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$3,000 NLH Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open
$3,000 NLH Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$756,000
Total Entries
280
Level
28
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Entries
58
Players Left
6
Players Left 1 / 280
Filter
Level 25
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Patrick Martorella raced to a double up on the first hand of the final table, and he ended the night atop the leaderboard as the final six were set on Day 2 of the Potomac Summer Poker Open $3,000 Main Event.
Once the nine-handed final table was set, Martorella was all in for 975,000 on the first hand and racing with ace-king against Nicholas Verderamo’s jacks. Martorella hit trips on the flop, and then improved to a full house on the river to secure the double up. The New York native kept climbing from there, and by the time Verderamo was eliminated in seventh place to bring Day 2 to a close, Martorella had moved atop the leaderboard with 3,805,000.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Martorella | United States | 3,805,000 | 63 |
| 2 | Phong Nguyen | United States | 3,750,000 | 63 |
| 3 | Justin Liberto | United States | 3,530,000 | 59 |
| 4 | Kyle Smith | United States | 2,840,000 | 47 |
| 5 | Jonathan Moritz | United States | 1,610,000 | 27 |
| 6 | Chris Kiani | United States | 1,290,000 | 22 |
Just one big blind, however, separates him from Phong Nguyen in second place. Nguyen bagged up 3,750,000, while Justin Liberto rounds out the podium with 3,530,000. Liberto already has more than $8 million in live earnings on his impressive poker resume, including winning his second WSOP bracelet earlier this summer.
Kyle Smith (2,840,000), Jonathan Moritz (1,610,000), and Chris Kiani (1,290,000) complete the lineup that will return to the MGM National Harbor poker room tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time to battle for the trophy. Moritz earned his seat into this event in a BetMGM online qualifier and has already locked up $37,204 for making it this far out of the 280-player field.
Day 2 began with 58 players, but only 35 would make the money. Faraz Jaka was the first bustout of the day, while Kyle Lin, Elia Ahmadian, and Christian Harder also fell short of the money. Yabetse Wedeneh and James Morris were both all in on the money bubble, but Thomas Barry hit top pair to send them both to the rail. Morris had Wedeneh covered by just 1,000, and that made all the difference between a min-cash for 35th place and Wedeneh leaving with nothing as the bubble boy.
Conservative pundit and podcast host Tim Pool sneaked into the money and finished in 34th place, while Yonnas Banteamlak (30th), Ari Katz (28th), Michael Bohmerwald (25th), and last year’s fourth-place finisher Samuel Rosen (20th) soon followed. Dejan Ristov qualified for just $25 online, and turned that investment into $9,232 for a 16th-place finish. Day 1a chip leader David Van Noy fell in 14th, while Waleed Mian, who began as an overwhelming chip leader, busted in 12th when he lost a race with tens against Liberto’s ace-queen.
Casey Hatmaker was the first casualty of the final table, and Nguyen then counterfeited Kevin Kwak's sevens to send him out in eighth. Nguyen also busted Verderamo, and the final six bagged up their chips for tomorrow.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $154,006 | ||
| 2 | $112,048 | ||
| 3 | $83,320 | ||
| 4 | $60,640 | ||
| 5 | $48,544 | ||
| 6 | $37,204 | ||
| 7 | Nicholas Verderamo | United States | $28,132 |
| 8 | Kevin Kwak | United States | $20,118 |
| 9 | Casey Hatmaker | United States | $14,902 |
The action at the final table picks up with 36 minutes remaining in Level 25 with blinds of 30,000/60,000 and a 60,000 big blind ante. The eventual champion will earn $154,006 out of the $756,000 prize pool.
PokerNews will be following along throughout the final table, so be sure to return tomorrow for all the action.
Level 25
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Level 25
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Phong Nguyen raised to 125,000 in the hijack, Nicholas Verderamo moved all in for 550,000 on the button, and Nguyen called.
Nicholas Verderamo: Q♦J♦ 
Phong Nguyen: K♣Q♣
Nguyen had Verderamo dominated, and the 3♠2♣3♣3♥5♠ board kept him in the lead with his king-kicker to send Verderamo to the rail in seventh place.
The remaining six players are bagging up their chips for the night.
Level 25
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Kyle Smith raised to 125,000 in middle position before Patrick Martorella three-bet to 400,000 in the small blind. Smith called, and they went heads-up to the A♦K♦9♦ flop.
Both players checked to the 2♥ turn, where Martorella bet 500,000. Smith folded.
Phong Nguyen then raised to 125,000 in the cutoff and Martorella called on the button, as did Jonathan Moritz in the big blind.
Nguyen bet 150,000 on the J♥6♣2♥ flop, and only Martorella called. Nguyen then bet 300,000 on the 4♠ turn, and Martorella again called.
The river was the 5♥ and Nguyen slowed down and checked. Martorella then bet 500,000, and Nguyen took a few minutes before folding.
Level 25
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Patrick Martorella raised to 125,000 on the button and Jonathan Moritz called in the big blind.
Martorella then moved all in on the 5♣3♣9♣ flop, and Moritz folded. Martorella flashed the J♣ as he took the pot.
Phong Nguyen then raised to 150,000 in the hijack and Kyle Smith three-bet to 460,000 in the big blind. Nguyen then moved all in for 2,800,000.
"Yes, no snap-call," Nguyen said as Smith went into the tank.
"Can I take my raise back and just call?" Smith asked.
"Yes, you can," Nguyen replied. Smith eventually folded, and Nguyen showed him K♣K♥.
Level: 25
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 60,000
Level 24
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Nicholas Verderamo raised to 125,000 on the button and Kyle Smith moved all in from the big blind. Verderamo quickly folded.
Verderamo again opened to 120,000 from the cutoff the next hand, and this time Justin Liberto grabbed a handful of the pink 100,000 chips and put them in the middle for an all-in shove. Verderamo gave up his hand once more.
Level 24
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Chris Kiani limped in from the cutoff and Nicholas Verderamo checked his option.
Kiani bet 50,000 on the Q♦10♠J♥ flop, and Verderamo called. Both players then checked the 7♥ turn.
Kiani bet another 100,000 on the 9♦ river, and Verderamo called. Kiani showed K♣K♠ for a straight, and Verderamo mucked.
Level 24
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Kevin Kwak raised to 500,000 in early position and Phong Nguyen moved all in from middle position. The table folded back around to Kwak, and he called for his last 200,000.
Kevin Kwak: 7♦7♥
Phong Nguyen: A♠K♥
Kwan remained in the lead on the 10♠8♣10♦6♣ board, but the 8♥ river counterfeited his pair and Nguyen took the pot with his ace to send Kwak to the rail in eighth place.
