PokerNews Cup｜Xiong Thao crushes 901 players to win the championship, claiming the title of Wire-to-Wire champion with 1TP, 4T, 48,340 in prize money.

The 2026 PokerNews Cup Thunder Valley event has officially concluded.

American player Xiong Thao completed a perfect journey from leading all the way to winning the $400 PokerNews Cup Main Event, defeating a field of 901 players to successfully lift the PokerNews championship trophy.

Thao ultimately defeated his heads-up opponent Farzad Abbaszadeh to win the championship prize of $48,340 and also received the RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) ring.

This event attracted 901 participants, creating a total prize pool of $306,340.

Day 1 established a huge advantage, leading all the way to the end.

Xiong Thao displayed a strong performance from the early stages of the competition.

During Day 1, he built a huge lead with his accumulated chips and eventually sealed the victory with nearly 40 starting chips.

Before the final day of battle, Thao had become the chip leader among the remaining 88 players.

No one in the other three group stage flights was able to catch up with his chip advantage.

Entering Day 2, he continued his aggressive style of play, quickly eliminating opponents and maintaining his lead.

Ultimately, he achieved a "wire-to-wire" victory—maintaining his lead from the start all the way to the championship.

Complete takeover of the final table stage

After entering the nine-player final table, Thao was not initially in chip lead.

But as the game progressed, he gradually took control of the situation.

At the beginning of the final table, several players left the room one after another:

• Christopher Johnson

• Jeevandeep Singh

• Vy Nguyen

As the contestants were eliminated one after another.

Thao continued to accumulate chips, waiting for the best opportunity to attack.

In the five-player stage, he began to take complete control of the game.

First, he eliminated Khamla Kounlavouth, and then defeated Elijah Obel-Jorgensen.

In the three-person match, he eliminated Vijesh Suseela and officially entered the championship duel.

Defeated Farzad Abbaszadeh in a one-on-one match to secure the championship

In the final one-on-one match, Thao and Farzad Abbaszadeh faced off for the championship.

In the decisive hand:

Farzad Abbaszadeh:

K♠5♣

All in.

Xiong Thao:

K♣6♦

Follow up.

Thao gained the upper hand with a better kick.

Flip the card:

A♥8♣3♦

Thao remains in the lead.

Turn Card:

6♣

Thao hit a pair of sixes, securing the victory early.

River card:

Q♣

The game is over.

Farzad Abbaszadeh finished as runner-up, while Thao was officially crowned PokerNews Cup champion.

$400 PokerNews Cup Final Table Results

RunGood's recent performance has been consistently outstanding.

This PokerNews Cup title is not Thao's first major achievement recently.

Over the past year, he has achieved several breakthroughs in Thunder Valley and RunGood Poker Series events.

He once:

• Win the RGPS ring tournament

• Win the RGPS Dream Factory $300 No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship in Thunder Valley

• Obtain 2026 RGPS Passport Japan qualification

This PokerNews Cup championship is a continuation of his recent hot streak.

According to public information, the $48,340 champion prize was also the fourth largest single prize of his career.

From self-doubt to champion mentality

In a post-match interview, Thao revealed that he sometimes made mistakes due to overconfidence when he was in the lead.

He said that in the past, when he had a large stake, he tended to try too many high-risk strategies, which eventually caused his advantage to disappear.

But this time, he changed his strategy.

Maintain focus throughout the match:

• Don't let a single hand affect your mood.

• Not in a hurry to expand advantages

• Focus on every decision

This mental adjustment also helped him achieve final victory.

PokerNews Cup adds a new champion to its history.

The PokerNews Cup, a brand tournament with a long history, has been held in Australia, South Africa, Austria, the United States, and other places in the past.

A total of 901 people participated in the 2026 Thunder Valley event, with Xiong Thao emerging as the newest champion.

This victory represents not only a trophy, but also proof of his competitiveness in major live tournaments.

As the RunGood Poker Series season continues, Thao will remain a name to watch in the future.

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