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