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Rob WazWaz holds up a championship bracelet behind stacks of poker chips after winning at the Roughrider Poker Tour at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel.

Rob WazWaz: WSOP Bracelet Winner and MSPT Hall of Famer

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POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2014

Rob WazWaz has built one of the most accomplished tournament résumés in Minnesota poker, combining a World Series of Poker bracelet with sustained success on the Mid-States Poker Tour and major finishes across the national tournament circuit. His career includes a WSOP victory worth $358,346, an MSPT Main Event title, induction into the MSPT Hall of Fame and more than $3.4 million in recorded live tournament earnings.

Who Is Rob WazWaz?

Rob WazWaz is an American tournament poker player closely associated with Minnesota and the Midwest poker scene. Tournament databases have sometimes listed him as Rajaee or Rajai Wazwaz, but PokerNews reported during his 2022 WSOP bracelet victory that WazWaz said his name is actually Rob Wazwaz and that the alternate listing originated from an earlier registration error.

His recorded tournament results stretch back to at least the early 2010s. WazWaz developed a reputation as a frequent presence at Midwest tournaments while also producing significant results at the World Series of Poker, World Poker Tour events and major Las Vegas festivals.

As of August 2026, PokerNews' Rob Wazwaz player profile lists $3,459,913 in total live tournament earnings using data provided by The Hendon Mob. Live earnings figures change whenever a player records another cash, so that total should be viewed as a snapshot rather than a permanent career number.

Rob WazWaz's Early Tournament Career

WazWaz was already posting notable results more than a decade before winning his WSOP bracelet. He cashed the 2012 WSOP and followed that by finishing 12th in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at the 2013 WSOP.

His breakthrough at the WSOP came close in 2014. WazWaz reached the final table of a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event and finished seventh for $50,246, demonstrating that he could compete deep into large-field events well before his eventual bracelet victory.

The Midwest tournament circuit became an especially important part of his career. He accumulated results on the Mid-States Poker Tour and Heartland Poker Tour while continuing to make regular appearances in Las Vegas.

One of his largest early victories came in May 2017 at Ameristar East Chicago. WazWaz defeated a 526-entry Heartland Poker Tour Main Event field and earned $173,385. At the time, the result pushed his recorded live tournament earnings beyond the $1 million mark.

WazWaz Wins the 2018 MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event

WazWaz added an important regional championship in April 2018 when he won the MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event in Minnesota.

The $1,110 tournament carried a $300,000 guarantee, and WazWaz earned $109,375 for the victory. That title later became important for another reason: it helped satisfy the criteria that eventually qualified him for the MSPT Hall of Fame.

His sustained performance on the tour became one of the defining elements of his poker career. Rather than relying on one championship result, WazWaz continued to accumulate Main Event cashes and final-table appearances across multiple MSPT seasons.

The official MSPT player profile for Rob WazWaz listed 70 Main Championship cashes, 21 top-10 finishes and one Main Championship victory as of August 2026.

MSPT Hall of Fame Induction

WazWaz earned induction into the MSPT Hall of Fame in 2021 after recording his 25th MSPT Main Event cash.

The qualifying result came with an 11th-place finish in the MSPT Venetian $1,600 Main Event for $26,753. Combined with his previous MSPT Main Event victory at Canterbury Park, the cash satisfied the tour's Hall of Fame qualification standard in place at the time.

PokerNews reported that WazWaz became the eighth player to earn his way into the MSPT Hall of Fame.

His place in the tour's history continued to grow after induction. For years, WazWaz occupied the top position on the MSPT's all-time GOAT leaderboard. In August 2026, the tour reported that Josh Reichard had moved ahead of WazWaz during Season 17, ending a long stretch in which WazWaz had held the No. 1 position.

Rob WazWaz Wins His WSOP Bracelet

The defining victory of WazWaz's national tournament career came at the 2022 World Series of Poker.

WazWaz won Event #25: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack, defeating a field of 4,062 entries. The tournament generated a $2,859,648 prize pool, and WazWaz earned $358,346 along with his first WSOP gold bracelet.

The $358,346 payout remains his largest recorded live tournament cash as of August 2026.

The bracelet also placed WazWaz among the relatively small group of Minnesota players to have won a WSOP event. His victory came after years of WSOP participation that had already included several deep runs, making the bracelet a culmination of sustained tournament success rather than an isolated breakthrough.

A Near Miss for a Second WSOP Bracelet

WazWaz came close to adding a second bracelet during the 2025 World Series of Poker.

He advanced to heads-up play in Event #92: the $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em tournament. The event attracted 1,115 entries and generated more than $1.9 million in prize money.

WazWaz ultimately finished runner-up to Joshua Boulton and earned $207,510. It was the second-largest recorded tournament score of his career and his deepest WSOP finish since winning the bracelet three years earlier.

The performance also showed that WazWaz remained capable of making major WSOP final tables well into the next phase of his career.

WPT and Other Major Tournament Results

WazWaz has also produced significant results in World Poker Tour competition, although he had not won a WPT Main Tour title as of August 2026.

His WPT results include a 16th-place finish in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic during the 2016-17 season and an eighth-place finish in the 2025 WPT Seminole Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open Championship for $76,000.

