Darren Elias Seeking Title at Third Straight PokerGO Cup Final Table
The final table of Event #8: $10,000 NLH at the 2026 PokerGO Cup will play out today inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.
Leading the way is Darren Elias, who is looking for a PokerGO Tour (PGT) title at his third straight final table of the series. Elias first finished fifth in Event #6 before chopping Event #7 with fellow East Coaster Tony Gregg for $158,575. He also bubbled the final table of Event #5 in eighth place.
Elias is following in the footsteps of Chris Hunichen and Qinghai Pan, both of whom made three final tables during the series.
Also in contention in Event #8 are Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger, Daniel Negreanu prodigy Jeremy Becker, Event #2 winner Filipp Khavin, Indiana grinder Ben Grise, and rising young pro Nicholas Seward.
Day 2 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darren Elias | United States | 2,710,000 |
| 2 | Andrew Lichtenberger | United States | 1,685,000 |
| 3 | Filipp Khavin | United States | 1,310,000 |
| 4 | Nicholas Seward | United States | 1,250,000 |
| 5 | Ben Grise | United States | 1,010,000 |
| 6 | Jeremy Becker | United States | 760,000 |
Action will kick off at 11:45 a.m. local time with a one-hour delay on the stream. PokerNews will report in-sync with the daily to avoid any stream spoilers.
Each returning player has locked up at least $38,500 and $210,000 sits up top for the eventual winner.
Event #8 Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $210,000 | ||
| 2 | $136,500 | ||
| 3 | $94,500 | ||
| 4 | $70,000 | ||
| 5 | $52,500 | ||
| 6 | $38,500 | ||
| 7 | John Riordan | United States | $28,000 |
| 8 | Chino Rheem | United States | $28,000 |
| 9 | John Krpan | Canada | $21,000 |
| 10 | Brandon Wilson | United States | $21,000 |
Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be in the PokerGO Studio day to see out Event #8. Check out the live reporting hub for other highlights from the series.