Andrew Lichtenberger secured his ninth PokerGO Tour title with a win in the final event of the 2026 PokerGO Cup. The man known to many as ‘LuckyChewy’ defeated a field of 52 entries in the $15,000 no-limit hold’em finale that closed out the 10-event festival, earning $257,400 and his latest PGT trophy as the champion.
The 38-year-old poker pro based out of Las Vegas now has more than $25.4 million in career earnings to his name. This was his second PGT title of the year, having also won the first event of the PGT Kickoff series back in January. He is now ranked second in the seasonal standings, with five cashes for 832 points and $596,566. His 301 total points for the festival saw him finish fifth in the race for the series standings.
Lichtenberger also moved into 12th place in the Card Player Player of the Year race rankings presented by CoinPoker. The bracelet winner added 360 points with this triumph. With two titles and six final-table finishes, his to-date total sits at 1,838.
Lichtenberger Surges Early At Final Table
The top eight finishers made the money in this event, earning a share of the $780,000 prize pool. Six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus (8th) and bracelet winner Joey Weisman (7th) both earned $31,200 after hitting the rail late on day 1.
The second and final day of play began with six players remaining and 2025 World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown champion Art Peacock in the lead, and Lichtenberger in second chip position.
Brock Wilson was the first to fall inside the PokerGO Studio. He began the day as the second-shortest stack, but soon found himself on fumes after doubling up John Krpan. Wilson got his last few blinds in with K-6 trailing the A-7 suited of Lichtenberger, who turned the nut flush to lock up the hand. Wilson earned $46,800 for his fourth cash and third final table of the series. He was one of two players to earn two titles during this festival. His sixth-place performance in this final event helped him narrowly beat out Filipp Khavin, the other player with multiple wins, in the final standings. Wilson accrued 467 points and more earnings than any other player on his way to securing series champion honors.
.@BWilson9999 busts in sixth place for $46,800, capping off a tremendous series that saw him win $390,200.
Stream the PokerGO Cup on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/ChPQjnAatY
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) March 15, 2026
Krpan soon followed Wilson to the rail, getting the last of his perilously short stack in with 8-4. He was called in two spots, with Lichtenberger’s K-J making jacks and nines to win the pot and score the knockout. Krpan earned $62,400 for his fifth-place showing. The Canadian now has nearly $1.5 million in career cashes after this deep run.
2015 WSOP main event champion Joe McKeehen was also eliminated at Lichtenberger’s hands. He committed most of his stack preflop with K♠Q♣. His last fraction of a big blind went in after a 5♦4♣3♦ flop. Lichtenberger called with A♦10♥ and made the wheel on the 2♥ turn. The 8♥ river changed nothing and McKeehen was eliminated in fourth place ($78,000). His lifetime haul now sits at more than $22 million.
From Three To One
Lichtenberger entered three-handed action with more chips than his two opponents, Peacock and Sam Soverel, had between them.
Soverel closed the gap a bit when his pair of jacks with a ten kicker bested the same pair and worse kicker of Peacock in a sizable battle of the blinds. Peacock was left with fewer than seven big blinds after that clash, and soon found himself all-in and at risk. He was ahead preflop with K♥J♦ against Lichtenberger’s J♣9♥, and remained in front through a 7♠6♠2♣ flop and 4♥ turn. The river brought the 9♣, though, giving Lichtenberger a pair for the knockout. Peacock secured $109,200 as the third-place finisher. The Floridian now has nearly $2.6 million in career earnings.
There’s a reason his name is “LuckyChewy.”
Watch the PokerGO Cup on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/hPyLSSJQtc
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) March 15, 2026
Heads-up play kicked off with Lichtenberger holding a better than a 2:1 lead over Soverel. That gap was erased when Soverel won a big pot with jacks full of kings, drawing a hero call attempt from Lichtenberger’s queen high on the end.
Soverel, a three-time bracelet winner with over $32 million in career cashes, soon extended a healthy lead of his own. He peaked at roughly a 6:1 advantage before Lichtenberger began to turn the tide. The next key all-in saw A♦Q♠ hold against A♣5♣ to cut the distance between the two contenders dramatically.
Lichtenberger moved back ahead from there and then began to pull away. The final showdown saw Soverel raise to 225,000 from the button with blinds of 50,000-100,000 and a big blind ante of 100,000. Lichtenberger three-bet shoved for Soverel’s 2,050,000 total with A♠10♣ and Soverel made the call holding K♣J♣. The runout of 10♥7♣6♥6♠A♣ gave Lichtenberger aces up and the title. Soverel earned $163,800 as the runner-up.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Andrew Lichtenberger | $257,400 | 360 | 206 |
| 2 | Sam Soverel | $163,800 | 300 | 131 |
| 3 | Arthur Peacock | $109,200 | 240 | 87 |
| 4 | Joe McKeehen | $78,000 | 180 | 62 |
| 5 | John Krpan | $62,400 | 150 | 50 |
| 6 | Brock Wilson | $46,800 | 120 | 37 |
Final Series Standings
| Rank | Player | Points | Titles | Final Tables | Earnings |
| 1 | Brock Wilson | 467 | 2 | 3 | $390,220 |
| 2 | Filipp Khavin | 443 | 2 | 2 | $355,525 |
| 3 | Sean Winter | 347 | 1 | 2 | $330,650 |
| 4 | Myles Mullaly | 335 | 0 | 3 | $226,300 |
| 5 | Andrew Lichtenberger | 301 | 1 | 2 | $331,066 |
| 6 | Kent Stephens | 280 | 1 | 1 | $150,100 |
| 7 | Ben Grise | 274 | 0 | 2 | $273,000 |
| 8 | Darren Elias | 261 | 0 | 3 | $287,725 |
| 9 | Michael Berk | 240 | 1 | 1 | $233,800 |
| 10 | Chris Hunichen | 218 | 0 | 3 | $211,450 |
Photo credit: PGT / Antonio Abrego.
