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Germain Mingo Caps Off Magical Bar Poker Year to Earn First Tournament Win
After joining the Bar Poker Open just two years ago, Germain Mingo quickly made a name for himself at Riley Fibbers Local Pub & Grill in Selden, New York.
Mingo took top spot on the local bar leaderboard in January, and followed that up with a victory against other season-long leaders from around the No Limit Pub Poker Tour. That produced a package for the 2026 BPO Vegas World Championship and a trip to Las Vegas, a first for the Long Island resident.
After four days of exciting action this week at the Golden Nugget Las Vegas, Mingo completed the Bar Poker Open sweep by taking down his first live casino tournament, earning $100,000 and the coveted BPO trophy.
“I won the bar league,” Mingo explained to PokerNews after his win. “Then I went into that tournament, won the number one spot in Long Island and the ticket here, and now I'm here. It's my first tournament, and hopefully this won't be my last.”
Mingo conquered a field of 1,032 entries, comprised of other Bar Poker Open qualifiers and invitees, to take home the largest share of the $345,720 prize pool. After taking a big lead into heads-up play, Mingo defeated Gorav Sangal of KOntenders Poker USA to send his rail into a frenzy.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | League | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germain Mingo | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $100,000 |
| 2 | Gorav Sangal | KOntenders Poker USA | $65,000 |
| 3 | Robert Carswell | New York Free Poker | $32,000 |
| 4 | Ian Auvil | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $21,000 |
| 5 | Frank Johnson | KOntenders Poker USA | $15,000 |
| 6 | Henry Hearns | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $11,000 |
| 7 | Peter Cote | Eastern Poker Tour | $8,000 |
| 8 | Maria Piaseczny | Eastern Poker Tour | $4,500 |
Final Day Action
The final eight players returned to action with five short stacks, including Mingo's 10 big blinds to start the day. An early double with pocket tens allowed him to settle in and pick his spots.
"I was just trying to attack the small stacks," Mingo recalled. "That's it, I play my hand, be patient. That's the one thing, I had to work on, just be real patient. My cards came when they came, I had to take full advantage of it."
Mingo then found a fortunate river for another double before taking out start-of-day chip leader Peter Cote of the Eastern Poker Tour with a flush on the turn.
After action was down to the final three players, Mingo got his chips in good with kings to take a big chip lead.
Mingo then used pocket jacks to eliminate New York Free Poker's Robert Carswell in third place, taking a massive advantage into heads-up play.
That duel did not last long, as Sangal lost a flip to finish in the runner-up spot.
Family Atmosphere
One constant through the entire final day was the No Limit New York rail, and Mingo used their inspiration to go from short stack to champion in a few short hours.
"Every hand I'm winning, they were cheering. It gave me a little confidence, kept my spirits up, and I really appreciate every last one of them that was in here."
As for his entire Bar Poker Open experience, Mingo could not be complimentary enough of his No Limit family and the impact they've had on his game since joining the league two years ago.
"It's been great. I met a lot of great people that helped me sharpen my poker skills to get here and win this tournament. It's just not me, it's everybody at No Limit that I played with. So everybody as a whole, you know, is a product of how I play."
Mingo played Day 2 while supporting his New York Knicks, watching them win Game 3 of the NBA Finals after bagging up for the final table. Now, after winning $100,000, Mingo was asked if he plans to watch in person this week.
"No, no, no, it's too rowdy out there right now, too rowdy in Madison Square Garden. So I'm gonna just root for them at home, and hope they bring it home, bring the championship home like I brought this home."
That concludes our week-long coverage of the Bar Poker Open Vegas World Championship, but be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews live reporting from upcoming events around the globe.