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NEWS

Evan Sandberg wins Arizona State Poker Championship and receives $627,050 in prize money.

[Arizona State Poker Championship] | Evan Sandberg wins the championship, earning his highest career prize in a 4,018-player tournament.

International news

  The 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship culminated at the Talking Stick Resort, a major poker event celebrating its 20th anniversary that attracted 4,018 entries. After four Day 1 flights and several days of intense competition, Evan Sandberg emerged victorious to become the new Arizona State Poker Champion. Sandberg defeated Jared Rogers heads-up to claim the title and a $627,050 first-place prize, setting a new career high for a single winnings. The Bay Area-born, Las Vegas-based professional poker player stated after his victory that it was of great significance to his career. Breaking through a career plateau, Sandberg earned the $627,050 first-place prize and entered the final table. He demonstrated a mature game rhythm and mental fortitude. Although he experienced some fluctuations early in Day 4, his years of experience in major tournaments allowed him to remain calm and ultimately complete the comeback to win the championship. Sandberg stated that he had repeatedly reached the end of major tournaments in the past but had never been able to achieve a final breakthrough, so this victory brought him a significant sense of release. "I really can't believe it," Sandberg said after his victory. He also mentioned that maintaining mental stability is crucial in high-stakes tournaments, especially at the final table, where anything can happen, and resilience and focus are key to success. Final Table Key Battle: Sandberg's Comeback Victory. Ten players returned to the final table, with Sandberg starting the final stage with a slight chip advantage. Early in the tournament, John Phan and Ronnie Bardah were eliminated in 10th and 9th place respectively. Subsequently, players like Hill Kerby, Jonathan Roeder, and Moussa Haddad were eliminated, and Brandon Conrad held a significant chip advantage in the four-handed stage. In the three-handed stage, Sandberg and Conrad faced off in a crucial match. Conrad held pocket fives against Sandberg's AK, and Sandberg ultimately completed a straight on the river, eliminating Conrad and gaining a significant advantage to enter heads-up play. In heads-up play, Jared Rogers faced a short-stack situation, eventually going all-in with 9-6 suited, only to be countered by Sandberg's J-8 suited. Sandberg completed a full house, ending the tournament and securing the championship. Arizona State Poker Championship Final Table Rankings Player Country Prize Money 1 Evan Sandberg USA 1TP 4T 627,050 2 Jared Rogers USA 1TP 4T 369,937 3 Bra

Nikita Kalinin wins 2026 WSOP Online Bounty Championship gold bracelet

WSOP Online | Nikita Kalinin wins the $2,500 Bounty Championship bracelet and a total of $127,888 in prize money.

International news

    The 2026 GGPoker WSOP Online series continued to crown new bracelet winners. Event #3: $2,500 Bounty Championship has officially concluded, with Russian player Nikita Kalinin emerging victorious from a field of 781 players to claim her first WSOP bracelet. In addition to the championship title, Kalinin also took home a prize of $127,888 and became the champion of the third bracelet event of this year's WSOP Online. With 781 participants, the Bounty Championship crowned its champion. This event was the third bracelet event of the 2026 WSOP Online, with a buy-in of **$2,500 Bounty Championship**. The tournament attracted: Event Data Event #3 $2,500 Bounty Championship Platform GGPoker WSOP Online Number of Players 781 Champion Nikita Kalinin Champion Prize Money $127,888 The Bounty Championship, in addition to the regular ranking prizes, also awards extra bounties to players who eliminate opponents, making the competition more intense. After several rounds of elimination, when the tournament entered the final 20-player stage, Russian player Nikita Kalinin had already taken the lead and ultimately successfully converted her advantage into the championship. Arsenii Karmatckii was leading before the final table. Before the final table was formed, Arsenii Karmatckii once held the chip lead. With 20 players remaining on Day 2, Karmatckii was in first place with 4,754,718 chips and 79 big blinds, and had accumulated $19,640 in bounties. Nikita Kalinin was in the second group at that time, but ultimately overtook her in the final stage. After taking control of the final table and entering the final stages, Nikita Kalinin displayed consistent performance. As short-stacked players were eliminated one by one, the pressure to jump the prize money increased. Kalinin used his chip advantage to maintain pressure and won key pots. Ultimately, he successfully defeated the remaining opponents to win his third WSOP Online bracelet. Leandro Bianchini finished as runner-up. In the final stages of the final table, Kalinin faced Leandro Bianchini, a prominent player from the Italian/Brazilian poker scene. Bianchini fought his way to the top, ultimately finishing as runner-up. Although he couldn't pull off a comeback, he still won a substantial prize and completed a significant run in this year's WSOP Online series. WSOP Online E