The 2026 PokerGO Cup is now in full swing, and the first champion of the series has been decided. A total of 215 entries turned out for the PokerGO Cup Showcase, a $3,300 no-limit hold’em tournament. After two starting flights and another day of combined-field action, Kent Stephens emerged victorious with the title and a career-best score of $130,000.
The Utah resident’s previous top payday was the $6,493 he earned for a deep run in a $3,000 event at the 2025 World Poker Tour World Championship. Now, he has a signature win inside the PokerGO Studio in a field that featured some of the top players in the game.
In addition to the hardware and the six-figure payout, Stephens was also awarded 540 Card Player Player of the Year points and 260 PGT points.
From 31 To 3
A total of 31 players moved on from the two starting flights, all of them having officially locked up a share of the $645,000 prize pool. Among the many big names to run deep were Jonathan Little (31st), Chino Rheem (30th), David ‘ODB’ Baker (26th), Victoria Livschitz (25th), Sean Winter (22nd), Cary Katz (17th), Daniel Sepiol (16th), Joe Serock (14th), Anthony Zinno (13th), Joao Simao (12th), and Dylan Linde (9th).
The final table broadcast began with Sandeep Koralla leading the last seven contenders, while Stephens was in the middle of the pack. Aaron Messmer ran A-3suited into the pocket tens of Myles Mullaly to finish seventh ($25,000). Three-time bracelet winner Jim Collopy (6th – $31,000) soon followed when his K♠7♠ was unable to overcome the A♠Q♣ of Koralla.
Natalie Ferguson was the next to fall, with her A♠2♠ bested by the Q♥9♣ of Koralla, who open-jammed from the button to apply max pressure to the blinds. Koralla flopped a nine and held from there to narrow the field to four.
Stephens Surges Down The Stretch
A CLASSIC!!!
Watch the PokerGO Cup streaming on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/anQUIKlRL2
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) March 4, 2026
Stephens was one card away from elimination during four-handed play, but won the crucial preflop coinflip on the river with A-K outrunning the pocket tens of Koralla.
Another flip then sent Koralla packing in fourth ($48,000), with his A♥10♠ bested by the 3♠3♣ of Myles Mullaly, who took a massive lead into the final three after his threes remained ahead through a 6♦6♣5♣Q♠8♠ runout.
Mullaly then dispatched Daniyal Gheba (3rd – $61,000) with K♦Q♦ holding against a dominated Q♣9♥. With that, he took 22,625,000 into the final match with Stephens, who held 4,250,000.
The chips were soon all-in, with Stephens’ pocket sevens racing against another K-Q for Mullaly. Stephens flopped a set and improved to a full house by the river to all but even the stacks. The two traded the lead a few times from there, but Stephens eventually won a key pot with third pair besting a river bluff to pull ahead for the final time.
The last hand of the tournament began with a button jam from Mullaly, who held 9♦8♠. Stephens called the 9 big blind shove with 3♥3♦ and the two were off to the races. The board came down A♠10♣2♦2♥6♠ and Stephen’s small pocket pair earned him the pot and the title. Mullaly was awarded $85,000 as the runner-up. This was the second-largest score of his career, trailing the $287,522 he earned for a sixth-place showing in the 2023 World Series of Poker Millionaire Maker.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Kent Stephens | $130,000 | 540 | 260 |
| 2 | Myles Mullaly | $85,000 | 450 | 170 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | $61,000 | 360 | 122 |
| 4 | Sandeep Koralla | $48,000 | 270 | 96 |
| 5 | Natalie Ferguson | $38,000 | 225 | 76 |
| 6 | Jim Collopy | $31,000 | 180 | 62 |
| 7 | Aaron Messmer | $25,000 | 135 | 50 |
Photo credit: PGT / Antonio Abrego.
