Wrapping up an exciting ten days of poker, the 2026 PokerGO Cup has concluded. Taking the championship of the $15,000 Main Event was Andrew Lictenberger, who emerged from the 52-entry field to take the title. But the Player of the Series – literally – was Brock Wilson, who not only made the final table of the Main Event, but he also won two preliminary events on the way to claiming the Cup.
Stacked Final Table for Battle
Arthur Peacock had the advantage at the start of the final table on Sunday with his 2.24 million in chips, but there was a host of ‘high rollers’ in the pack chasing him. Closely bunched together were Lichtenberger (1.47 million), Sam Soverel (1.35 million), former World Champion Joseph McKeehen (1.1 million), and Wilson (1.08 million), who would all be a threat to Peacock. Only Canada’s John Krpan (550K) seemed not to have a chance, but with poker, anything is possible.
Krpan knew he would have to go quickly or be blinded out, so once he found a hand, he went with it. From the small blind, Krpan would jam his remaining stack, and Wilson looked him up from the big blind. Krpan was in tough shape:
Krpan: 9-7
Wilson: A-3
But the flop was a welcoming 8-3-10, hitting both players with Wilson pairing his trey and Krpan catching an open-ended straight draw. Nothing changed with a King on the turn, but the Jack on the river flipped the fortunes and gave Krpan the hand and the pot. It would also move Wilson to the bottom of the standings, and he would depart in sixth place moments later at the hands of Lichtenberger.
Krpan continued to be a pain for the big stacks, doubling through Lichtenberger with a set of deuces, but Lichtenberger would have the final word on their battle. On a 6-9-2-J-9 board, Lichtenberger had a K-J for the fight, while Krpan, who had committed his stack pre-flop, could only muster a K-4 for the battle. Like that, Krpan was out in fifth place, and Lichtenberger would take over the lead.
That was the theme of the 2026 PokerGO Cup Main Event final table – Lichtenberger shaking hands with an opponent after eliminating them. He would ship McKeehen to the rail in fourth place and took down Peacock in third, setting up a showdown with Soverel for the championship. With Lichtenberger holding more than a 2:1 lead, it was thought that the battle would be a quick one.
Instead, Soverel came out with some vigor. He got Lichtenberger to pay him on all three streets after flopping trip Jacks and rivering a full house to take the lead in the heads-up match. That wasn’t it, however, as Soverel would stretch out to his own substantial lead. But an undaunted Lichtenberger was not to be denied this day.
Lichtenberger would double through Soverel after flopping trip Queens on a hand to draw closer, then stomped the gas. In a short time, Lichtenberger reestablished his lead and would seal the deal soon afterward. On the final hand, Soverel pushed all-in with his two-million-chip stack, and Lichtenberger called. The players would turn up:
Soverel: K-J
Lichtenberger: A-10
Soverel was live, but after a ten was in the window on the 10-7-6 flop, the task became more difficult. Another six on the turn left Soverel searching for a King or a Jack, but the Ace on the river only made the situation worse. Not like he needed it, but Lichtenberger made two pair, Aces over tens, to capture the hand and the Main Event championship of the 2026 PokerGO Cup.
1. Andrew Lichtenberger, $257,400
2. Sam Soverel, $163,800
3. Arthur Peacock, $109,200
4. Joseph McKeehen, $78,000
5. John Krpan, $62,400
6. Brock Wilson, $46,800
7. Joey Weisman, $31,200*
8. Jeremy Ausmus, $31,200*
(* – other cashing players in the tournament)
Wilson Romps to Overall Cup Victory
It was a bit anticlimactic when it came to the person who would hoist the PokerGO Cup as the overall champion. After winning two preliminary events during the run-up to the Main Event, Brock Wilson was behind only Filipp Khavin in the battle for the Cup. Someone would have to make a strong run in the Main – and Brock and Filipp would have to falter – for someone else to bypass them. By making a run to the final table of the Main Event, Wilson silenced the chatter and won the Player of the Series before a card was tossed at the final table.
Here is how the overall standings concluded for the 2026 PokerGO Cup Player of the Series:
1. Brock Wilson, 467 points
2. Filipp Khavin, 443
3. Sean Winter, 347
4. Myles Mullaly, 335
5. Andrew Lichtenberger, 301
6. Kent Stephens, 280
7. Ben Grise, 274
8. Darren Elias, 261
9. Michael Berk, 240
10. Chris Hunichen, 218
(tie) Qinghai Pan, 218
The PGT will be tipping a few pints for St. Patrick’s Day, but then get back in the fight the next day. The PGT PLO Series at Venetian begins with satellite tournaments on March 18, with the first of two Day Ones on March 20 in their $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha tournament. More PLO goodness will follow through the end of March, so if the four-card variant of Hold’em is your thing, then the PGT PLO Series may be what you are looking for.
(Photo courtesy of PokerGO)
