The 2026 US Poker Open runs through April 22 with ten events and a $25,200 finale
The 2026 U.S. Poker Open got underway at the PokerGo Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, with Event #1, a two-day $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em, dealing its first cards at noon local time on April 10.
This year’s edition marks the biggest in series history, with ten events on the schedule for the first time, and more than $63 million in cumulative prize money awarded since the USPO launched in 2018. Stephen Chidwick claimed the inaugural title in 2018, and past champions include David Peters, Sean Winter, Martin Zamani, Aram Zobian, and Shannon Shorr, who captured the 2025 crown and enters this year as the defending champion.
The series’ opening tournament attracted 93 entries and produced a prize pool of $465,000, with the final day’s action coming down to a heads-up battle between Jeremy Ausmus and Brock Wilson.
Ausmus held an 8:1 chip advantage entering the duel, but Wilson staged a remarkable comeback, making a pivotal hero-call on a paired board to accurately read Ausmus’ bluff and take down the title. Wilson’s victory was his third PokerGO Tour win in roughly a month, following his overall series title at the PokerGO Cup, and he now leads the USPO leaderboard heading into the remaining nine events.
Buy-ins across the series range from $5,100 to $25,200, catering to elite high rollers and seasoned tournament professionals, with the $25,200 finale expected to draw the strongest field of the series. Seven final tables will be livestreamed throughout the event, giving fans at home direct access to elite high-roller competition through the PokerGO platform.
