How A Chess-Backed Pro Took Down WSOP’s Most Tense Badugi Bracelet Event

(AsiaGameHub) –

I’m Jessa Marlow, a senior poker industry analyst with 12 years covering the WSOP for PokerTech Daily, and I’ll say this: Michael Casella’s win isn’t just another bracelet story—it’s a masterclass in how cross-discipline strategic training pays off in niche poker formats. Casella cited his lifelong chess competition as the reason he could handle the three-hour heads-up grind against Nick Schulman, and that’s exactly the kind of underrated edge more pros are starting to lean on. Badugi rewards patience, draw decision-making, and sustained emotional control far more than flashy NLHE all-in plays, so the ability to stay calm through hours of tight play is a secret weapon most casual fans don’t even notice.

Let’s break down the full story of Event #8: Casella took down one of the toughest short-handed final tables of the early 2026 WSOP to claim the top prize. The 2026 WSOP’s $1,500 Badugi tournament drew 554 total entries, pooling $735,435 in prize money that paid out the top 83 finishers. Casella rolled into the final day with a commanding chip lead, facing a field stacked with legends: Schulman and Scott Seiver, both gunning for their eighth career bracelets, plus Gary Benson who lasted all the way to fourth place. The final table moved fast at first, with Walter Chambers exiting seventh, Stephen Nussrallah in sixth, and Brant Hale fifth as Seiver built momentum. Schulman knocked Benson out in fourth with a queen badugi, then the field narrowed to three-handed play. Casella took out Seiver with a five badugi against Seiver’s six, before Schulman eliminated the three-time bracelet winner to lock heads-up play. The one-on-one session stretched over three hours, with Schulman surviving multiple all-ins and even grabbing a temporary lead. The final hand came when both players drew queens: Casella landed a three-card 5-2-Ace to beat Schulman’s 6-5-4, securing the $141,963 top prize and his first WSOP bracelet. This marks the second-largest live tournament cash of Casella’s career, trailing only the $201,455 he earned for a second-place finish at the 2025 Mega Millions event at The Bike. Deep runs were also turned in by poker icons and rising stars alike: David “ODB” Baker, Jean-Robert Bellande, Nick Guagenti, Ryan Riess, Benny Glaser, Ben Yu, Chris Moneymaker, and Yuri Dzivielevski. PokerNews verified the tournament’s entry counts, prize pool, and final official results. The full top-seven payouts are listed below:

Badugi has long been one of WSOP’s most specialized formats, and this tournament’s turnout signals a shifting landscape for competitive poker. For years, the WSOP’s fields were dominated by NLHE players chasing the Main Event’s massive prize pool, but events like this one show a growing demand for skill-focused, niche formats that reward strategic thinking over luck-based plays. Casella’s win also highlights a rising trend: pros are increasingly cross-training in other high-pressure strategic games like chess to gain an edge in tight, long-form tournaments. Looking ahead, we’ll likely see more WSOP events tailored to these specialized formats, as organizers look to attract players tired of the crowded NLHE fields, and more pros will lean on cross-discipline skills to stand out. The $141k payout for this event also proves that niche bracelet wins can deliver life-changing money, making these underrated tournaments more appealing than ever for both amateur and pro players.