Utah native tops field of seasoned pros to claim first major title at 2026 PokerGO Cup opener
LAS VEGAS — Kent Stephens came to PokerGO Studio with about $12,000 in career earnings and a curiosity about what it felt like to sit across from the pros he had watched on television. He left with $130,000 and the first title of the 2026 PokerGO Cup.
The Utah native outlasted Myles Mullaly in a lengthy heads-up battle to win Event #1: $3,000 PokerGO Cup Showcase on Tuesday, banking a payday worth more than ten times his entire previous tournament earnings.
He said afterward that the draw was simple: he wanted to play against the recognizable names he had grown up watching on TV. As for his heads-up opponent, Stephens kept it brief. “He was a tough kid.”
The clinching hand was straightforward. Stephens’ pocket threes held against Mullaly’s nine-eight.
215 Runners, $645,000 Up for Grabs
The opening event of the 2026 PokerGO Cup drew 215 entries across two starting flights, generating a $645,000 prize pool. Thirty-one players returned for Day 2, all of them already in the money.
The eliminations came fast. Poker coach Jonathan Little, veterans Chino Rheem and David “ODB” Baker, and German pro Manig Loeser all fell before the final table. Satellite qualifier Adam Bonilla, a daily grinder competing at the largest buy-in of his career, pushed deep before being eliminated in tenth place by Daniyal Gheba.
Final Table
Aaron Messmer was the first to go at the final table, busted by Mullaly early on. Bracelet winner Jim Collopy followed in sixth. Natalie Ferguson ran out of time banks at a critical moment, eventually bowing out in fifth after a brief stack recovery. Sandeep Koralla and Gheba then exited to set up the heads-up match.
Entering heads-up play, one player held a significant chip advantage, but that edge narrowed late in three-handed action when Gheba doubled up. The two traded the lead back and forth before Stephens pulled clear and never looked back.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kent Stephens | $130,000 |
| 2 | Myles Mullaly | $85,000 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | $61,000 |
| 4 | Sandeep Koralla | $48,000 |
| 5 | Natalie Ferguson | $38,000 |
| 6 | Jim Collopy | $31,000 |
| 7 | Aaron Messmer | $25,000 |
