeks prior to the event, writes his name into the history books as one of the youngest bracelet winners ever and the youngest champion of the 2026 World Series.

In the final heads-up battle, Jacobs defeated America's Paul Merlette. Holding a commanding chip lead, Jacobs saw his opponent mount a brief comeback, but the decisive hand ultimately fell in the South African's favour:

On a ♠️♥️♥️ flop, Merlette shoved all-in with ♦️♣️, and Jacobs made the call with ♥️♥️. The turn and river delivered the ♥️ and ♥️. A king on the turn locked up a heart flush for Jacobs, and a queen of hearts on the river put an exclamation mark on his victory, securing him the coveted championship bracelet.

With this victory, Jacobs becomes only the fourth player from South Africa to capture a WSOP bracelet. His trip to Las Vegas was organized by his father as a landmark birthday present.