$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1A Entries:  362

The players return from break to begin Level 3, with increased blinds of 200-400 with a big blind ante of 400.

A scan of the field during the break turned up four players with at least 125K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Tal Avivi  –  235,700  (589 bb)
2.  Rodney Sampson  –  145,900  (365 bb)
3.  Harvey Castro  –  134,300  (336 bb)
4.  Robert Burlacu  –  132,000  (330 bb)

The tournament clock shows 362 entries so far, generating a prizepool worth more than $1.15 million on its way to the $3 million guarantee. Registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until the start of Level 9 (around 9:15 pm).

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 5:30 pm. Action will continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:15 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1A Entries:  307

That was a quick two hours of action as the entry count jumped over 300 with plenty of time to get down here. Or just the satellites running today and get your seat.

We ran into another former Showdown champ when Eric Afriat grabbed a seat. He won this title in 20014 and came really close to another with a runner-up finish in the 2019 Poker Showdown Championship.

Other new faces include Natasha Mercier, Justin Fawcett, Ricardo Eyzaguirre, and Wagner Wysotchanski.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante
Day 1A Entries:  227

The Day 1A field is filling in as we near the afternoon hours, players waking and walking to the Grand Ballroom. We have plenty of old friends from abroad and locals making up the early crowd.

Among them we found two-time WPT LHPO champ Brian Altman, Rafael Reis, Paul Domb, David Moses, Michael Hunsucker, Pablo Valdivieso, Wayne Leonard, Larry Ormson, Aaron Massey, and Drew Dodge.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante
Day 1A Entries:  190

We found two former WPT Poker Showdown champs in early action, with one of them defending. Art Peacock is the reigning champ of this event, taking the 2025 title for $776,000 and Tony Sinishtaj won the title in 2017 for $661,283.

In a room full of tables, both of them are seated together at a table not likely to break today.

For those keeping track at home, this is our 15th WPT Poker Showdown Championship and we will pay special attention to our former champs. And it’s quite a lineup over the years:

2011 – Taylor von Kriegenbergh
2012 – Tommy Vedes
2013 – Kevin Eyster
2014 – Eric Afriat
2015 – Griffin Paul
2016 – Justin Young
2017 – Tony Sinishtaj
2018 – Scott Margereson
2019 – James Carroll
2021 – Brek Schutten
2022 – Mark Davis
2023 – Bin Weng
2024 – Josh Reichard
2025 – Art Peacock

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante
Day 1A Entries:  151

The clock his 11 am and tournament staff put cards in the air for Day 1A of the 2026 WPT Poker Showdown Championship.

They will play ten full levels today with a break every two levels and a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed  |  Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante

The wait is over and today we kick off the 2026 WPT Poker Showdown Championship with Flight A at 11 am. The $3,500 buy-in tournament has a $3,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, a long, slow structure, and a televised final table.

Players sit down huge 50K stacks and all levels last 60 minutes until increasing to 90 when 40 players remain. Late registration is available until the start of Level 9 at 9:15 pm and players may re-enter as often as they wish during that time.

They will play ten levels and survivors return for Day 2 on Sunday at noon.

• $3,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 50,000 in chips
• Day 1 & 2 levels last 60 minutes
• Levels last 90 minutes when 40 players remain
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (9:15pm)
• Day 1 will end after Level 10
• Championship Structure Sheet

Primary Event Schedule

11AM: Day 1A – $3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship

• $3,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 50,000 in chips
• Day 1 & 2 levels last 60 minutes
• Levels last 90 minutes when 40 players remain
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (9:15pm)
• Day 1 will end after Level 10
• Championship Structure Sheet

12PM: Event 52 Day 1 – $1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• Event 52 Day 2 Seat Assignments and Chip Counts
• Event 52 Payouts

12PM: Event 57 – $600 Pot-Limit Omaha 8 (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels last 30 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (4:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 57 Structure Sheet

5PM: Event 58 – $300 Quad Stack NLH (Re-Entry)

• Players begin with 40,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 10 (8:30pm)
• This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Event 58 Structure Sheet

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

10AM: $400 Championship Milestone Satellite (1-in-10)

• 10 seats guaranteed into the Poker Showdown Championship
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (1:10pm)
• Structure Sheet

3PM: $400 Championship Milestone Satellite (1-in-10)

• 10 seats guaranteed into the Poker Showdown Championship
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (6:10pm)
• Structure Sheet

7PM: $400 Championship Milestone Satellite (1-in-10)

• 10 seats guaranteed into the Poker Showdown Championship
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips
• Levels last 20 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (10:10pm)
• Structure Sheet

9PM: $1,050 Turbo Event 62 Satellite (1-in-10)

• One seat guaranteed into $10,000 Event 62
• Players begin with 10,000 in chips
• Levels last 15 minutes
• Late registration until start of Level 9 (11:15pm)
• Structure Sheet