2026 Eastern Poker Open

$35,000 Championship
Day: 1
12
Event Info
2026 Eastern Poker Open
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a4
Prize
$10,000
Event Info
Prize Pool
$35,000
Total Entries
343
Level Info
Level
37
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
250
Players Left
16
Players Left 1 / 343

"Put It In The Blog How Lucky He Is"; Balcarcel Scores Back-to-Back Knockouts

Level 10 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Owen Balcarcel
Owen Balcarcel

A player in middle position moved all in for 26,000 and Owen Balcarcel called in the big blind.

All-in Player: 87 All in
Owen Balcarcel: KK

Balcarcel had woken up with kings as the 4107 flop gave his opponent some hope with a pair, but the at-risk player couldn't improve on the 3 turn or 9 river as he was sent to the rail.

The next hand, a player in the hijack bet 6,000 on a flop of 10A8 and Balcarcel and Alex Rancore called in the blinds.

The hijack bet another 12,000 on the 6 turn, and only Balcarcel called this time. The river was the Q and the hijack moved all in for 11,500. Balcarcel snap-called.

"Jack-nine. I already know it," tablemate Hugh Merlino said to Balcarcel, and he indeed turned over J9 for a straight. The hijack tossed his cards into the muck and made his exit.

"Put it in the blog how lucky this guy is," Mike Kelly added.

Tags: Owen Balcarcel