Andrew Lichtenberger Cracks 'Rampage’s' Aces to Defend Title in PGT Kickoff Opener
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On Tuesday, Andrew Lichtenberger opened the 2026 PokerGO Tour season in familiar fashion, capturing Event #1 of the 2026 PGT Kickoff Series after topping a field of 135 total entries, the second-largest $5,100 event in PGT history.
The 2026 PGT Kickoff Series, running January 26–31 at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, features six events with buy-ins ranging from $5,100-$10,100 and serves as the official launch of the new season. Adding further importance to the opening stretch, all events award double PGT leaderboard points, making early results especially valuable in the race for the season-long title.
Lichtenberger prevailed in the $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em opener to earn $162,000 and his eighth career PGT victory, a result that moves him into a tie for fourth on the all-time PGT wins list. With the win coming in a double-points event, Lichtenberger immediately vaulted to the top of the PGT leaderboard, taking an early lead just one tournament into the season, earning 324 points for his victory.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Andrew Lichtenberger | $162,000 | 324 |
| 2nd | Jeremy Eyer | $97,875 | 196 |
| 3rd | Shannon Shorr | $70,875 | 142 |
| 4th | Cary Katz | $54,000 | 108 |
| 5th | Ethan Yau | $40,500 | 81 |
| 6th | Peter Mugar | $33,750 | 68 |
| 7th | Spencer Champlin | $27,000 | 54 |
Lichtenberger Starts 2026 Right Where He Left Off
The win continued a strong run for Lichtenberger on the PGT and reinforced just how comfortable he has become on the PokerGO Studio stage.
Just weeks earlier, he finished second in the PGT
End-of-Year Freeroll for $200,000, narrowly missing out on the $500,000 top prize.
Not only is “Chewy” comfortable inside the studio, but he also seems to enjoy the season-opening kickoff, as he entered the 2026 campaign as the defending champion of this event after winning Event #1 of the $5,100 opener a year ago for $117,000.
Chewy Gets Lucky Against Rampage
From a field of 135 entries, seven players advanced to the final table. Joining Lichtenberger were Jeremy Eyer, who finished runner-up, as well as Shannon Shorr, Cary Katz, Ethan “Rampage” Yau, Peter Mugar, and Spencer Champlin.
The popular YouTube vlogger was among those pushing for an early year victory, but his run ended in a pivotal cooler to the eventual champion Lichtenberger. Holding A♥A♣, Rampage got the chips in preflop against Andrew Lichtenberger’s K♥K♦, only to see the kings flop a set on the K♠4♠5♠10♣8♣ runout, to eliminate Yau in brutal fashion.
Strong Start to PGT Season Despite New Tax Law
Beyond the Lichtenberger's win, Event #1 also delivered a strong early signal for the PGT and live poker amid discussion surrounding recent tax-law changes and their potential impact on live poker participation. Rather than declining, the numbers moved sharply in the opposite direction.
The 135 total entries in the $5,100 opener represented a 51-entry increase from the 84 entries recorded in the same event last year. The growth was both an increase in unique players (81, up from 54) and a substantial rise in re-entries (64, up from 30).
One potential factor in the surge may have been the $5,000 price point, which appears to have resonated with players navigating the updated tax environment. With a lower barrier to entry compared to higher buy-ins later in the schedule, the Kickoff opener may offer an early indication that mid-tier events will play a key role in maintaining strong participation levels moving forward.
With five double-points events still to come, the opening numbers provided an encouraging baseline as the 2026 PokerGO Tour season gets underway.
Photo courtesy of PokerGo
