Florida’s Filipp Kavin was on near zero sleep after flying in to play $5,000 Single Day of the 2026 Poker GO Cup in Las Vegas, however that did not cease him from taking down the occasion for $124,525 and his first PGT title.
Kavin, who provides to his $2.5 million in reside cashes, earned the career-best rating after defeating considered one of high-stakes poker’s hottest professionals, Jesse Lonis, who he reached an ICM take care of in the beginning of heads-up play.
“I have been up for nearly 20 hours,” Kavin informed PokerNews. He hoisted the trophy excessive after a number of shut calls contained in the PokerGO Studio.
“I’ve had loads of fourth place finishes in a few of these, and it is good to lastly win one.”
The ultimate desk additionally included blended sport writer Dylan Linde (seventh – $22,200), current WPT Venetian Spring Poker Championship winner Nicholas Seward, and professional racer Drake Kemper (third – $63,825).
$5,000 Single Day Ultimate Desk Outcomes
1Filipp KavinUnited States$124,525*
2Jesse LonisUnited States$105,800*
3Drake KemperUnited States$63,825
4David KimUnited States$49,950
5Jon-Michael GislerUnited States$36,075
6Nicholas SewardUnited States$27,750
7Dylan LindeUnited States$22,200
*Denotes ICM deal
No Sleep Until E book Win
The primary of three $5,000 Single Day occasions drew 111 runners for a prize pool of $555,000. The sphere included a few of the PokerGO regulars like Sean Winter and proprietor Cary Katz, however there have been additionally newer faces like longtime professional Tony Gregg, who made his PokerGO Studio debut.
The occasion performed fast with 25-minute ranges, and a few of the gamers who fell early embody poker coach Jonathan Little, WPT endboss Darren Elias, 2024 GPI Feminine Participant of the 12 months Cherish Andrews, and five-time bracelet winner Anthony Zinno.
A number of brief stacks survived on the cash bubble, thanks partly to some fortunate double-ups, however primarily because of David Kim cracking the pocket kings John Riordan to ship an enormous stack out on the bubble unexpectedly.
The eliminations have been fast from there and the ultimate desk shaped as 2023 WPT World Championship winner Dan Sepiol was outflopped by current WPT Venetian Spring Championship winner Nicholas Seward in what professional racer Drake Kemper described as “WPT on WPT violence.”
Combined sport writer Dylan Linde was the primary to go on the closing desk as his queens have been cracked on the river by the ace-queen of Kemper. It then took practically two hours for the subsequent closing desk elimination as Seward fell to Kemper, whose girlfriend, WSOP Circuit ring winner Megan Collins, supported him within the studio with a “Let’s Go Drake” poster.
The sphere slowly dropped as Kemper surrendered his chip lead earlier than bowing out in third by the hands of Lonis, who early within the match made a daring play on the cash bubble that payed dividends. He known as off a large stack with king-jack to beat out the ace-ten of Chris Hunichen, telling the high-stakes professional “I informed you, do not f*** with me.”
Lonis and Kavin reached an ICM deal and agreed to play for the trophy and $20,000 they put aside. Lonis rapidly doubled up Kavin to be on fumes, which he started to spin up earlier than a deadly hand the place his ace-nine could not maintain up towards Kavin’s ten-six.
Connor Richards
Senior Editor U.S.
