Local grinders dominate Potomac Summer Poker Open, reaching the final table four times.

The 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open concluded in Maryland, with Matt Mullins dominating the series with two final table wins. Kyle Smith won the $3,000 Main Event, and Ivan Tomic took the $600 Opening Event title.

BetMGM Poker's 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open, held this month in Maryland, produced nearly two dozen champions, including Kyle Smith, the $3,000 Main Event champion, and Ivan Tomic, the $600 Opening Event champion, who won six-figure prizes of $136,054 and $156,190 respectively.

But no one outperformed Matt Mullins, the mixed games specialist from Virginia, who won two games and made two final table appearances and stood on the podium.

PokerNews interviewed Mullins during the series, discussing his performance, running "the best $20/$40 game in the country," and how another local grinder taught him to dominate the East Coast tournament.

Learn from the best

Mullins is a force to be reckoned with in Maryland. Even before the series began, the Aldi native had already accumulated over 20 wins at MGM National Harbor alone, according to The Hendon Mob.

“I’ve been playing here since they opened,” Mullins told PokerNews. “Starting with No-Limit games, then moving to hybrid games during COVID, I found a niche I could compete in. I fell in love with them, so I became obsessed.”

Mullins started as a cash game player and now runs mixed games two to three days a week – “We run, in my opinion, the best $20/$40 games in the country” – but his entry into the tournament arena was thanks to another top local player.

Justin Arnwine holds the unofficial record for the most wins by The Hendon Mob, with over 80 victories at MGM National Harbor. Mullins modeled his tournament style after him.

“I’ve actually been very fortunate to witness Justin Arnwine’s rise in daily tournaments. I joined in just to see what he was doing and learned a lot,” he said. “Justin is both disciplined and fearless—two things you don’t want to face at the poker table every day.”

Dominate Series

Mullins got off to a strong start at the Potomac Summer Poker Open, reaching a deal with fellow local mixed games top player Fred Hoban in a $400 mixed PLO game, with each player receiving $5,990.

A few days later, Mullins won the $400 8-Game Mixed Tournament, taking home $8,201.

Mullins continued his strong performance in mixed-game events, finishing third in the $400 PLO8. PokerNews interviewed Mullins as he embarked on a deep run in a Texas Hold'em event—the $400 40/40—where he ultimately finished third in the $9,127 event after a five-way deal.

"(Texas Hold'em) isn't my best game... but we'll see how it goes," Mullins said.

Before concluding his visit, Mullins made sure to greet his local regulars in the $20/$40 game.

"It's great that we have six regulars at the seven-player final table in the 8-Game mixed tournament."

Matt Mullins' Potomac Summer Poker Open Final Table Record

More than $3 million in prize money

The 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open was held from August 5th to 17th, awarding over $3 million in prize money across nearly two dozen events.

The series kicked off with Ivan Tomic winning the $600 opening event, which attracted 1,508 entries and a total prize pool of $723,540.

Another highlight of the series was Nathan Gamble's victory in the aforementioned $400 PLO8 title, a three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, further proving that he is the best PLO8 player on the planet.

Kyle Lin then won the $1,100 High Roller ($21,600) and immediately moved on to the Main Event.

Other champions in the series include John P. Hall ($500 NLH, $20,615), William Batts ($400 Big O, $9,258), and Kenya Jackson—who already had multiple wins in Potomac before winning the $300 Women's event ($5,444).

There were also highlights outside the final table, including political commentator Tim Pool being overtaken by two outs in two consecutive events, and Michael McQuaid sharing his story of winning the tournament after being injured while chasing a raccoon.

The complete list of winners for the 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open is shown in the table below.

2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open Champions List

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