Tag Archives: 2026 SPS

2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship: Day 2 Table and Seat Draw

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$2,500 SPS Championship
Prize Pool: $510,750  |  Structure
Return to Level 10:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining:  69 of 227

Flight A: 98 Entries; 28 Advanced
Flight B: 129 Entries; 41 Advanced
Day 2: Sunday at noon
Day 3: Monday at noon

Day 2 and Day 3 are played eight-handed

TableSeatFirst NameLast NameCityStateChip Count
71RJSullivanRiverviewFL39,000
73AnanthGanesanTampaFL121,000
74JamesCasementElginIL80,500
75CharlesSickmeirPalmettoFL69,000
77DiegoUezRiverviewFL78,500
78DionJagrooWinter GardenFL33,500
82BrianRayWesley ChapelFL263,500
83WilnorMercadoTamaracFL157,500
85ClydeMaliaukaClearwaterFL95,000
86JosephMortensenLake MaryFL63,000
87AaronMederosTampaFL211,500
88HuicunQiaoSaint CloudFL97,500
92IgorPinheiroBonita SpringsFL276,500
93JasonSpryHoschtonGA161,000
94FabioChavesOrlandoFL120,500
95MarkZhangBrandonFL155,000
96MitchMitchellSatellite BeachFL70,000
97AlanTaylorClearwaterFL72,500
101MikeAhmadLutzFL100,500
102AndrewWhitakerTampaFL68,500
103OnderEkinciTampaFL149,500
104StephenBriteBradentonFL148,000
106FranciscoGomezLakelandFL103,500
107WoodrowPassSeffnerFL135,000
108JohnDolanLithiaFL211,000
111JohnKennedyBoynton BeachFL112,000
112WarrenGheenCharlotteNC234,000
113PeterWalsworthLakewood RanchFL125,500
114IgorTretyakovLutzFL117,000
115JustinSwillingPort OrangeFL95,000
118NikitaPatalinghugGainesvilleFL555,000
131FilippKhavinSaint PetersburgFL76,500
134GabrielFullerBrandonFL98,500
135JohnO'NealJacksonvilleFL158,000
136WilliamCampLakewood RanchFL208,500
137GaryHutchinsonKenovaWV33,500
138BartO'ConnellOdessaFL321,500
171RobertKosydarWimaumaFL96,000
172RobertoMeloLakelandFL156,500
173MiguelHernandezClermontFL138,000
175LiamMurphyLakewood RanchFL373,500
176RicardoRodriguezTampaFL200,000
177KyleSturgisTampaFL23,000
182AlexZiskinBonita SpringsFL289,000
183NickScholzTampaFL181,000
184DanielKasperMinneolaFL71,500
185JustinZakiTampaFL119,500
186HyndiKhomutetskyOrlandoFL413,000
188JamieSmithLargoFL66,000
191TKMilesDavieFL141,500
193WilliamBurdickBradentonFL46,500
194KevinBlewittTampaFL29,500
195StuartPhillipsLakelandFL31,500
196DouglasMarroTampaFL59,000
198JeffreyTrudeauMount DoraFL165,500
201MichaelMedinaOaklandFL71,000
202ThomasShepardGrantFL142,000
203JoshuaStewartCarrickfergus221,000
204MitchSmithRiverviewFL82,500
206RobertLebeauTampaFL51,500
207DenisPinchukOrlandoFL148,000
208ReeseCombsLutzFL546,000
211HengZhangSt AugustineFL120,000
212JohnDobsonHudsonFL99,000
213RobertCapoteNaplesFL29,500
214FarhadKamaliCape CoralFL124,000
216MarkWiserLand O LakesFL20,000
217DonMathewsOxfordFL127,500
218EderMurataSalvador67,000
2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship: Day 2 Chip Counts

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$2,500 SPS Championship
Prize Pool: $510,750  |  Structure
Return to Level 10:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining:  69 of 227

Flight A: 98 Entries; 28 Advanced
Flight B: 129 Entries; 41 Advanced
Day 2: Sunday at noon
Day 3: Monday at noon

