Evan Sandberg emerged victorious within the 2026 Arizona State Poker Championship, claiming a file $627,050 high prize. This was the most important first-place payout ever awarded within the twentieth version of the standout, standalone occasion. The $1,100 buy-in match at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona drew 4,018 entries throughout 4 beginning flights, shattering the earlier file of three,546 entries set in 2025.
For Sandberg, a two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, this was the largest dwell match results of his profession. The California native, who received WSOP on-line bracelets in 2022 and 2024, now has over $3.4 million in complete recorded earnings. Sandberg additionally earned 1,320 Card Player Player of the Year factors, which elevated him into the highest 125 within the yearlong race introduced by CoinPoker.
This marquee victory joins Sandberg’s bracelet wins and his back-to-back WSOP Circuit fundamental occasion titles in 2024 and 2025 amongst his profession highlights. The path to his newest victory was difficult, to say the least. Beyond the monumental subject dimension, Sandberg battled fellow bracelet winners Ronnie Bardah and John Riordan on the ultimate desk on his technique to the title.
Twentieth Arizona State Poker Championship Sets Records
What began in 2006 as a $550 buy-in no-limit maintain’em match that hit a tough cap of 450 gamers now stands as certainly one of, if not the largest, standalone annual tournaments unaffiliated with a serious match collection model. Turnout has exploded over the past 4 years. The subject set data with 1,580 entrants in 2022, grew to 2,066 in 2023, after which elevated to 2,860 in 2024.
After one other record-setting subject in 2025, there was a excessive bar to clear for the twentieth version of the Arizona State Poker Championship. There have been 816 entries on day 1A, 951 on day 1B, 1,114 on day 1C, and 1,137 to shut out the beginning flights on day 1D. Despite agency capability and all motion happening contained in the Talking Stick Resort poker site, which holds 69 tables, the full subject grew to 4,018 entrants, a brand new high-water mark for the match.
Across the 4 beginning flights, 482 gamers bagged up chips and completed within the cash. They battled for 2 extra days to scale back the contenders right down to an unofficial ultimate desk of 10. Several main match champions fell simply shy of the fourth and ultimate day. That included 2024 WPT Rolling Thunder winner Casey Sandretto (forty eighth – $11,202), in addition to WSOP bracelet winners Brian Kim (forty seventh – $11,202), Toby Price (thirtieth – $15,984), Jose Garcia (twenty ninth – $15,984), Bradley Gafford (twenty third – $15,984), and Phovieng Keokham (sixteenth – $22,018).
The Finale Begins
After 3 days of play and 4,008 eliminations — the FINAL TABLE has been reached!
These 10 return to the Arena Poker Room tomorrow, 10:15am, to play right down to an Arizona State Poker Champion and record-breaking $627,050 payday.
📷: @PokerNews pic.twitter.com/ZnhAgofLlF
— Talking Stick Resort (@TS_Resort) August 19, 2026
As the ultimate day kicked off, Sandberg held a slender lead over Brandon Conrad and Sergio Segura. The trio have been head and shoulders above the remainder of the sector, with every holding round 3 times as many chips because the seven different contenders.
Bardah began Day 4 because the shortest stack and rapidly confronted elimination. His [invalid notations] trailed the [invalid notations] of John Phan, triggering a roller-coaster runout. The [invalid notations] flop gave Bardah a straight draw, whereas the 9♦ flip gave Phan a set whereas including flush outs for Bardah. The 8♦ river accomplished Bardah’s diamonds to double his stack.
Phan quickly exited on the official ultimate desk bubble, as his A♠2♣ couldn’t surpass Riordan’s pocket queens. Phan, a WPT champion and two-time bracelet winner, completed tenth ($25,801).
Bardah couldn’t discover one other come-from-behind win, and the Survivor alumnus fell in ninth place ($30,566) when his Okay♣J♦ failed to beat Conrad’s Okay♦Q♦. Hill Kerby’s stack fell below 4 huge blinds, and Conrad known as Kerby’s shove from the massive blind with J♣3♦. Kerby, with Okay♥8♣, bought a powerful 10♣9♣7♠ flop, however the 3♣ river spelled the top for Kerby in eighth place ($37,143).
