button in SafariFinal Table to Be Reached in Day 3 of the Arizona State Poker Championship
A record-breaking turnout in the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship saw a total 4,018 players make their way to the Talking Stick Resort for an opportunity to etch their name in the poker history books.
What was once thousands of hopefuls has now become just 58 survivors, with the lion's share of the $4,018,000 prize pool still unaccounted for. All returning players have already locked up $9,200 for their efforts, but all eyes will be on the first-place prize of $627,050.
These 58 players will return at 10:15 a.m. this morning to play down to a final table.
Leading the pack into the final day is Charlie Diep (9,510,000), who went on a heater towards the end of Day 2 to ascend up the counts. He is joined on the podium by Erik Gault (8,470,000) and Jonathan Roeder (7,635,000), both of whom spent the majority of the day wielding a large stack.
Start of Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie Diep | United States | 9,510,000 |
| 2 | Erik Gault | United States | 8,470,000 |
| 3 | Jonathan Roeder | United States | 7,635,000 |
| 4 | Toby Price | United States | 5,940,000 |
| 5 | John Phan | United States | 5,825,000 |
| 6 | Peter Fox | United States | 5,470,000 |
| 7 | John Riordan | United States | 5,245,000 |
| 8 | George Stojic | United States | 5,195,000 |
| 9 | Jared Rogers | United States | 5,050,000 |
| 10 | Brett Dolin | United States | 4,880,000 |
Among the others to survive until Day 3 include yesterday's start-of-day chipleader Toby Price (5,940,000), high-stakes Omaha and Hold'em crusher John Riordan (5,245,000), WSOP bracelet winner and recent third-place finisher in the Millionaire Maker Bradley Gafford (4,445,000), former Women 's Poker Association Player of the Year Christina Read (3,725,000), John Ciccarelli (2,800,000), Aaron Johnson (2,375,000), Evan Sandberg (2,260,000), Hill Kerby (1,995,000), Ronnie Bardah (1,040,000), and Casey Sandretto (935,000).
There is one hand left to play in Level 25 with blinds of 30,000/60,000. Then, Level 26 (40,000/80,000) will begin, with 60-minute levels from start-to-finish today. The plan for the day is to play down to a nine-handed final table.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $627,050 | 9 | $30,566 |
| 2 | $369,937 | 10-12 | $25,801 |
| 3 | $224,804 | 13-16 | $22,018 |
| 4 | $140,214 | 17-22 | $18,809 |
| 5 | $91,498 | 23-30 | $15,984 |
| 6 | $63,495 | 31-41 | $13,459 |
| 7 | $47,133 | 42-56 | $11,202 |
| 8 | $37,143 | 57-58 | $9,200 |
Day 3 Structure
| Level | Blinds | Length (minutes) |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 40,000/80,000 | 60 |
| 27 | 50,000/100,000 | 60 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 28 | 60,000/120,000 | 60 |
| 29 | 80,000/160,000 | 60 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 30 | 100,000/200,000 | 60 |
| 31 | 120,000/240,000 | 60 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 32 | 150,000/300,000 | 60 |
| 33 | 250,000/500,000 | 60 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 34 | 300,000/600,000 | 60 |
| 35 | 400,000/800,000 | 60 |
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates from the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship as we play down to a final table in the quest for the $627,050 first-place prize.