Day 2 and Day 3 are played eight-handed

RankFirst NameLast NameCityStateChip Count
1NikitaPatalinghugGainesvilleFL555,000
2ReeseCombsLutzFL546,000
3HyndiKhomutetskyOrlandoFL413,000
4LiamMurphyLakewood RanchFL373,500
5BartO'ConnellOdessaFL321,500
6AlexZiskinBonita SpringsFL289,000
7IgorPinheiroBonita SpringsFL276,500
8BrianRayWesley ChapelFL263,500
9WarrenGheenCharlotteNC234,000
10JoshuaStewartCarrickfergus221,000
11AaronMederosTampaFL211,500
12JohnDolanLithiaFL211,000
13WilliamCampLakewood RanchFL208,500
14RicardoRodriguezTampaFL200,000
15NickScholzTampaFL181,000
16JeffreyTrudeauMount DoraFL165,500
17JasonSpryHoschtonGA161,000
18JohnO'NealJacksonvilleFL158,000
19WilnorMercadoTamaracFL157,500
20RobertoMeloLakelandFL156,500
21MarkZhangBrandonFL155,000
22OnderEkinciTampaFL149,500
23StephenBriteBradentonFL148,000
24DenisPinchukOrlandoFL148,000
25ThomasShepardGrantFL142,000
26TKMilesDavieFL141,500
27MiguelHernandezClermontFL138,000
28WoodrowPassSeffnerFL135,000
29DonMathewsOxfordFL127,500
30PeterWalsworthLakewood RanchFL125,500
31FarhadKamaliCape CoralFL124,000
32AnanthGanesanTampaFL121,000
33FabioChavesOrlandoFL120,500
34HengZhangSt AugustineFL120,000
35JustinZakiTampaFL119,500
36IgorTretyakovLutzFL117,000
37JohnKennedyBoynton BeachFL112,000
38FranciscoGomezLakelandFL103,500
39MikeAhmadLutzFL100,500
40JohnDobsonHudsonFL99,000
41GabrielFullerBrandonFL98,500
42HuicunQiaoSaint CloudFL97,500
43RobertKosydarWimaumaFL96,000
44ClydeMaliaukaClearwaterFL95,000
45JustinSwillingPort OrangeFL95,000
46MitchSmithRiverviewFL82,500
47JamesCasementElginIL80,500
48DiegoUezRiverviewFL78,500
49FilippKhavinSaint PetersburgFL76,500
50AlanTaylorClearwaterFL72,500
51DanielKasperMinneolaFL71,500
52MichaelMedinaOaklandFL71,000
53MitchMitchellSatellite BeachFL70,000
54CharlesSickmeirPalmettoFL69,000
55AndrewWhitakerTampaFL68,500
56EderMurataSalvador67,000
57JamieSmithLargoFL66,000
58JosephMortensenLake MaryFL63,000
59DouglasMarroTampaFL59,000
60RobertLebeauTampaFL51,500
61WilliamBurdickBradentonFL46,500
62RJSullivanRiverviewFL39,000
63DionJagrooWinter GardenFL33,500
64GaryHutchinsonKenovaWV33,500
65StuartPhillipsLakelandFL31,500
66KevinBlewittTampaFL29,500
67RobertCapoteNaplesFL29,500
68KyleSturgisTampaFL23,000
69MarkWiserLand O LakesFL20,000
2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship Day 1B: Nikita Patalinghug Bags Overall Chip Lead

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$2,500 SPS Championship
Prize Pool: $510,750  |  Structure
Level 9:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining:  41 of 129

Nikita Patalinghug

Flight B of the SPS Championship ended with 41 players advancing to Day 2 tomorrow at noon. Nikita Patalinghug surged late to take the overall lead coming back, while Hyndi Khomutetsky knocked out two players at the end to finish second in the flight and third overall.

We will post the Day 2 seat draw and chip counts as soon as they are available.

