button in SafariFinal Table Set With $627k Up Top in the Arizona State Poker Championship
From a starting field of 4,018 runners, the final table of ten has been reached in the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship here at the Talking Stick Resort.
The 20th Anniversary edition of this event recorded a record-breaking turnout to generate a prize prize of $4,018,000. Players from all over the country made their way to Scottsdale to get in on the action, but just ten players remain in contention for the first-place prize of $627,050, while all have already locked up $25,801 for their efforts.
It is a three-horse race atop the chip counts going into the final day, with Evan Sandberg (36,600,000), Brandon Conrad (31,000,000), and Sergio Segura (30,400,000) bunched together, while the other seven players all return with less than 20 big blinds.
Final Table Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evan Sandberg | United States | 36,600,000 | 61 |
| 2 | Brandon Conrad | United States | 31,000,000 | 52 |
| 3 | Sergio Segura | United States | 30,400,000 | 51 |
| 4 | Hill Kerby | United States | 11,200,000 | 19 |
| 5 | John Riordan | United States | 10,200,000 | 17 |
| 6 | Jared Rogers | United States | 9,600,000 | 16 |
| 7 | Moussa Haddad | United States | 8,800,000 | 15 |
| 8 | Jonathan Roeder | United States | 8,600,000 | 14 |
| 9 | John Phan | United States | 8,000,000 | 13 |
| 10 | Ronnie Bardah | United States | 4,200,000 | 7 |
The leader of the shorter stacks is former poker journalist and reporter Hill Kerby (11,200,000) who needs just a few more ladders to secure a career-best score as he looks to bring home some extra spending money as a new father.
Close behind Kerby is the most accomplished of the remaining players in John Riordan (10,200,000). The Florida native and two-time WSOP bracelet winner has been crushing both Omaha and Hold'em tournaments over the last five years, including a victory in the $100,000 buy-in Pot-Limt Omaha Super High Roller Bowl for $1.25 million.
Grouped together are three local players in Jared Rogers (9,600,000), Moussa Haddad (8,800,000), and Jonathan Roeder (8,600,000), all of whom will be notching a career high score with the support of the Arizona poker community behind them.
At the bottom of the counts are two pros who call Los Angeles home with John Phan (8,000,000) and Ronnie Bardah (4,200,000). Both are WSOP bracelet winners who have already enjoyed decorated poker careers, and they will have their work cut out for them to spin up their short stacks.
Day 3 Action
From the 482 players who bagged on Day 1, just 58 would advance to today's Day 3.
The eliminations would come fast and furious to begin the day, with notable bustouts including Casey Sandretto (48th - $11,202), Gregory Sessler (35th - $13,459), Toby Price (30th - $15,984), Bradley Gafford (23rd), Aaron Johnson (20th - $18,809), Christina Read (19th), start-of-day chipleader Charlie Diep (17th), and Lam Nguyen (15th - $22,018)
With 11 players left, a cagey final table bubble took place. It was eventually Michael Bennett to miss out on the party after his pocket deuces failed to improve against the sevens of Brandon Conrad.
The final ten players then bagged up their chips, took some pictures, and will now rest for tomorrow's finale at 10:15 a.m.
Play resumes with 38:00 remaining in Level 34 with blinds of 300,000/600,000. Play will continue in 60-minute levels until a winner is crowned.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $627,050 |
| 2 | $369,937 |
| 3 | $224,804 |
| 4 | $140,214 |
| 5 | $91,498 |
| 6 | $63,495 |
| 7 | $47,133 |
| 8 | $37,143 |
| 9 | $30,566 |
| 10 | $25,801 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates throughout tomorrow's final table as we play down to a winner in the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship.