NEWS

    On September 8, 2026, the Maryland State Poker Championship $1,700 Main Event concluded at Live! Casino Maryland. The event attracted 380 players, with the final three – Justin Arnwine, Daniel Iachan, and Aaron Pinson – agreeing to an ICM (Independent Card Management) deal in a deep-stacked situation, ending the championship race early. Arnwine ultimately won the highest prize of $86,167, Iachan took $78,112, and Pinson $76,221. After the prize money was distributed, Arnwine and Pinson agreed to award the championship trophy to Iachan, allowing the American player, who had run deep in the WSOP Main Event for two consecutive years, to finally win his first live tournament title. 380 players competed, with the final three all holding over 80BB. The Maryland State Poker Championship Main Event buy-in was $1,700, with 380 players participating. When the final three players were down to three, their chip stacks were as follows: Justin Arnwine 6,605,000, Daniel Iachan 4,460,000, and Aaron Pinson 4,150,000. All three started the three-way table with over 80 big blinds. Given this deep chip stack, the championship battle was expected to take a considerable amount of time, with the original first-place prize being a substantial $111,000. However, the game was suddenly paused as the three players discussed the deal. After discussion, the three players ultimately accepted the ICM deal. The re-allocated prizes were: Justin Arnwine $86,167, Daniel Iachan $78,112, and Aaron Pinson $76,221. Arnwine received the highest prize among the three, while the championship trophy became another issue to be decided. Although Iachan had previously achieved numerous deep runs in major races, he had never won a live championship. Therefore, Arnwine and Pinson ultimately agreed to award him the trophy. This officially made Iachan his first live championship trophy. Iachan: Although he didn't "fight to the very end," a champion is a champion. For Daniel Iachan, this trophy holds special significance. He admitted that if he could truly fight his way to the end and win the championship himself, the feeling might be more complete; but regardless, a championship trophy is still a championship trophy. Coincidentally, Iachan noticed this when he initially registered for the race...