Brock Wilson clinches overall championship with consistent performance. 🏆
Andrew 'LuckyChewy' Lichtenberger wins thrilling finale event. 🎉
The PokerGO Studio at ARIA recently played host to one of the most competitive series on the circuit: the 2026 PokerGO Cup. Over the course of ten high-stakes events, the world’s elite grinders battled for millions in prize money and the coveted silver PokerGO Cup.
Below, we break down the key events and the champions who defined this year's series.
Event #1: $3,000 PokerGO Cup Showcase – Kent Stephens Breaks Through
The series kicked off with its most accessible buy-in, attracting a robust field of 215 runners. The story of the opener was undoubtedly Utah’s Kent Stephens. A self-described fan of the game who entered to test his skills against the pros he grew up watching on TV, Stephens turned a modest resume into a $130,000 payday.
Kent Stephens After outlasting a final table that included two-time bracelet winner Jim Collopy, Stephens defeated Myles Mullaly in a marathon heads-up match when his pocket threes held up against nine-eight.
Event #6: $10,000 NLHE – Brock Wilson Asserts Dominance
Event #6 proved to be the turning point for the overall leaderboard. Brock Wilson bested a field of 70 entries, eventually finding himself heads-up against his friend Shannon Shorr.
Brock Wilson Despite Shorr holding a significant lead at the start of their duel, Wilson found a double-up with a flopped pair of queens and never looked back. He sealed the $210,000 victory with trip kings, a win that propelled him to the top of the series standings.
Event #8: $10,000 NLHE – Filipp Khavin’s Double-Gold Run
Florida’s Filipp Khavin became the story of the mid-series, joining the elite club of double-winners. Having already taken down Event #2 earlier in the week, Khavin returned to the winner’s circle in Event #8 for another $210,000.
Filipp Khavin Facing a stacked final table that included the likes of Darren Elias and Andrew Lichtenberger, Khavin entered heads-up play with a massive chip lead over Ben Grise. He secured the trophy in dramatic fashion, hitting a runner-runner flush to overcome Grise's pocket threes.
Event #10: $15,000 NLHE – "LuckyChewy" Closes the Show
The series finale, the highest buy-in of the schedule, drew 52 elite runners for a $780,000 prize pool. Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger showcased his trademark resilience, overcoming a massive chip deficit against Sam Soverel. Lichtenberger’s tactical patience earned him the $257,400 top prize.
Andrew "LuckyChewy" Lichtenberger While Lichtenberger took the final trophy, the 6th-place finish by Brock Wilson in this event was enough to mathematically clinch the overall Series Championship, cementing Wilson’s legacy as the most consistent performer of the 2026 Cup.
WPT Seoul
