button in SafariScott Aulds Overcomes 5:1 Chip Deficit to Win 2026 San Diego Poker Classic
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Three years after finishing runner-up in the San Diego Poker Classic Main Event, Scott Aulds finally got his hands on the title. Returning to Jamul Casino Resort, a venue where he has already won 12 titles, Aulds had some unfinished business to take care of.
The local favorite outlasted a field of 434 entries to win the 2026 San Diego Poker Classic $600 Main Event and claim his fifth SDPC title, along with the $45,311 top prize from the $225,680 prize pool.
2026 San Diego Poker Classic Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Aulds | United States | $45,311 |
| 2 | Ediberto Pilotin | Mexico | $30,207 |
| 3 | Desmond Teal | United States | $22,257 |
| 4 | Kyler Somers | United States | $16,584 |
| 5 | Michael Starek | United States | $12,499 |
| 6 | Cary Williams | United States | $9,529 |
| 7 | Kenneth Hirose | United States | $7,350 |
| 8 | Wesley McGraw | United States | $5,737 |
| 9 | Robert Fortuno | United States | $4,531 |
“This one is really special because I got second in this event three years ago before I really won anything, and it’s just been eluding me ever since,” Aulds shared with PokerNews in the wake of his victory.
It was no easy path for Aulds to finally expel the ghost of his second-place finish. The final table lasted over six hours, and Aulds entered the heads-up match against Ediberto Pilotin down nearly five-to-one in the chip counts, but an early double-up got Aulds off the canvas. It was this moment that Aulds stated he felt that he had a shot at not repeating as runner-up in this event and could bring home the title.
“I knew I was good to go after that,” said Aulds. “I’m just slow and steady. I’ve got a good routine, and I know how to make it last. I know how to maximize my good hands, and how to minimize my bad hands.”
Aulds went on to win a sizeable pot against Pilotin and took a three-to-one chip lead. But the match was far from over, as the marathon final table continued as Pilotin climbed back into the match and pulled nearly even.
“Whenever I start getting anxious or bored, I just start doing breathing exercises and just bring my heart rate down and stay focused,” said Aulds.
His poise worked as Aulds managed to regain control of the match as he chipped away at Pilotin pot after pot until he had Pilotin on a low stack. Pilotin managed to double twice late in the match to stay alive, but Aulds clamped down on his opponent and finished off the championship run with an ace-high flush to win his first-ever SDPC Main Event title.
Day 2 Action
A total of 52 players returned for Day 2, but that number didn’t last long as the eliminations began to pile up quickly, with the field trimmed down to 22 players by the first break. The fast pace kept up as players kept falling by the wayside, including Day 1b chip leader Pablo Costorda in 15th place when he was eliminated by Robert Fortuno.
Day 2 reached the final table after six hours of play, but it was at this point that the quick pace turned into a slog.
Fortuno entered the table as the chip leader, but his fortune turned around in a hurry when he took several hits early on that led to his demise in ninth place.
Wesley McGraw was the next to go in eighth place, but the final table would not see another elimination for roughly two hours until Kenneth Hirose was the next player to exit the final table in seventh.
Desmond Teal scored a pair of knockouts of Cary Williams and Michael Starek to cut the field down to four players.
It was Pilotin who then played the role of knockout artist as he dispatched of Kyler Somers and eliminated Desmond Teal to get to the heads-up match against Aulds where he fall just short in second place.