The World Poker Tour's Rob WazWaz record lists his Main Tour results separately from other tournament earnings.

WazWaz has also shown an ability to compete beyond traditional no-limit hold'em events. In December 2025, he won a $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Progressive Bounty tournament during the WPT World Championship festival at Wynn Las Vegas. He topped a 200-entry field and earned $68,860 in the standard prize pool before accounting for additional bounty awards.

That result capped one of the strongest tournament years of his career. PokerNews reported that his recorded 2025 tournament earnings reached a career-high $561,905.

Rob WazWaz's 2026 Results

WazWaz remained highly active in 2026 and continued producing notable results across different tours and poker formats.

During the 2026 Wynn Summer Classic, he finished fifth in a $1,100 No-Limit Hold'em tournament with a $1.5 million guarantee, earning $91,825. He also recorded multiple Pot-Limit Omaha cashes during the Las Vegas summer.

His biggest title of the year through August came at the Roughrider Poker Tour stop at Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel in Minnesota.

WazWaz won the $640 RPT Jackpot Junction Main Event on August 2, 2026. The tournament drew 507 entries and generated a $273,780 prize pool. He earned $44,600 for first place and also received a $10,400 seat into the WPT Wynn Main Event.

The victory provided another example of WazWaz's continued activity outside the biggest national festivals. More than four years after winning his WSOP bracelet, he was still traveling, cashing and winning tournaments.

What Games Does Rob WazWaz Play?

Most of WazWaz's best-known accomplishments have come in no-limit hold'em tournaments, including his WSOP bracelet, HPT championship and MSPT title.

His more recent record also includes substantial Pot-Limit Omaha activity. WazWaz won the $3,000 PLO Progressive Bounty event at the 2025 WPT World Championship festival and recorded several PLO cashes during the 2026 Las Vegas summer.

There is not enough reliable public information to assign WazWaz a specific strategic label such as tight-aggressive or loose-aggressive. His tournament record does, however, demonstrate extensive experience in large-field hold'em events, regional Main Events and an increasingly diverse selection of PLO tournaments.

Why Rob WazWaz Matters in Midwest Poker

WazWaz's importance to poker extends beyond his WSOP bracelet.

His career is closely connected to the growth of regional tournament poker in the Midwest. He accumulated dozens of MSPT Main Event cashes, won one of the tour's championships, earned Hall of Fame membership and spent years at or near the top of its all-time performance rankings.

That consistency separates his résumé from players known primarily for one large result.

His national accomplishments strengthen that regional legacy. A WSOP bracelet, more than $3.4 million in recorded live earnings, a second WSOP heads-up appearance and deep WPT finishes establish a career that reaches well beyond Minnesota while remaining strongly connected to the Midwest tournament community.

Rob WazWaz's Current Poker Status

WazWaz remained an active tournament player as of August 2026.

His schedule during 2025 and 2026 included the WSOP, WPT events, Wynn and Venetian summer tournaments, MSPT Main Events and regional poker festivals. His August 2026 Roughrider Poker Tour victory was one of his most recent major results and earned him entry into another WPT championship event.

There is no reliable indication that WazWaz has retired or stepped away from tournament poker. His recent results instead show continued participation across regional and national events.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many WSOP bracelets does Rob WazWaz have?

Rob WazWaz has one World Series of Poker bracelet as of August 2026. He won Event #25: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack at the 2022 WSOP.

How much did Rob WazWaz win for his WSOP bracelet?

WazWaz earned $358,346 for winning the 2022 WSOP $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack. The event attracted 4,062 entries.

What is Rob WazWaz's largest poker cash?

His largest recorded live tournament cash as of August 2026 is $358,346 from his 2022 WSOP bracelet victory.

How much has Rob WazWaz won in live poker tournaments?

As of August 2026, PokerNews lists $3,459,913 in total live tournament earnings for Rob WazWaz using data supplied by The Hendon Mob. Tournament earnings totals change as new results are recorded.

Is Rob WazWaz in the MSPT Hall of Fame?

Yes. WazWaz earned induction into the Mid-States Poker Tour Hall of Fame in 2021 after reaching his 25th MSPT Main Event cash while already holding an MSPT Main Event title.

Has Rob WazWaz won an MSPT Main Event?

Yes. WazWaz won the 2018 MSPT Canterbury Park Main Event for $109,375.

Has Rob WazWaz won a WPT title?

WazWaz had not won a WPT Main Tour title as of August 2026. He has recorded several WPT cashes, including an eighth-place finish in the 2025 WPT Seminole Rock 'N' Roll Poker Open Championship for $76,000.

Did Rob WazWaz nearly win a second WSOP bracelet?

Yes. WazWaz finished second in the 2025 WSOP $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty event, earning $207,510.

What was Rob WazWaz's most recent tournament win?

Through August 2026, his most recent reported tournament victory was the 2026 Roughrider Poker Tour Jackpot Junction $640 Main Event. He won $44,600 and a $10,400 WPT Wynn Main Event seat.

Is Rob WazWaz still playing poker?

Yes. Results from 2026 show WazWaz continuing to play WSOP, MSPT, regional and major Las Vegas tournaments.

Latest Rob WazWaz News

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August 30, 2026
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