As the third level of play gets underway, the clock reads 520 entries and counting in the first starting flight.
Last year's edition had 830 Day 1a entrants, while registration and unlimited reeentry remains available until the start of Level 10 around 5 p.m.
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/300
Ante: 300
Shane Giese had opened to 600 in middle position and the player on the button flatted. In the small blind, "Suga Sean" O'Malley squeezed to 2,500, and both opponents called.
On the 5♠4♣2♠ flop, O'Malley led for 5,000 and got called by both his opponents again.
O'Malley threw another punch on the 3♠ turn for 10,000, which caused Giese to get out of the way but the button stuck around with a call.
On the 8♦ river, O'Malley moved all in for roughly 13,500, and his opponent quickly folded as the UFC Champ dragged a substantial pot early.
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.
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 200
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The cards are in the air for Day 1a of the Arizona State Poker Championship.
There are an astounding 418 players already seated at the starting bell.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 100
The Arizona State Poker Championship returns this week to the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale for its 20th edition. This $1,100 buyin event with a $30 add-on has become a staple on the Arizona poker calendar, with increasing turnout year after year.
The first of four starting flights will get underway at 10:15 a.m. today and features 40-minute levels on Day 1. Each flight offers unlimited reentry until the start of Level 10 around 5 p.m. local time.
Last time around in August of 2025, it was Brandon Mitchell who took home the title along with the first-place prize of $525,700. A total of 3,546 entries were tallied in the 2025 edition for a prize pool of $3,546,000, with another massive field expected this time around.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Mitchell | $525,700 | |
| 2 | David Levy | $310,000 | |
| 3 | Nicholas Rogers | $210,500 | |
| 4 | Hayley Hanna | $157,900 | |
| 5 | Zachary Powers | $131,600 | |
| 6 | Christopher Collins | $105,300 | |
| 7 | Senh Cong | $78,900 | |
| 8 | James Pausch | $65,800 | |
| 9 | Mark Evangelista | $52,600 |
With the add-on, players will begin the tournament with 40,000 chips at starting blinds of 100/200, with a 200 big blind ante. Levels are 40 minutes in length in each starting flight, with a 15-minute break every three levels. Play will continue until roughly 12% of the field remains, at which point the players will bag up their chips for Monday's restart, having already secured the minimum cash.
| Level | Blinds | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100/100 | 40 |
| 2 | 100/200 | 40 |
| 3 | 100/300 | 40 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 4 | 200/400 | 40 |
| 5 | 300/600 | 40 |
| 6 | 400/800 | 40 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 7 | 500/1,000 | 40 |
| 8 | 600/1,200 | 40 |
| 9 | 1,000/1,500 | 40 |
| Break | End of Registration | 15 |
| 10 | 1,000/2,000 | 40 |
| 11 | 1,500/2,500 | 40 |
| 12 | 1,500/3,000 | 40 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 13 | 2,000/4,000 | 40 |
| 14 | 3,000/5,000 | 40 |
| 15 | 3,000/6,000 | 40 |
| Break | 15 | |
| 16 | 4,000/8,000 | 40 |
| 17 | 5,000/10,000 | 40 |
| 18 | 6,000/12,000 | 40 |
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates from the floor as the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship gets underway for the first of four starting flights.
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