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$1,100 Arizona State Poker Championship
Day 1c Completed
2026 Arizona State Poker Championship
$1,100 Arizona State Poker Championship
Day: 1c
Players Left 710 / 4,018
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
4
1,041,000
9
748,000
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Another massive field was assembled today as a total of 1,114 hopefuls descended upon the Talking Stick Resort for the penultimate starting flight in the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship.
In fact, all 69 tables in the Arena Poker Room were dedicated exclusively for the tournament for the better part of five hours as players looked to claim their piece of the pie in what is nearly a $3 million prize pool with another flight still to come.
This brings the total number of entries to 2,881, with another strong turnout expected on Sunday for the final flight. However, just 134 players would advance from today's action, bringing the total number of Day 2 bags to 346, with a few double bags.
Another four names were added to the seven-figure list, with Jacob McDonald (1,150,000), Hunter Campbell (1,116,000), Pedro Salomao (1,041,000), and Deepa Shah (1,041,000) accumulating monsterous stacks late in the evening.
End of Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacob McDonald | United States | 1,150,000 |
| 2 | Hunter Campbell | United States | 1,116,000 |
| 3 | Deepa Shah | Canada | 1,041,000 |
| 4 | Pedro Salomao | United States | 1,041,000 |
| 5 | Sang Ha | United States | 949,000 |
| 6 | Sean Baker | United States | 888,000 |
| 7 | Casey Sandretto | United States | 777,000 |
| 8 | Michael McKiernan | United States | 750,000 |
| 9 | Matthew Adderly | United States | 748,000 |
| 10 | Jose Montes | United States | 727,000 |
Others to advance from the third flight include Jeremy Becker (681,000), John Ciccarelli (667,000), Travis Egbert (542,000), Mark Babekov (534,000), Ronnie Bardah (415,000), Christina Read (369,000), Carl Oman (355,000), Lam Nguyen (299,000), Bradley Hinson (290,000), Brett Shaffer (284,000), Kristen Deardorff (256,000), Jarod Minghini (220,000), Ryan Hughes (211,000), Aaron Johnson (203,000), Christopher Staats (199,000), Matthew Blagg (190,000), Dustin Lee (189,000), Shawn Daniels (169,000), Hill Kerby (151,000), and Justin Pechie (115,000).
Play concluded in Day 1c with 11:18 remaining in Level 17 with blinds of 5,000/10,000. Day 2 blinds will reset to 5:40 remaining in Level 16 (4,000/8,000), unless the final flight concludes faster.
Cumulative Day 1abc Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregory Brown | United States | 1,354,000 | 169 |
| 2 | Andrew Crookston | United States | 1,278,000 | 160 |
| 3 | Jacob McDonald | United States | 1,150,000 | 144 |
| 4 | Nicholas Julia | United States | 1,138,000 | 142 |
| 5 | Hunter Campbell | United States | 1,116,000 | 140 |
| 6 | Peter Fox | United States | 1,106,000 | 138 |
| 7 | Vinny Tran | United States | 1,050,000 | 131 |
| 8 | Pedro Salomao | United States | 1,041,000 | 130 |
| 9 | Deepa Shah | Canada | 1,041,000 | 130 |
| 10 | Sahib Purewal | United States | 993,000 | 124 |
For those who were unable to survive through today, there are still a final opportunity to advance on Sunday. The final starting flight will start at 10:15 a.m. and will follow the same structure as today, with the final 12% (rounded up) making it to Day 2.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates from start to finish in the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship. Day 1d coverage will begin at the first shuffle at 10:15 a.m. as we find out who will join the 346 survivors thus far.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
The 134 survivors are currently bagging up their chips and will return Monday at 10:15 a.m. for Day 2.
Play concluded with 11:18 remaining in Level 17 (5,000/10,000). Day 1b finished during the 4,000/8,000 level.
Full chip counts will follow once they are compiled.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Eric Bunch was forced all in from the big blind for a single chip. The under the gun player limped and the small blind limped.
The K♥J♥2♣A♠9♥ board was checked down.
Eric Bunch: 9♦8♣ 
Under the Gun: A♣10♠
Small Blind: K♣6♦
Bunch's pair of nines were no good against the aces of the under the gun player, and he was eliminated on the stone bubble.
However, Bunch already punched his ticket to Day 2 after bagging 50,000 in yesterday's flight, but he was unable to do it again.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
A player in the small blind was at risk preflop for his roughly his final 25,000, at risk against Kristen Deardorff in the big blind and Deepa Shah in early position.
On the 9♦7♦5♣ flop, Deardorff check-folded to a 20,000 bet from Shah.
Small Blind: A♣Q♣
Deepa Shah: A♥7♥
Shah had outflopped her opponent after pairing her kicker. Nothing changed on the J♠8♥ runout, and the small blind was eliminated to bring the field to the stone bubble as Shah crosses the seven-figure threshold.
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
With 136 players remaining and 134 advancing to Day 2, play will continue hand-for-hand at 16 tables until two more players are eliminated.
Level: 17
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
Level 16
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
John Ciccarelli opened to 16,000 from early position before Danny Noam three-bet to 43,000 in the big blind, and Ciccarelli called.
On the 9♣5♥2♣ flop, Noam led with a sizeable bet of 65,000, but Ciccarelli stuck around with a call.
The A♠ turn checked through to the Q♦ river which saw Noam lead for just 60,000. Ciccarelli weighed his options for a while before he just called.
Noam frustratingly tabled K♥K♣, but it was second-best to the Q♥Q♠ of Ciccarelli, who rivered a set to drag a substantial pot off Noam.
The field now sits at 141 players remaining.
Level 16
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
It folded to Matthew Blagg in the small blind who limped. Andrew Ostapchenko isolated to 31,000 in the big blind, and Blagg called.
The 10♥9♦3♥ flop checked through to the 5♥ turn which saw Blagg lead for 24,000 and Ostapchenko called.
On the 5♠ river, Blagg announced all in as the covering stack, and Ostapchenko quickly called for roughly his last 85,000.
Andrew Ostapchenko: 7♥7♣
Matthew Blagg: A♥A♦
Blagg had slowplayed his aces preflop and got the maximum from Ostapchenko who could not let go of his bluffcatcher on his way to rail.
The field is down to 150 players, 16 spots away from the money.
