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Event #8: $10,000 NLH
Day 2 Completed
2026 PokerGO Cup
Event #8: $10,000 NLH
Day: 2
Event Info
2026 PokerGO Cup
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$700,000
Total Entries
70
Level
24
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
1
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 70
Filter
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
There's another double winner at the 2026 PokerGO Cup as Florida's Filipp Khavin took down Event #8: $10,000 NLH for $210,000 and his second series title.
Last week, Khavin won the second event of the series for $124,525 after a heads-up chop with Jesse Lonis. He won his second trophy outright as he defeated heads-up opponent Ben Grise, who couldn't overcome Khavin's overwhelming chip lead.
Khavin had been awake for 20 hours for Event #2 after flying in from Florida, but he told PokerNews he had "definitely more sleep" ahead of his latest victory.
"This is obviously a bigger prize pool, so it was even more fun," he said in a winner's interview.
The event, which was the second-to-last $10,000 offering of the series, drew 70 runners for a prize pool of $700,000. The final table also included Daily King and slowroller Jeremy Becker, top pro and poker coach Andrew Lichtenberger, young breakout pro Nicholas Seward, and Day 1 chip leader Darren Elias, who made three straight final tables in the PokerGO Studio.
Event #8 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filipp Khavin | United States | $210,000 |
| 2 | Ben Grise | United States | $136,500 |
| 3 | Andrew Lichtenberger | United States | $94,500 |
| 4 | Nicholas Seward | United States | $70,000 |
| 5 | Darren Elias | United States | $52,500 |
| 6 | Jeremy Becker | United States | $38,500 |
| 7 | John Riordan | United States | $28,000 |
Day 2 Action
The WPT end-boss was the start-of-day chip leader at his third straight final table of the series, but the longtime pro couldn't get anything on Day 2. His opponents always seemed to have it, and his raises and three-bets were repeatedly met with re-raises. He was eliminated not long after Becker fell in sixth place.
Becker immediately hopped into Event #9 and quickly served up a slowroll with aces to Riordan, who happened to have the second-best starting hand in Texas Hold'em.
Meanwhile, pace at the Event #7 final table slowed significantly before the fourth-place elimination of young pro Nicholas Seward.
Khavin pulled ahead during three-handed play and eliminated "LuckyChewy," who couldn't live up to his nickname as he lost with king-jack to the king-four of Khavin.
There would be no chop discussions as Khavin entered heads-up play with a dominant chip lead.
“The stacks weren’t even at any point this time, so we just played it out," Khavin said.
Grise, a poker player from Indiana, managed to double up once before getting in with good shape with pockets threes against the ace-three of Khavin, who made a runner-runner flush to secure his second victory of the series.
The victory put Khavin just ahead of Brock Wilson on the series leaderboard with 443 points. Wilson has 430 points after two wins earlier in the series.
There's still one more event on the PokerGO Cup schedule with the $15,000 finale that kicks off on Saturday, March 14, which is the same day that Event #9 will finish out.
That wraps up PokerNews' coverage of Event #8 at the PokerGO Cup, but check out the live reporting hub for other series coverage.
*Photos courtesy of PokerGO and Antonio Abrego
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
There is another double winner at the 2026 PokerGO Cup as Filipp Khavin took down Event #8: $10,000 NLH for $210,000 and his second series title.
Stay tuned for a full recap and winner's interview.
Event #8 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Filipp Khavin | United States | $210,000 |
| 2 | Ben Grise | United States | $136,500 |
| 3 | Andrew Lichtenberger | United States | $94,500 |
| 4 | Nicholas Seward | United States | $70,000 |
| 5 | Darren Elias | United States | $52,500 |
| 6 | Jeremy Becker | United States | $38,500 |
| 7 | John Riordan | United States | $28,000 |
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Ben Grise open-jammed for 1,600,000 on the button and Filipp Khavin called in the big blind to put him at risk.
Filipp Khavin: 3♠3♦ 
Ben Grise: A♥3♣
Grise was ahead after the 9♦J♣8♣ flop, but the 7♣ turn improved Khavin to a flush draw before the 4♣ river landed to give Khavin his flush as Grise was eliminated in second place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
8,750,000
7,200,000
|
7,200,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Ben Grise was all in for 675,000 in the big blind against Filipp Khavin on the button.
Ben Grise: 10♣6♥
Filipp Khavin: 7♠6♣
Grise got a small double as the board ran out 8♦5♥10♦J♠10♠ to keep his PokerGO Cup dreams alive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,200,000
5,525,000
|
5,525,000 |
|
|
1,550,000
5,525,000
|
5,525,000 |
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
The remaining two players are going to a quick break before beginning heads-up play.
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Andrew Lichtenberger open-jammed in the small blind for 1,625,000 and Filipp Khavin called in the big blind.
Andrew Lichtenberger: K♦J♣
Filipp Khavin: K♣4♠
Khavin was dominated but Filipp'd the script as the flop landed 4♥2♥Q♦ to pair his four before a runout of 10♠10♥ confirmed the elimination of "LuckyChewy" in third place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,075,000
1,625,000
|
1,625,000 |
|
|
1,675,000 | |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 24
: Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante
Filipp Khavin was all in for 2,575,000 on the button against Andrew Lichtenberger in the big blind.
Filipp Khavin: A♦3♣
Andrew Lichtenberger: K♣J♣
Khavin stayed ahead for a double as the board ran out 2♥10♥A♠5♦3♠.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,450,000
2,325,000
|
2,325,000 |
|
|
1,625,000
2,325,000
|
2,325,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 24
Blinds: 100,000/200,000
Ante: 200,000
Level 23
: Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,950,000
650,000
|
650,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,125,000
925,000
|
925,000 |
|
|
1,675,000
1,975,000
|
1,975,000 |
