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$1,100 Arizona State Poker Championship
Day 3 Completed
2026 Arizona State Poker Championship
$1,100 Arizona State Poker Championship
Day: 3
Players Left 10 / 4,018
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
Level 34
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
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.
Level 34
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Play concluded with 38:00 remaining in Level 34 with blinds of 300,000/600,000.
The final ten players will return at 10:15 a.m. tomorrow to play down to a winner.
A recap of the day will follow.
Level 34
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Level 34
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Michael Bennett jammed for his final 6,200,000 from the cutoff and Brandon Conrad snap-called in the big blind.
Michael Bennett: 2♠2♦ 
Brandon Conrad: 7♥7♦
Conrad held the dominating pair as the K♠K♦Q♠ flop changed little. However, the 5♠ turn gave Bennett the only flush draw. The 4♦ would brick off on the river, leaving the sevens best as Bennett was eliminated in 11th on the final table bubble.
Level 34
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
It folded to Michael Bennett in the small blind who jammed for 4,700,000 effective as the covering stack and Moussa Haddad snapped it off in the big blind.
Moussa Haddad: 7♠7♦
Michael Bennett: K♦3♣
Haddad woke up with a pair but still had to fade an overcard as the flop came A♥8♣5♣. The 4♠ turn added a gutshot for Bennett, but the river was the A♠ and Haddad held on to double.
Level 34
: Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante
Ronnie Bardah opened to 1,200,000 on the button and Moussa Haddad called in the big blind.
On the J♣9♣4♥ flop, Hadded led all in for his last 400,000 and Bardah called.
Moussa Haddad: K♣4♣
Ronnie Bardah: Q♦10♣
Haddad had bottom pair and a flush draw against the open-ended straight draw of Bardah. The 2♦ turn was safe, as was the 3♦ river, and Hadded doubled, much to the delight of his growing rail.
Level: 34
Blinds: 300,000/600,000
Ante: 600,000
Level 33
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
The remaining 11 players are taking a final 15-minute break before returning to hand-for-hand play on the final table bubble.
Play resumes in Level 34 with blinds of 300,000/600,000 and an average stack of 14,600,000 (24 bb).
Level 33
: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Erik Gault jammed for 5,250,000 from the button and Evan Sandberg snapped it off in the big blind.
Erik Gault: K♦10♣
Evan Sandberg: 9♠9♦
Gault found himself in a coinflip situation as the 7♥5♠4♠ flop offered no help to either player. The board ran out 2♦Q♠, leaving the nines best to end Gault's run in 12th.
With 11 players left, the two tables are playing hand-for-hand for the final table bubble until we lose another player.
