2026 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 8
$1,700 TPC Championship
$250,000 Guaranteed
Entries:  300
Prize Pool:  $450,000
March 12 – 15, 2026

The 2026 Tampa Poker Classic was headlined by the $1,700 Championship event. The tournament drew 300 entries, turning the $250,000 guarantee into a $450,000 prize pool, and Thien Nguyen took the top spot outright for $100,900.

The tournament featured three starting flights and a very busy Saturday to lock in the field. Nguyen bagged the lead that evening, the only player coming back for Day 2 with more than one million in their stack, and he held the lead most of the way until he was posing with the trophy.

Hassan El Hakim gave him a run late at the final table but fell short in third place. Cheri Ivan, fresh off finishing 11th out of 838 in the opener, came one spot short of winning the title after a great battle.

This is the biggest cash of Nguyen’s career, topping his finish in the 2025 WPT RRPO Championship in Hollywood where he made the last two tables.

Congrats to Thien for the win and thank you to everyone for a great Championship1

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 28:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante

After catching a big double early in the heads-up match, Cheri Ivan won with versus and then gave it another shot.

She limped her button, Nguyen raised to 350K, Ivan moved all in for 1,725,000 and Nguyen called.

Nguyen:
Ivan:

Jacks versus an ace again and it looked like another double when she paired the flop. The joy was short-lived because Nguyen made a set of jacks on the turn and the tournament was over after the river.

Ivan played a great game all day and took home $62,360 for her runner-up finish while Nguyen banked a huge $100,900 payday.

Great job to both!

1st: Thien Nguyen – $100,900 + TPC Trophy
2nd: Cheri Ivan – $62,360

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 300

Action is underway in the heads up match between Thien Nguyen and Cheri Ivan. Nguyen holds a big lead but Ivan has been hanging tough the entire final table.

Seat 3: Thien Nguyen – 10,200,000 (102 bb)
Seat 7: Cheri Ivan – 1,800,000 (18 bb)

1st: $100,900 + TPC Trophy
2nd: $62,360

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 300

After sending a few good-sized pots to Thien Nguyen, Hassan El Hakim was down to 2,850,000 and moved all in from his button. Cheri Ivan folded her small blind but Nguyen quickly called from the big.

Nguyen:
El Hakim:

El Hakim was dominated by the big ace-queen and could not find a miracle on the board to exit in third place.

Thien Nguyen – 10,200,000 (102 bb)
Hassan El Hakim  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place ($44,700)

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 27:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 300

Seat 3: Thien Nguyen – 5,800,000 (58 bb)
Seat 5: Hassan El Hakim – 4,850,000 (49 bb)
Seat 7: Cheri Ivan – 1,350,000 (14 bb)

1st: $100,900 + TPC Trophy
2nd: $62,360
3rd: $44,700

4th: Fred Paradis – $32,620
5th: Wayne Leonard – $24,250
6th: Nathaniel Palombo – $18,360
7th: William Criego – $14,170
8th: Mike Ahmad – $11,150
9th: Daniel Zucker – $8,950

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 26:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 300

Action folded to Fred Paradis in the small blind, he moved all in for 870,000 and Thien Nguyen called after a quick check of his cards.

Nguyen:
Paradis:

Paradis was dominated by the big ace and could not find a save on the board to exit in fourth place.

Thien Nguyen – 5,800,000 (73 bb)
Fred Paradis  –  Eliminated in 4th Place ($32,620)

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 26:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 300

Cheri Ivan was down to two blinds, found two quick doubles to get a workable stack, then open-shipped again for 860,000 from under the gun. Hassan El Hakim called from the big blind to put her at risk again.

Ivan:
El Hakim:

Ivan was ahead for the double and needed to fade the two live cards on El Hakim to double up. The board ran out and she doubled once again.

Cheri Ivan – 1,800,000 (23 bb)
Hassan El Hakim – 4,300,000 (54 bb)

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 26:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 300

Thien Nguyen opened to 160,000 from under the gun and Cheri Ivan moved all in from the small blind. Fred Paradis called at risk for 785,000 in the big blind and Nguyen folded.

Ivan:
Paradis:

Ivan ran into a monster and nothing on the help. Paradis doubled and Ivan was left with two big blinds.

She stayed alive after, though, finding two quick doubles to stay in the game.

Fred Paradis – 1,810,000 (23 bb)
Cheri Ivan – 725,000 (9 bb)

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 300

Thien Nguyen opened to 125,000 from under the gun and Cheri Ivan moved all in for 560,000 from the small blind. Fred Paradis folded his big and Nguyen called top put her at risk.

Ivan: []qh]
Nguyen:

Ivan was behind but had two live cards to double, then paired her queen on the flop. The turn and river were safe and she doubled up.

Cheri Ivan – 1,280,000 (21 bb)
Thien Nguyen – 4,100,000 (68 bb)

$1,700 TPC Championship
Prize Pool: $450,000  |  Structure  |  Payouts
Level 25:  30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 300

Hassan El Hakim opened to 125,00 and Wayne Leonard called on the button. The flop was , El Hakim checked, Leonard bet 130,000 and El Hakim called.

The turn was , El Hakim checked, Leonard bet 240,000 and El Hakim called.

The board finished with the river, El Hakim moved all in, and Leonard called for his last 650,000.

El Hakim:
Leonard:

Leonard flopped a set of fours but El Hakim made a club flush on the river to send him out in fifth place.

Hassan El Hakim – 5,200,000 (87 bb)
Wayne Leonard  –  Eliminated in 5th Place ($24,250)