Andrew Lichtenberger earns his eighth career PGT title after a strong finish
The 2026 PokerGO Tour season opened with a bang yesterday, as Event #1 of the PGT Kickoff Series attracted a packed field inside the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. A total of 135 entries turned out for the $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em event, making it the second-largest tournament at that buy-in level in PGT history.
Aces cracked! @rampagepoker out in 5th at the hands of @luckychewy. He takes home $40,500 and 81 PGT points. pic.twitter.com/DlxkZeGIwM
— PGT (@PokerGOTour) January 27, 2026
When the dust settled, Andrew Lichtenberger was the last player standing. The victory earned him $162,000 and marked his eighth career PGT title, continuing a run of strong results on the tour. The win also pushed Lichtenberger into a tie for fourth place on the all-time PGT wins list.
The timing of the victory made it even more impactful. All events in the Kickoff Series award double leaderboard points, and Lichtenberger wasted no time taking advantage. His 324 points from the win immediately placed him at the top of the season standings just one event in.
Seven players reached the final table, including Jeremy Eyer, Shannon Shorr, Cary Katz, Ethan “Rampage” Yau, Peter Mugar, and Spencer Champlin. One of the most talked-about moments came when Yau ran pocket aces into Lichtenberger’s pocket kings. Despite getting the chips in ahead, Yau watched the board give Lichtenberger a set, ending his run in painful fashion.
The large turnout also sent an encouraging message for the tour. This year’s opener saw a major jump from last season, with more unique players and significantly more re-entries. The increase came despite ongoing discussion around recent tax law changes and their possible impact on live poker.
With five more events still to play and double points on the line, the PGT season is off to a lively and competitive start.
