Brian Rast Wins First Poker Tournament of 2026
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Brian Rast picked up his first tournament victory of the year on Wednesday, capturing the PGT Mixed Games $25K Championship in Las Vegas for $480,000.
The win comes after two earlier cashes in the PGT Mixed Games Series, which has been running at the PokerGO Studio since the start of February, and confirms the Poker Hall of Famer is hitting his stride at the perfect time.
With the $100,000 Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games getting underway today, Rast was already considered one of the favorites, but this result sends a clear message to the mixed games community that the three-time Poker Players Championship winner is firing on all cylinders.
Rast Hits 17 Tournament Wins; Dzivielevski Wins Series Title
The PGT Mixed Games Championship featured a ten-game rotation and drew 64 entries during the registration period, a record for the event. That number was reduced to 19 players by the end of Day 1, with WSOP Paradise Super Main Event fifth-place finisher Eric Wasserson bagging the overnight chip lead. Rast sat sixth in chips.
Notable names to fall at the first hurdle included Phil Hellmuth, Benny Glaser, and PGT Mixed Games 8-Game winner Nick Schulman.
Four players — all series champions — entered Day 2 with a chance to secure the PGT Mixed Games series title: Justin Liberto, Yuri Dzivielevski, Qinghai Pan, and Chino Rheem. Pan led the points race thanks to a first-, second-, and third-place finish earlier in the series.
Rheem and Pan were both eliminated outside the top ten, the cutoff for the money. Hal Rotholz and poker legend Gus Hansen — who cashed for the first time this year — collected $48,000 for tenth and ninth place respectively, while Wasserson bowed out in eighth for $64,000.
That set the final table, where Matthew Wantman and Ariel Mantel were eliminated by Ryan Miller.
Dzivielevski made a nine-eight in Razz to eliminate the short-stacked Liberto, leaving him as Pan’s only remaining challenger for the series title. Dzivielevski had a tournament win and runner-up finish ahead of the Championship, meaning he needed a top-two finish to secure the series trophy, and he delivered.
A pair of deuces in Omaha Hi-Lo proved enough for Dzivielevski to scoop against Miller, sending the field to three-handed play and putting him one elimination away from the series crown.
Dzivielevski’s wait was brief, as Rast sent Philip Sternheimer to the rail in third place in Badugi.
Rast carried nearly a 3:1 chip lead into heads-up play and quickly extended his advantage. A five-bet from Rast in Badugi forced Dzivielevski to break a better hand, and after calling bets on the first and second draws without improving, the Brazilian conceded the pot after the final round checked through.
Rast claimed the remainder of Dzivielevski’s chips a few hands later to secure his 17th recorded tournament victory, according to The Hendon Mob.
PGT Mixed Games $25K Championship Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brian Rast | $480,000 |
| 2 | Yuri Dzivielevski | $312,000 |
| 3 | Philip Sternheimer | $216,000 |
| 4 | Ryan Miller | $160,000 |
| 5 | Justin Liberto | $120,000 |
| 6 | Ariel Mantel | $88,000 |
| 7 | Matthew Wantman | $64,000 |
PGT Mixed Games Winners
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PGT Mixed Games #1: $5,100 H.O.R.S.E. | 101 | $505,900 | Chino Rheem | $112,100 |
| PGT Mixed Games #2: $5,100 8-Game | 98 | $490,000 | Justin Liberto | $127,400 |
| PGT Mixed Games #3: $10,200 T.O.R.S.E. | 83 | $830,000 | Ryan Hoenig | $232,400 |
| PGT Mixed Games #4: $10,200 8-Game | 84 | $840,000 | Nick Schulman | $235,200 |
| PGT Mixed Games #5: $15,200 Big Bet Mix | 53 | $795,000 | Yuri Dzivielevski | $262,350 |
| PGT Mixed Games #6: $15,200 Dealer’s Choice | 57 | $855,000 | Qinghai Pan | $273,600 |
| PGT Mixed Games #7: $25,300 10-Game Championship | 64 | $1,600,000 | Brian Rast | $480,000 |
All Eyes Now on $100K Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games
Mixed games fans have already been treated to a packed schedule this month, but the biggest attraction is still to come — the $100,000 Super High Roller Bowl Mixed Games.
Viewers can catch live coverage of the prestigious event on the PokerGO YouTube channel, with Day 1 action beginning at 5:30 p.m. local Las Vegas time. The livestream continues on Friday, February 13 with Day 2 kicking off at 2 p.m., before the finale plays out a day later.
The defending champion is Chad Eveslage, who triumphed over a 29-entry field last year to claim the $1.2 million first-place prize. The PokerGO Studio has proven a happy hunting ground for the four-time WSOP bracelet winner. Earlier this year, the mixed games specialist showed he could also thrive in no-limit hold’em when he captured the PGT Championship Freeroll for $500,000.
Five players reached the money in last year’s edition, with Benny Glaser finishing fifth and Daniel Negreanu placing fourth. Dzivielevski claimed third place, while "Texas” Mike Moncek finished runner-up to Eveslage.
