$1,100 Main Event Day 1a | 2026 PokerStars Open Philadelphia

03-18-2026 20:03 UTC-4

Player	Chips	Progress
Abel Gebeyehu	612,000 164,000	164,000

Percy Abraham	288,000 27,000	27,000
Michael Ciarlante	273,000 157,000	157,000
Alberto Sabogali	252,000 126,000	126,000
Sebastian Harasim	243,000 135,000	135,000
Louis Lu	186,000 157,000	157,000
Jorden Andrugsurba	164,000 164,000	164,000
Kenneth Keppol	153,000 41,000	41,000
Jhordy Sanchez	148,000 8,000	8,000
David Semless	147,000 101,000	101,000
Jordan Ludwick	115,000 70,000	70,000
Arlie Shaban	37,000 16,000	16,000

Hatmaker Loses to Lauer

Josh Noy

Level 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Casey Hatmaker and James Lauer traded raised in the blinds until both stacks were in the middle. That left Hatmaker at risk in the small blind.

Casey Hatmaker: K♥K♦ All in
James Lauer: A♠10♦

Lauer missed the 2♠9♣4♠ flop, and Hatmaker was still ahead after the 4♥ turn. Lauer then spiked the A♥ river, sending Hatmaker to the rail and collecting a big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Lauer	294,000 254,000	254,000
Casey Hatmaker	Busted

Tags: Casey Hatmaker James Lauer

Level: 12

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 2,500

03-18-2026 19:44 UTC-4

Gebeyehu Coolers Queen

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Josh Noy

Level 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Abel Gebeyehu opened to 4,500 in the cutoff, and Alexander Queen replied with a three-bet to 20,000 in the big blind. Gebeyehu promptly four-bet to 44,000, and made the quick call when Queen announced all in.

Alexander Queen: Q♠Q♥ All in
Abel Gebeyehu: K♣K♥

The pot swelled to 448,000 chips, as Gebeyehu tabled the higher pair. Nothing changed on the 6♦6♣J♥A♣3♣ runout, as the dealer verified both stacks and slid the chip lead to Gebeyehu.

That left Queen with less than 5,000 chips, which he lost on the next hand to hit the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Abel Gebeyehu	448,000 400,000	400,000

Alexander Queen	Busted

Tags: Abel Gebeyehu Alexander Queen

03-18-2026 19:41 UTC-4

"If He Didn't Talk That Much, I Would've Folded!"

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Connor Richards

Level 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

https://twitter.com/PokerNews/status/2034413483907833990?s=20

03-18-2026 19:36 UTC-4

Harasim Pressures Sanchez

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Josh Noy

Level 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Percy Abraham checked the 10♠5♦6♦ flop from the small blind, and Jhordy Sanchez followed with a check in the big blind. Sebastian Harasim slid out a bet of 7,000, with only Sanchez making the call.

Another checked from Sanchez on the J♦ turn was met with a bet of 11,200 from Harasim. That resulted in a fold from Sanchez, and Harasim took down the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Percy Abraham	315,000 278,000	278,000
Jhordy Sanchez	140,000 35,000	35,000
Sebastian Harasim	108,000

Tags: Jhordy Sanchez Percy Abraham Sebastian Harasim

03-18-2026 19:27 UTC-4

Semless Scores Another Knockout

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Josh Noy

Level 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Defending PokerStars Open Philadelphia Main Event champion Edward Leonard was all in from the cutoff, at risk against David Semless in the big blind.

Edward Leonard: K♣9♥ All in
David Semless: A♠8♥

Semless increased his advantage on the 9♦2♥A♦ flop, while Leonard picked up outs on the K♦ turn. The dealer flipped over the 8♠ river, leaving Semless in front to collect another knockout.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Semless	248,000 96,000	96,000
Edward Leonard	Busted

Tags: Edward Leonard David Semless

03-18-2026 19:19 UTC-4

Goldner Gets There

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Josh Noy

Level 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Just moments after reentering and joining the table, Mordechai Goldner moved all in for his starting stack of 40,000 in the hijack. Kenneth Keppol had opened to 4,500 in early position, and made the quick call.

Mordechai Goldner: A♦Q♦ All in
Kenneth Keppol: A♥K♣

"I'm going to sit down this time," Goldner said as he resisted the urge to stand and watch the runout. That proved profitable, as the 5♦4♣J♦Q♣9♣ board gave Goldner top pair to double up through Keppol.