LAS VEGAS — Sean Winter added another title to his resume, defeating 70 entries to win Event #9: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2026 PokerGO Cup at the PokerGO Studio inside ARIA Resort & Casino.
Winter collected $210,000 after beating Benjamin Grise in heads-up play, a match he spent much of trailing before chipping back into contention and closing it out.
Grise Competes Through Devastating News
The runner-up finish told only part of Grise's story this weekend.
Grise had already finished second in Event #8 before immediately entering Event #9. After registering, he learned that his close friend and fellow poker player Matt Lushin had been murdered in Indiana days earlier. Authorities found Lushin dead inside his home; the case remains under investigation. Lushin was a respected member of the Indiana poker community with more than $500,000 in live tournament earnings.
Grise kept playing. He bagged the Day 1 chip lead and backed up his Event #8 result with another runner-up finish the very next day.
Final Table Recap
Aram Zobian was the first casualty after Grise cracked his pocket kings with five-three offsuit. Justin Zaki followed in sixth, and Brandon Wilson exited shortly after to bring the field to four.
Jeremy Ausmus finished fourth. Three-handed, Grise flopped a flush to crack Myles Mullaly's pocket aces, sending Mullaly out in third for $94,500 and setting up heads-up play with Grise holding a sizable chip lead over Winter.
Winter worked his way back steadily, applying constant pressure across several pots before overtaking the lead and finishing the job.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Winter | $210,000 |
| 2 | Benjamin Grise | $136,500 |
| 3 | Myles Mullaly | $94,500 |
| 4 | Jeremy Ausmus | $70,000 |
| 5 | Brandon Wilson | $52,500 |
| 6 | Justin Zaki | $38,500 |
| 7 | Aram Zobian | $28,000 |
