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Sterling Lopez is an American poker player from Alaska who won the $3,000 T.O.R.S.E. event at the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas for a career-best $247,842 and his first bracelet.
Lopez had previously come close to winning a bracelet a handful of times. He finished fourth in the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo event in 2021 and 10th in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship in 2024. In 2025, Lopez finished sixth in the $3,000 T.O.R.S.E. event, the tournament he won 12 months later.
“I felt a lot more comfortable,” Lopez said minutes after his win, discussing his start-of-day position. “It is the second time. Last year, I came in 16/17 into Day 3 in this event. I felt like there was no pressure; I’ve been in that spot before, and it felt good.”
“Definitely got the revenge,” he joked about making this tournament’s final table again. “I flew back for this tournament, just for the weekend. I was on the fence about coming back because I can’t really take that much time off, but it was definitely worth it.”
