The most prestigious high-stakes series in North America is delivering its best story in years — and we're only two events from the finale.
The 2026 U.S. Poker Open is running right now at the PokerGO Studio inside ARIA Las Vegas — and it's delivering the kind of story that reminds you why high-stakes poker is worth watching. Brock Wilson is on the verge of one of the most dominant stretches the series has ever seen. A 40-year recreational amateur crashed the party. Nick Schulman made a hero call that will be replayed for years. Here's where we stand with two events to go.
The U.S. Poker Open, or "USPO," is one of the flagship stops on the PokerGO Tour — a rotating series of high-stakes tournaments held throughout the year at the PokerGO Studio. The 2026 edition runs April 10-23 with a 10-event schedule, buy-ins from $5,100 to $25,200, and the prestigious Golden Eagle trophy awarded to whoever earns the most series points. Shannon Shorr won in 2025. The 2026 champion is about to be crowned.
Through 7 of 10 events, the 2026 USPO has been defined by one man: Brock Wilson. He captured his 6th career PGT title in Event #6 for $224,000 and he now leads the entire 2026 PGT season standings after also dominating the PokerGO Cup in March. With the $25,200 finale still to come on April 23, Wilson is in position to put together one of the most impressive two-month stretches in modern high-stakes poker.
During Event #6's final table on April 17, Nick Schulman made a call that will be studied on training sites for years. Facing a Jeremy Becker all-in on a dangerous board, Schulman tanked for a while holding only a pair of sixes. Commentators noted that Schulman correctly called out Becker's exact holding — K-4 offsuit — before making the call. Becker was bluffing with K-high. The chips went Schulman's way.
"Heavens to Betsy. @NickSchulman my oh my." — PokerGO's official reaction
Schulman eventually fell to Wilson heads-up, but the hero call was the series' signature moment. In the final hand of the event, Wilson's K-Q suited flopped trips (Q-Q-T) against Schulman's J-8. Wilson closed it out for Event #6's $224,000 prize and his sixth career PGT title.
Kristen Foxen extended her already-legendary résumé with her fifth career PGT title. She and husband Alex Foxen — who then won Event #7 for his 13th PGT title — are the rare married couple dominating high-stakes poker simultaneously. PokerNews has already run a feature titled "Two couples dominating the U.S. Poker Open."
The story of the series. Placey, a Californian businessman and recreational player of 40 years, navigated an 80-entry field of top pros to claim his first PGT title and his biggest career score. His only comparable result: a 35th-place finish in the 2014 WSOP Main Event. The final table briefly had Cherish Andrews atop the standings after her 6th-place finish before Placey closed it out against Qinghai Pan heads-up.
Wilson's Event #6 win moved him into first place on the 2026 PGT season standings. The real story: he also won the PokerGO Cup in March 2026. That's back-to-back series titles on the Tour's two most prestigious stops. If he adds the Golden Eagle on April 23, the conversation becomes whether this is the best high-stakes run of the decade.
Alex Foxen's Event #7 win on April 18 makes this the first USPO where both halves of a married couple have won events in the same series. Alex now sits on 13 career PGT titles, cementing his place among the tour's most decorated players. Kristen isn't far behind on 5.
Three events remain as of April 22:
Every year the USPO is a preview of who'll show up at major South Florida events later in the calendar — especially the MSPT Championship at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in November. Many of these pros barnstorm between Vegas, Florida, and the Bahamas. If you're playing at Hard Rock this winter, you may be sitting across from one of these Golden Eagle finalists.
The 2026 U.S. Poker Open is on track to be defined by Brock Wilson's dominance, a legendary Nick Schulman hero call, and a feel-good amateur championship story. The finale is April 23 — set a reminder.