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Eight Contenders Return to Crown a BPO Vegas World Champion
June 11, 2026 @ 10:50 AM
An exciting week at the Bar Poker Open will reach its conclusion today, as the final eight contenders return to battle for the 2026 BPO Vegas World Championship title.
The field of 1,032 entries, full of online and live qualifiers and invitees, has been narrowed down to one last table, with the top prize of $100,000 and coveted BPO trophy set to be awarded at Golden Nugget Las Vegas for the tenth time.
The tournament amassed a total prize pool of $345,720, and the largest prizes will be handed out when final table action begins at 12 p.m. local time.
The leaderboard is headlined by two players returning with 50 big blinds, as Peter Cote (7,675,000) of the Eastern Poker Tour and New York Free Poker's Robert Carswell (7,550,000) sit well ahead of the rest of the table.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | League | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gorav Sangal | KOntenders Poker USA | 4,225,000 | 28 |
| 2 | Maria Piaseczny | Eastern Poker Tour | 1,525,000 | 10 |
| 3 | Frank Johnson | KOntenders Poker USA | 1,425,000 | 10 |
| 4 | Robert Carswell | New York Free Poker | 7,550,000 | 50 |
| 5 | Germain Mingo | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | 1,475,000 | 10 |
| 6 | Henry Hearns | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | 950,000 | 6 |
| 7 | Ian Auvil | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | 1,425,000 | 10 |
| 8 | Peter Cote | Eastern Poker Tour | 7,675,000 | 51 |
Next in the chip counts is Gorav Sangal (4,225,000) of KOntenders Poker USA, as a total of four Bar Poker leagues are represented among the remaining players.
No Limit Pub Poker Tour leads the way with three challengers still in play, but all will be returning among the shorter stacks. Germain Mingo (1,475,000), Day 1a2 chip leader Henry Hearns (950,000) and Day 1a1 pace-setter Ian Auvil (1,425,000) will be seated together, looking to navigate their way up the leaderboard. Auvil will be seeking a second major BPO title after claiming victory in the 2023 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship $365 Main Event.
The second Eastern Poker Tour finalist is Maria Piaseczny (1,525,000), sitting in fourth spot but among the group returning with ten big blinds or less. Frank Johnson (1,425,000) is also part of that quintet, the second player from KOntenders Poker USA still in the hunt to claim the BPO trophy.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $100,000 |
| 2 | $65,000 |
| 3 | $32,000 |
| 4 | $21,000 |
| 5 | $15,000 |
| 6 | $11,000 |
| 7 | $8,000 |
| 8 | $4,500 |
All eight players have earned at least $4,500 for their work over the first three days of action, with everyone eyeing the six-figure score to cap off their trip to Las Vegas.
Play will resume at 12 p.m. local time, when the clock will be set with 13:50 remaining in Level 25. Blinds continue at 75,000/150,000, plus a 150,000 big blind ante. From there, levels will remain 40 minutes in length, and players will get breaks after every two hours of play.
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All of the action will be streamed on the Bar Poker Open YouTube channel, and be sure to catch full coverage from the PokerNews live reporting team as the BPO Vegas World Championship plays down to a champion tonight.
