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Event #6: $10,000 NLH
Day 1 Completed
2026 PokerGO Cup
Event #6: $10,000 NLH
Day: 1
Event Info
2026 PokerGO Cup
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$700,000
Total Entries
70
Level
24
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
70
Players Left
6
Players Left 1 / 70
Filter
Level 16
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
There are six players remaining in the sixth event of the PokerGO Cup, and leading the way is high-stakes pro Chris Hunichen with a stack of 2,455,000.
The North Carolinian, who has $17.4 million in live earnings and is known for throwing one of the best July 4th parties in Las Vegas, leads fellow high-stakes pros Brock Wilson and Shannon Shorr, rising star Nicholas Seward, and longtime grinders Darren Elias and Qinghai Pan.
End of Day 1 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Hunichen | United States | 2,455,000 | 82 |
| 2 | Brock Wilson | United States | 2,170,000 | 72 |
| 3 | Nicholas Seward | United States | 1,975,000 | 66 |
| 4 | Shannon Shorr | United States | 945,000 | 32 |
| 5 | Darren Elias | United States | 605,000 | 20 |
| 6 | Qinghai Pan | United States | 600,000 | 20 |
Day 1 Action
High-stakes tournaments in Las Vegas have the reputation of being overly silent and serious, but that was hardly the case on Tuesday.
Table 3 was perhaps the rowdiest, with David Coleman, Brock Wilson and Brandon Wilson keeping the event lively with needles, jokes and side bets. There was also a freeroll for beloved dealer Clyde Gaskins, who was unable to cash in on his "$13 in equity" by correctly guessing Coleman's hole cards (though he did get the suits right).
But the energy-bringing Coleman was temporarily silenced by no one other than his friend Brock Wilson when he was all in with a set of kings, which Wilson promptly cracked by rivering the nut flush to send the 2024 GPI Player of the Year to the rail.
Another Chatty Cathy in the PokerGO Studio who didn't make the money was Sean Winter, who lost all but one chip in a heads-up pot against Seward on the money bubble before being forced all in on the next hand.
Winter clapped so loudly it could be heard from the Vdara Hotel & Spa as he rubbed his hands together in an impression of Mr. Miyagi. But the deck showed no mercy and he was eliminated at the hands of Wilson.
Another Wilson played a hand on the money bubble as Brandon Wilson called off with pocket fours to win a flip against the queen-six of Hunichen. And with players in the money, it didn't take long for the field to drop to an unofficial final table of seven with the eliminations of Event #2 champion Filipp Khavin, Dong Min Suh and Sam Soverel.
One of the Wilsons was eliminated as the day came to a close. Brandon Wilson’s small pocket pair held up on the money bubble, but it couldn’t survive against Seward’s pocket queens, sending him out in seventh place.
Action will resume tomorrow at 11:45 a.m. local time on Level 16 with blinds of 15,000/30,000/30,000. The stream will be on a one-hour delay and PokerNews will report alongside the delay to avoid any spoilers.
Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on-site tomorrow to see out Event #6. Check out the live reporting portal for other PokerGO Cup highlights.
Photos courtesy of PokerGO and Antonio Abrego
Level 16
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Day 1 has ended with six players remaining after the elimination of Brandon Wilson.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action.
Level 16
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,455,000
955,000
|
955,000 |
|
||
|
2,170,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
1,975,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
||
|
945,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
||
|
605,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
||
|
600,000
280,000
|
280,000 |
|
|
||
Level 16
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Brandon Wilson was all in from the big blind against Nicholas Seward in the hijack.
Brandon Wilson: 6♣6♥ 
Nicholas Seward: Q♥Q♦
Wilson couldn't hit a two-outer as the board ran out 7♠8♠A♣J♠10♥ to mark his elimination to mark the end of Day 1.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,000,000 | |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 16
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Chris Hunichen opened to 65,000 from under the gun and Darren Elias three-bet jammed a stack of 460,000 from the cutoff.
Hunichen folded Q♣J♣ face-up and went on a playful yet passionate rant against the WPT end-boss.
"Darren always finds these spots where I have a good hand but not good enough to call. It's unreal. I want to bust him so bad. Ever since you four-bet me that one time."
"That hand took place in the Sunshine State, I believe," said Shannon Shorr.
"There was no sunshine that day," replied Hunichen.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,500,000
225,000
|
225,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
550,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
||
Level 16
: Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante
Level: 16
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 30,000
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
The remaining seven players have been sent on a ten-minute break.
Level 15
: Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante
Shannon Shorr was all in against Qinghai Pan on a flop of 8♥J♣10♠.
Shannon Shorr: J♦8♦
Qinghai Pan: A♦9♦
Shorr was in front withtwo pair and Pan couldn't hit his straight as the board finished out K♦3♥ for Shorr to double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
900,000
425,000
|
425,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
320,000
430,000
|
430,000 |
|
|
||
