Lichtenberger Tops PGT Leaderboard After Kickoff Series
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The 2026 PokerGO Tour season got underway inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas with the six-event PGT Kickoff Series, drawing deep, competitive fields and awarding double PGT points to open the year. From January 26–31, some of the game’s most familiar high-stakes names traded blows across $5,100 and $10,100 no-limit hold’em events, producing a mix of repeat champions, breakout winners, and early Player of the Year contenders.
'Lucky Chewy' Leads the Way
The series opened with Event #1, a $5,100 no-limit hold’em tournament that drew 135 entries. Andrew Lichtenberger picked up right where he left off, coming off a runner-up finish worth $200,000 in the PGT Championship $1M Freeroll, and navigated the field to claim the first trophy of 2026 along with $162,000. Lichtenberger defeated Jeremy Eyer heads-up to secure the victory, while Ethan “Rampage” Yau was among the notable players to make a deep final-table run, but exited in fifth after getting his aces cracked by the eventual champion. The win marked Lichtenberger’s eighth career PGT title and vaulted him to the top of the early-season leaderboard.
Event #2 followed with another $5,100 buy-in and once again drew a stacked field featuring elite tournament regulars. Brian Battistone emerged victorious, earning his first PokerGO Tour title and a top prize worth $173,600. Battistone outlasted a final table that included Dan Smith, Nick Schulman, and Maksim Pisarenko.
The largest field of the series came in Event #3, where 159 entries took their shot in the $5,100 no-limit hold’em event. Andrew Moreno continued his consistent success on the tour by claiming his third PGT title, earning $162,300 for the victory. Moreno defeated Jim Collopy heads-up to claim the title.
Taylor Paur broke through for his first PokerGO Tour win in Event #4, another $5,100 contest that drew 145 entries. Paur battled through a final table loaded with recognizable names, ultimately defeating "Rampage" heads-up to secure the $174,000 top prize. Andrew Moreno finished third, while Jeremy Becker, Paul Roy, Scott Eskenazi, and Justin Zaki also reached the final table.
The stakes increased for Event #5 as players stepped into the $10,100 no-limit hold’em tournament, which drew 103 entries and created the largest prize pool of the series. Michael Berk delivered one of the standout performances of the week, converting a deep run into his first PGT title and a career-best payday of $262,650. Berk defeated Daniel Maor heads-up, while Brock Wilson, Clemen Deng, Neil Warren, Andrew Lichtenberger, and Kristen Foxen rounded out a star-studded final table.
The series concluded with Event #6, a $10,100 single-day turbo that attracted 52 entries and provided a fast-paced finish to the festival. Ariel Mantel captured his maiden PokerGO Tour title after rallying late and defeating Clemen Deng heads-up for $171,600. Dan Smith finished third, with Lichtenberger once again making a deep run in fourth place as he continued to pile up valuable leaderboard points.
When the dust settled, Andrew Lichtenberger stood out as the player of the series. With a victory in the opener and multiple other final tables across the week, Lichtenberger accumulated more PGT points than any other player and positioned himself as the early frontrunner in the 2026 Player of the Year race.
Top 10 PGT Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | PGT Points | PGT Earnings | Cashes | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Lichtenberger | 531 | $265,500 | 3 | 1 |
| 2 | Michael Berk | 525 | $262,650 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | Andrew Moreno | 518 | $238,425 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | Dan Smith | 427 | $213,175 | 3 | 0 |
| 5 | Clemen Deng | 423 | $211,850 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | Daniel Maor | 386 | $192,750 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | Ariel Mantel | 379 | $189,725 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | Taylor Paur | 348 | $174,000 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Brian Battistone | 347 | $173,600 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | Ethan Yau | 291 | $145,625 | 2 | 0 |
