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$1,100 Arizona State Poker Championship
Day 1a Completed
2026 Arizona State Poker Championship
$1,100 Arizona State Poker Championship
Day: 1a
Players Left 528 / 1,767
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Chip Counts
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
The first of four starting flights is in the books here at Talking Stick Resort for the 2026 Arizona State Championship of Poker. The celebratory 20th Anniversary of the event kicked off with a bang as a total of 816 entries were tallied today--nearly 100 more than last year's Day 1a, and contributing $816,000 to the prize pool.
Once the dust settled, just 98 players put chips into a bag and have advanced to Monday's Day 2. However, three more opportunities await for others to join them.
Leading the way from Day 1a was Gregory Brown who went on a heater at the end of the night on his way to a bag of 1,354,000. Brown is looking to continue his lucrative year after a second-place finish in a WPT Venetian for $270,000, along with a 62nd-place finish in the WSOP Main Event for $150,000.
WSOP Bracelet winner Nicholas Julia (1,138,000) also eclipsed a million, as he showed today that he can get it done in the two-card streets along with his preferred mixed games. Rounding out the podium in third is Vinny Tran (1,050,000), who was the only other player with seven figures.
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregory Brown | United States | 1,354,000 |
| 2 | Nicholas Julia | United States | 1,138,000 |
| 3 | Vinny Tran | United States | 1,050,000 |
| 4 | Rashawn Curry | United States | 928,000 |
| 5 | Joshua Anspach | United States | 917,000 |
| 6 | Sara Dehghani | United States | 815,000 |
| 7 | Noah Perry | United States | 773,000 |
| 8 | Chris Nelson (CA) | United States | 764,000 |
| 9 | Mark Renslow | United States | 744,000 |
| 10 | Esther Riordan | United States | 654,000 |
Others to find bags include Jeremy Brown (578,000), Steven Jones (525,000), Thomas Zanot (443,000), defending champion Brandon Mitchell (390,000), Brett Murray (278,000), Chad Lipton (181,000), John Riordan (120,000), and Tyler Hancock (33,000).
There were well over 400 players seated for the first shuffle as the excitement in the air was palpable. There was action all over the room from the onset, and the field reached 816 entries by the time registration closed at 5 p.m.
Many of the best players in the Arizona area and beyond tried their luck today, but not everyone was fortunate enough to find a bag. Among those who could not reach the finish line today include two-time champion Ryan Stiner, Jared Jaffee, Talking Stick MSPT Champion June Kim, two-time bracelet winners Mike Wattel and Lawrence Brandt, Arizona regulars Colton Blomberg and Jonah Labranche, Tiffany Michelle, and UFC Champion Sean O'Malley.
Play concluded in Day 1a with 18:43 remaining in Level 17 with blinds of 5,000/10,000.
The next chance to find a bag will take place on Friday at 10:15 a.m., with Day 1b following an identical structure to today.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates from start to finish in the 2026 Arizona State Championship of Poker.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Play has finished for the evening in the first starting flight with 18:43 remaining in the level.
The final 98 players are bagging their chips and will return Monday for Day 2.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
The largest stack belongs to Gregory Brown, who collected 1,354,000 by night's end after abusing the bubble.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
There were four all in and calls on the second hand of hand-for-hand.
One table saw aces beat kings in a cooler scenario for 375,000 chips.
The second one occurred when Rebecca Chitwood was forced all in for 9,000 from the big blind. Following a limp, John Riordan raised to 95,000 with 1,000 behind, and the limper folded.
Rebecca Chitwood: 9♥6♣ 
John Riordan: A♥Q♦
Chitwood paired on the 8♦8♣6♠ flop. However, her lead was short-lived as the A♦ fell on the turn, and the K♥ river sealed her fate.
The third showdown was a preflop all in for 82,000 which saw aces hold against ace-king for the double.
On the final table, there was a coinflip between Jeremy Brown in the cutoff and the big blind who held the effective stack of 153,000.
Big Blind: A♦K♠
Jeremy Brown: 10♠10♦
The 5♦4♠2♣ flop added a gutshot for the big blind, but the board ran out 7♠4♣, ending his run on the stone bubble as Brown collected the last of his chips.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
With 100 players remaining and 98 advancing to Day 2, play will continue hand-for-hand until two more players are eliminated.
There is 22:43 remaining in Level 17 with blinds of 5,000/10,000.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
John Riordan opened to 20,000 third-to-ace and was called by Mark Renslow in the small blind.
On the J♦6♥6♦ flop, Renslow check-called a bet of 15,000 from Riordan.
The turn brought the 9♥ as Renslow checked again to Riordan who sized up to 80,000. Renslow responded with a check-jam for his 327,000, and Riordan's pain was visible as he pushed a stack forward to call as the covering stack.
Mark Renslow: Q♥Q♦
John Riordan: J♣9♣
Riordan had turned top two pair, but the sixes on board gave Renslow a better two pair with his queens. Nothing changed on the K♣ river, and Renslow collected the largest pot of the day to decimate Riordan.
The eliminations have come to a screeching halt at 101 players remaining as the shorties brace for survival.
Level: 17
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
Level 16
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
On a completed board of K♣9♣5♠8♥A♦, there was around 100,000 in the middle in a hand between Sara Dehghani from the big blind and a player from early position.
Dehghani checked to her opponent who announced a bet of 67,000, leaving around 25,000 behind. Dehghani did not take long before she tossed in the call.
Early Position: Q♦J♦
Sara Dehghani: K♥6♥
Dehghani made the right call with second pair against the missed gutshot of her opponent as she climbs over 600,000.
The other player was eliminated shortly after, leaving the field with its final 103 players, five away from the money.
