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Registration is now closed in Flight F of the Opener. The tournament clock shows 304 entries in this flight, with one more flight starting at 2:00; you can still win a share of this massive prize pool.
2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open
Daily Tournament Highlights
Day: live
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With the field around halfway through Flight F of the $600 NLH Opener, the field has grown to a fantastic 296 entries with late reg still open, albeit it not for long.
The field today in Flight F has added just shy of $150,000 to the overall prize pool. Flight G is getting underway shortly which marks your last chance to enter and find a bag ahead of tomorrow's Day 2 final day.
In the 1,001st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, which is sponsored by FanDuel Poker, host Chad Holloway is at the Horseshoe Las Vegas for the finale of the 2026 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table! He takes you on a journey over all three days, from pregame interviews to one with the last player standing.
In between, he caught up for an interview with Jason Koon, who was the sole inductee into the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2026, and 2013 WSOP Main Event champ Ryan Riess, who made headlines after clapping back at a much-panned social media post by Jessica Vierling. What inspired Riess to chime in, and who does he want to see win the 2026 WSOP Main Event? Find out here.
Plus, see the winning moment in real time as Chad was recording a bit when Lucas Jumalon ultimately defeated Lauri Saaskilahti. It was a magic moment that you won't want to miss. Oh, and a winner interview with Jumalon, the 2026 WSOP Main Event champ!
Be sure to check out the audio version of the PokerNews Podcast that is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!
A little update on the $400 T.O.R.S.E., which was the first trophy of the series awarded. The full payouts and winning players have been confirmed:
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rick Aasen | $6,620* |
| 2 | Nathan Furman | $6,619* |
| 3 | Robert Paul | $3,020 |
| 4 | Jeffrey Albert | $2,042 |
| 5 | Matthew Taylor | $1,547 |
| 6 | Rav Repole | $1,238 |
| 7 | Edgar Bohrer | $1,089 |
| 8 | Samuel Nasat | $990 |
| 9 | Z Stein | $842 |
| 10 | Dawei Jiang | $743 |
*Denotes a heads-up deal.
Congratulations to everyone who collected from the cash desk, and particularly to Rick Aasen for taking it down outright!
At the first break of the day in Flight F of the $600 NLH Opener, the field has already grown to a very impressive 164 entries and with late reg still open to the start of Level 11 that could grow even more.
All the players in the field will be looking to find a bag ahead of tomorrow's Day 2, which gets underway at 11.00 am local time.
And if you still want to play this year's $500k GTD Opener you have plenty of options. Not only can you late reg Flight F but the final flight, Flight G, gets underway at 2.00 pm, where the final field will be set.
The $600 NLH Opener Flight F is underway, and it was an early 9.00 am start for those of you who don't mind a bit of early morning poker.
Best of luck if you're competing, and there's a break in an hour so not long to wait for some breakfast!
Saturday offers players two more chances to bag a stack in the $600 NLH Opener, with Flights F and G taking place at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. respectively. The $300 Tag Team rounds out the day's action starting at 6 p.m. with each teammate ponying up $150.
| Time | Event | Buy-In | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00AM | $600 NLH Opener Flight F | $600 | $500,000 |
| 2:00PM | $600 NLH Opener Flight G | $600 | $500,000 |
| 6:00PM | $300 NLH Tag Team | $300 | N/A |
The focus remains on the $600 NLH Opener, with players getting two more opportunities to secure a spot in Sunday's Day 2.
Follow along with PokerNews throughout the festival for daily highlights and updates from MGM National Harbor!
Justin Arnwine is sitting atop the leaderboard in Flight G today after bagging a massive 594,000 chips. "My style only has two conclusions. I either don't bag, or I bag the lead." Arnwine told PokerNews.
Arnwine also explained that becoming a father has changed the way he approaches the game, pushing him to turn up the aggression. “Now that my daughter’s born, I no longer patiently wait. I take, I can’t say every spot, but almost every spot.”
Arnwine has already racked up nearly $400,000 in tournament earnings in 2026, according to Hendon Mob, and he'll have a chance to add to that total when he returns for Day 2 on Sunday.
The Main Event will naturally grab most of the headlines, but there's a lot to like before we get there. The $600 Opener should set the tone for the series, and I'm always a fan of schedules that make room for mixed games alongside the big hold'em events.
There really is something for every type of tournament player over these two weeks.
Calum Grant, Senior Editor & Live Events Executive