Top five Flight B stacks:

Nikita Patalinghug – 555,000 (370 bb)
Hyndi Khomutetsky – 413,000 (275 bb)
Alex Ziskin – 289,000 (193 bb)
Igor Pinheiro – 276,500 (184 bb)
Brian Ray – 263,500 (176 bb)

2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship Day 1B: Nick Scholz Leads Late

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$2,500 SPS Championship
Prize Pool: $508,500  |  Structure
Level 9:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining:  53 of 129

Nick Scholz

We are back underway with the final level of the night and 53 players remaining. They will pause the clock with ten minutes remaining, have a random drawing, and each table will finish with the same number of hands to close the evening.

Nick Scholz is the late chip leader, sitting at the top with 225,500 and Brian Ray, to his immediate left, is second with 217,500. Warren Gheen is still up there and third with 210,500.

Brian Ray
2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship Day 1B: Last Break

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$2,500 SPS Championship
Prize Pool: $508,500  |  Structure
Level 8:  600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Day 1B Entries:  128

Level 8 is coming to an end which means players will enjoy their last break of the day while tournament staff color the black chips out of play. That will give them one more hour-long level to spin up a stack.

We’ll see if we have any new leaders in contention for the Day 2 chip lead.

2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship Day 1B: Guarantee Gone

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$2,500 SPS Championship
$500,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 7:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Day 1B Entries:  125

Shortly after coming back from break, the 125th entry of Flight B took a seat and the Signature Poker Series Championship prize pool officially topped the $500,000 guarantee.

And we have a lot of time to run it higher with late registration available until the start of Level 12 tomorrow at 2:15 pm.

2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship Day 1B: “Warren G” Gheen Leads

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$2,500 SPS Championship
$500,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 7:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Day 1B Entries:  123

Warren Gheen

The third break is down and we found a brand new chip leader.

Warren Gheen was the big stack while they were gone holding 153,500, then he picked up another big chunk on the first hand back, knocking out Shawn Barnett with tens, winning the race against big slick.

Fabio Chavez is the closest to Gheen, sitting in second with 153,000 and a bunch giving chase.

Fabio Chavez
2026 Signature Poker Series

Championship Day 1B: Igor Tretyakov Leads

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$2,500 SPS Championship
$500,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  101

Igor Tretyakov

Players are back in action after the second break and the entry count ticked over 100. We are looking for 125 to surpass the $500,000 guarantee and they are getting there.

Igor Tretyakov is the new leader in the room with 116,200 with Nikita Patalinghug and Justin Swilling the only other two over 100K. Here are some counts from around the room:

Igor Tretyakov – 116,200 (194 bb)
Nikita Patalinghug – 105,800 (176 bb)
Justin Swilling – 104,200 (174 bb)
Grant Missonis – 99,400 (166 bb)
Brian Ray – 93,200 (155 bb)
Ricardo Eyzaguirre – 84,400 (141 bb)
John Kennedy – 78,300 (131 bb)
Jamie “Beard” Smith – 74,200 (124 bb)
Huicun Qiao – 70,400 (117 bb)
Robert Fregosi – 68,400 (114 bb)
Mark Wiser – 67,000 (112 bb)
Diego Uez – 66,100 (110 bb)
John Gordon – 65,200 (109 bb)
Hyndi Khomutetsky – 59,500 (99 bb)
Gabe Fuller – 59,000 (98 bb)
Justin Zaki – 53,700 (90 bb)
Curtis King – 49,200 (82 bb)
Mike Ahmad – 48,500 (81 bb)
Ori Remen – 46,000 (77 bb)
Ken Fishman – 39,700 (66 bb)
Jeff Trudeau Jr – 38,300 (64 bb)
Shawn Barnett – 37,100 (62 bb)
Clyde Maliauka – 34,800 (58 bb)
Josh Nicholson – 32,000 (53 bb)
Juan Rodriguez – 30,700 (51 bb)
Karl Manouchakian – 26,200 (44 bb)
Woodrow Pass – 23,300 (39 bb)
Nick Scholz – 12,700 (21 bb)
Peter Walsworth – 12,200 (20 bb)

Nikita Patalinghug
Justin Swilling