Cody Fisher Wins the Inaugural WSOP Circuit Main Event at The Reserve
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Quick answer: On Nov. 9, 2026, Cody Fisher of Strongsville, Ohio, won the first WSOP Circuit $1,700 Main Event at The Reserve Poker Club in Toledo for $246,466 and his first Circuit gold ring. The official WSOP account and Poker.org both say the tournament ended on the first hand after dinner when Fisher, holding pocket eights, eliminated Adam Friedman and Nicholas Davidson in a double knockout.
A new Circuit stop, and a large overlay-beating field
The series was The Reserve's Circuit debut. WSOP said the Main Event drew 991 entries and a $1,501,365 prize pool, well above a $1 million guarantee. Poker.org recorded 150 players in the money and listed the same first- and second-place prizes.
Fisher's first-place prize is also his first WSOP Circuit ring. WSOP said every 2026 Circuit ring winner receives a $5,000 package to WSOP Paradise 2026 at Baha Mar, including entry into the $2,750 Circuit Championship Mystery Bounty and complimentary accommodations.
Poker.org identified Fisher as a Strongsville local and a server, and said his previous best score was about $44,000. After the win, that site listed his career earnings at $308,156. It also listed Friedman, a five-time WSOP bracelet winner, at $5,363,086 in career earnings following his $164,271 second-place finish.
How the final table ended
WSOP said Fisher went into the dinner break three-handed with a big lead, about 56 big blinds to Friedman's 13 and Davidson's 11. "The tournament ended on the first hand back, with Fisher eliminating both Friedman and Davidson to conclude the tournament with a double knockout."
Poker.org's on-the-ground recap matches that ending and adds the final-hand detail: both opponents jammed into Fisher, who called with pocket eights and "mak[ing] a winning straight." Poker.org also said those were Fisher's only eliminations of the day, and that he had begun the final table a distant second in chips, with barely a third of Friedman's starting 92 big blinds.
The official nine-handed payouts were:
- 1st: Cody Fisher — $246,466
- 2nd: Adam Friedman — $164,271
- 3rd: Nicholas Davidson — $115,534
- 4th: Matthew Ploof — $82,513
- 5th: Dennis Milko — $59,856
- 6th: Christopher Webb — $44,114
- 7th: Patrick Steele — $33,039
- 8th: Ryan Hiller — $25,153
- 9th: Craig Waikem — $19,470
A first child, and a title defense question
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In a winner interview published by Poker.org, Fisher said, "I feel like I earned it today. You get lucky once or twice in every poker tournament, but I feel like I played good and I feel like my hard work's paid off." He also said he and his fiancée, Madison, are expecting their first child in April, that both work as servers, and that the score would let her take time off with the baby. He hoped the Circuit's next Toledo Main Event would fall before April 21 so he could defend the title.
Those personal details and the pocket-eights/straight description come from Poker.org, not from the WSOP press release. The official release and Poker.org do agree on the double-knockout finish. A later round-up on PokerTube described the ending as heads-up against Friedman; that conflicts with the official account and is not used here.
Late-tournament patience and position, which Fisher told Poker.org helped because Friedman was on his right, are decisions players can practice on Superintelligencepoker.com.
For more poker news and tournament coverage, see another 2026 WSOP title this month, no-limit hold'em strategy, and pot odds and break-even calling. Browse the Superintelligence Poker blog for more.
FAQ
Who won the first WSOP Circuit Main Event at The Reserve in Toledo?
Cody Fisher, for $246,466 and his first Circuit ring, on Nov. 9, 2026, according to WSOP.com and Poker.org.
How did the tournament end?
Both official WSOP and Poker.org say it ended on the first hand after dinner in a double knockout. Poker.org reported that Friedman and Davidson jammed into Fisher's pocket eights, and that Fisher made a straight.
How large was the field?
991 entries and a $1,501,365 prize pool, above a $1 million guarantee, per WSOP. Poker.org said 150 players cashed.
Was this Fisher's first big score?
Poker.org said his previous best live score was about $44,000, and it listed $308,156 in career earnings after this win.
Sources
1. WSOP.com, "Choctaw and The Reserve Declare New WSOP Circuit Champions," Nov. 10, 2026: https://www.wsop.com/news/choctaw-and-the-reserve-declare-new-wsop-circuit-champions/
2. Poker.org, "Father-to-be Fisher wins WSOPC Reserve Main in spectacular fashion," Nov. 9, 2026: https://www.poker.org/latest-news/father-to-be-fisher-wins-wsopc-reserve-main-in-spectacular-fashion-al2Fx9J89omZ/
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