Conrad’s Ascent
Despite a short slip down the chip counts, which included working into Riordan’s quad tens, Sandberg seemingly righted the ship. His pocket kings held towards Jonathan Roeder’s A♣Q♦, eliminating Roeder in seventh place ($47,133). But greater than half of Sandberg’s stack went over to Conrad with out a showdown, placing Conrad in prime place for a run to the title.
Conrad continued to construct his stack with one other fortunate river towards a brief stack. His J♦2♦ discovered a J♣ on the river to beat Moussa Haddad’s A♣2♠, sending Haddad to the rail in sixth place ($63,495). Jared Rogers quickly modified every part, although, rivering a flush to attain a large double by way of Conrad, wrestling the chip lead away within the course of. Conrad discovered one other second of great fortune, although, this time on the expense of Segura.
Conrad’s 10♠10♥ was a world behind Segura’s pocket kings, however three spades on the flop opened the door wider. He wouldn’t finally get a fourth spade, however the 10♣ river gave Conrad a profitable set, and eradicated Segura in fifth place ($91,498). Sandberg went to the brink of catastrophe towards Rogers, getting all in with A♠2♠ towards Rogers’ pocket nines. Improbably, the board ran out a full home, fours stuffed with tens, to cut the pot and save Sandberg’s match.
Another Conrad elimination quickly adopted. He picked off Riordan, one of many remaining heavy hitters, in a battle of the blinds. Conrad’s 8♣4♣ turned two pair to beat Riordan’s A♥6♣, knocking out the two-time bracelet winner and 2025 Super High Roller Bowl PLO champion in fourth place ($140,214).
Sandberg’s Resurgence
Rogers and Sandberg took turns chipping away at Conrad’s lead, and ultimately surpassed him. In one of the crucial vital pots of the match, Conrad’s pocket fives took on Sandberg’s A♣Okay♥. The Q♥10♣8♥ flop gave Sandberg extra outs, and the J♣ on the river accomplished Sandberg’s Broadway straight. With that, Conrad’s surge rapidly flipped right into a fall, and his run concluded in third place ($224,804).
Sandberg began heads-up play with a 3:1 benefit. Rogers had just a few moments the place he closed the hole, however Sandberg ultimately pulled even additional forward. Rogers bought his final seven huge blinds in with 9♣6♣, and he was up towards Sandberg’s J♣8♣. The board ran out 10♣8♥4♥4♠8♦, giving Sandberg a profitable full home to shut out the career-changing victory.
Despite being getting ready to elimination at a number of factors within the match, Sandberg by no means let the second get too huge.
“If you’re not mentally prepared for these types of swings, it’s not gonna work,” Sandberg informed PokerInformation‘ dwell updates crew following his win. “At a final table, anything can happen… It’s important, especially in such a big spot, to keep a level head if things don’t go my way. It’s really important to me to be resilient.”
Evan Sandberg in disbelief, profitable $627,050 and beating a subject of 4,017 on the Arizona State Poker Championship 😱♠️💰 pic.twitter.com/aYA3H4VD5N
— Talking Stick Resort (@TS_Resort) August 20, 2026
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Evan Sandberg | $627,050 | 1,320 |
| 2 | Jared Rogers | $369,937 | 1,100 |
| 3 | Brandon Conrad | $224,804 | 880 |
| 4 | John Riordan | $140,214 | 660 |
| 5 | Sergio Segura | $91,498 | 550 |
| 6 | Moussa Haddad | $63,495 | 440 |
| 7 | Jonathan Roeder | $47,133 | 330 |
| 8 | Hill Kerby | $37,143 | 220 |
| 9 | Ronnie Bardah | $30,566 | 110 |
Photo credit score: PokerInformation / Talking Stick Resort
