Mr. & Mrs. Smith Dominate FPN Tag Team Championship in Las Vegas

Joel Smith was in dangerous spirits after making yesterday’s 2026 Free Poker Community (FPN) Vegas Nationwide Championship remaining desk however failing to win a 3rd title. However the two-time FPN champion got here able to play together with his spouse Nikki Smith right now because the duo took down the Tag Workforce Championship to win $1,000 and the championship belts.

Along with the money and belts, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (as they have been known as on stream), in addition to the others on the remaining desk, received chips for Sunday’s Conflict of Kings & Queens Nationwide Championship Essential Occasion.

These on the remaining desk of the Tag Workforce occasion, which drew 142 groups, included fellow couple Steve Dale and Donna Dale (sixth – $200), Xeng Lor and James Nethery (fifth – $200) and the runner-up group of Jim Morgan and Robin Stene, who belong to the identical Billy’s Bar & Grill that the Smith’s stake declare to.

Tag Workforce Championship Remaining Desk Outcomes

“The Nicest Couple in Poker”

Transfer over, Alex and Kristen Foxen. After Joel and Nikki’s victory, they shared a passionate kiss and FPN’s Dana Castaneda proclaimed that they have been “the nicest couple in poker.”

The 2 have been all smiles as they collected their belts and posed for pictures, with Nikki being visibly giddy and calling the victory “surreal.” They even playfully bickered about Joel’s Workforce Workforce victory 5 years in the past, the place he performed with another person since Nikki was nonetheless within the Essential Occasion.

Additionally they had a deep run within the 2023 Tag Workforce Championship, the place they completed third. However they tasted victory this time round, thanks in no small half to run of playing cards, hitting river playing cards and choosing up pocket kings within the first and solely hand of heads-up play.

“It was simply fortunate,” Smith mentioned in a winner’s interview. “I imply it was wonderful luck, and also you want it on the finish of the event. You must hit some playing cards once you’re behind … So that is what it actually comes all the way down to.”

Tag Workforce Motion

There have been loads of highlights early on within the Tag Workforce Championship, however that was in between screaming over the Inexperienced Bay Packers and Chicago Bears sport being performed within the Nugget Ballroom.

Some highlights embrace Tom Tezak getting his opponent to ask “what the f***” after making an epic name with ace-high, Stacie Saunders cracking kings with quad jacks and Joe Manno making flopping quad deuces on a double-ace board made for dangerous beat jackpots.

The ultimate desk shaped as Travis and NIck have been eradicated by the group of Russell Neil and Albert Buhr, who could be despatched out themselves quickly after in eighth place by the hands of Ryan Burr and Hethe Berg.

The eliminations have been fast from there as all the pieces appears to be going the way in which of the Smiths. That features a hand the place they spiked a jack on the river to ship Michael Burt and Jasen Witthuhn packing in fourth place.

Burr and Berg then went out in third place earlier than only one hand of heads-up play towards Jim Morgan, whose seven-six by no means tood an opportunity towards Joel’s black pocket kings.

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outdoors Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for 3 World Poker Awards for his writing.