Event #8: $15,000 NLH Day 1 | 2026 U.S. Poker Open

Apr 18, 2026

Berk Sitting with Piles

Tyler Boyer

Level 10 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Action was picked up on the flop with the board showing 10♥7♠6♠.

Justin Zaki checked from the small blind to Cary Katz in the cutoff, who bet 15,000. He was called by Michael Berk on the button, before Zaki raised to 48,000.

Katz then three-bet all in for 367,000, which sent Berk into the tank. After using a time bank, he found the call and Zaki quickly folded, to leave the players heads up with Katz at risk.

Cary Katz: Q♠9♠ All in
Michael Berk: 6♥6♦

Katz would need to hit his combo draw to avoid elimination, but the 7♦ left him drawing dead to the 7♣ on the river, giving the pot Berk with his full house.

Tags: Cary Katz Justin Zaki Michael Berk

Level: 10

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 8,000

Apr 18, 2026

Foxen Exits

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Tyler Boyer

Level 9 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Kristen Foxen rasied all in from under the gun for 65,000. It then folded to Justin Zaki on the button who three-bet all in, which got the blinds to quickly fold and leave the players heads up, with Foxen at risk.

Kristen Foxen: 8♦8♣ All in
Justin Zaki: A♣J♠

It was a flip, but once the board ran out J♦10♠J♣2♠ Zaki improved to trip jacks to take the pot and knock out Foxen.

Tags: Justin Zaki Kristen Foxen

Apr 18, 2026

Soverel Takes it With Ace High

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Tyler Boyer

Level 9 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Shannon Shorr opened to 12,000 from the cutoff, and was called by both the small blind Sam Soverel and the big blind John Krpan.

All three players checked to showdown after the board ran out 5♠Q♣5♥3♠2♠ and once Soverel tabled A♠8♥ both Shorr and Krpan mucked, to give the pot to Soverel.

Michael Brinkenhoff was seen leaving the tournament area after losing a big chunk of his stack after running his kings into Shorr's aces.

Tags: John Krpan Michael Brinkenhoff Sam Soverel Shannon Shorr

Apr 18, 2026

Payouts Confirmed

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Tyler Boyer

Level 9 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

61 entries drew a prize pool of $915,000, with the top nine players earning a min-cash of $27,450, with $292,000 going to the winner.

Palce	Prize
1	$292,000
2	$183,000
3	$128,100
4	$91,500
5	$68,625
6	$50,325
7-8	$36,600
9	$27,450

Level: 9

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Ante: 6,000

Apr 18, 2026

Break Time

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Tyler Boyer

Level 8 : Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante

The players have been sent on another 20-minute break. This will be the last chance for players to late register or renter.

Apr 18, 2026

Disaster River for Lichtenberger

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Tyler Boyer

Level 8 : Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante

Action was picked up on the river with the board showing 3♠6♥5♣4♣8♣ with a big pot brewing between Andrew Lichtenberger and Michael Brinkenhoff.

With roughly 140,000 in the pot, Lichtenberger checked to Brinkenhoff, who bet out 130,000. Lichtenberger then took some time before moving all in, and Brinkenhoff snap called as the covering stack.

Lichtenberger tabled K♣6♣ for a flush, but Brinkenhoff had the nut flush with A♣7♣ to take the massive pot and knockout Lichtenberger.