2026 Arizona State Poker Championship
Chip Counts
Level: 22
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 30,000
The final 128 players are taking another break.
Play resumes in Level 22 with blinds of 15,000/30,000 and an average stack of 1,255,000 (42 bb).
Curtis Phelps opened from the cutoff and the small blind flatted.
On the K♦4♦3♣ flop, Phelps continued for 50,000 before his opponent check-raised to 115,000. Phelps responded with a three-bet to 315,000, which was called.
The turn was the 10♥ as Phelps jammed for 990,000 once checked to. His opponent would go deep in the tank for over four minutes before he put in the call.
Curtis Phelps: A♦K♠
Small Blind: K♥Q♥
Both players flopped top pair, but Phelps had the better kicker, which played after the 3♥ river to secure a massive double.
A player opened to 55,000 from early position before Naveen Narla three-bet to 125,000 from middle position, and his opponent called.
On the 8♦8♣3♦ flop, Narla continued for 105,000 and the early position player stuck around.
The 10♠ turn checked through to the K♣ river as Narla was checked to for a third time. He bet 120,000 and his opponent quickly called. Narla tabled K♦Q♦ as he missed his flush draw but rivered top pair to drag a substantial pot.
Sara Dehghani moved all in for about 275,000 from the button before Tirza Sanders rejammed from the small blind.
Sara Dehghani: A♠Q♦
Tirza Sanders: 10♠10♦
It was a coinflip scenario until the 10♥4♣3♣ flop gave Sanders top set. Dehghani needed running broadway to survive, but the 6♠6♥ runout gave Sanders a full house to send Dehghani to the exit.
A player from middle position, Gary Rickman from the cutoff, the small blind, and Lam Nguyen from the big blind saw a flop of A♣8♣2♣ in a single-raised pot.
The blinds checked to the middle position player who moved all in for his 390,000 stack. Rickman flatted, and the small blind folded. Nguyen then jammed as the covering stack and Rickman called off his roughly 1,100,000 stack.
Middle Position: A♦Q♠
Gary Rickman: Q♣J♣
Lam Nguyen: K♣10♣
It was a cooler flop with Rickman flopping the second nut flush against the nut flush of Nguyen. The board ran out 5♥A♥, and Nguyen collected the largest pot of the day so far.
Level: 21
Blinds: 15,000/25,000
Ante: 25,000
Joseph Osterbauer opened to 40,000 in the hijack before Jason Smith three-bet to 105,000 from the cutoff. In the small blind, Scott Eskenazi jammed for 280,000. Osterbauer got out of the way but Smith put in the call.
Scott Eskenazi: A♦K♠
Jason Smith: A♠Q♣
Eskenazi was ahead with dominating ace until the Q♦10♦3♦ landed, pairing Smith's kicker.
"That's a sweaty flop," Smith joked as Eskenazi picked up a gutshot and the nut flush draw.
The 8♣ turn was safe, but it was the J♣ that landed on the river to give Eskenazi broadway, and he collected the full double.