The PGT Sprint series wrapped up in Las Vegas with three memorable finishes. Over the last three of its seven $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em events, Sam Soverel extended his own record to 18 PokerGO Tour titles, Andrew "Chewy" Lichtenberger came back from a 10-to-1 chip deficit against Alex Foxen, and 2015 WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen won the series finale.
The Sprint was one of the last stops of the 2026 PokerGO Tour season before the year-end standings decide who reaches the PGT Championship freeroll. Here's how the final three events played out, according to results reported by TightPoker.
Event #5: Soverel's Record 18th Title
Event #5 drew 61 entries, with nine places paid. Soverel won $195,200, his record 18th PGT title and his fifth of 2026. Nicholas Schulte was the bubble boy in 10th.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Soverel | $195,200 |
| 2 | David Coleman | $122,000 |
| 3 | Kuan Han Lee | $85,400 |
| 4 | Nick Seward | $61,000 |
| 5 | Jeremy Becker | $45,750 |
| 6 | Michael Berk | $33,550 |
| 7 | Kent Stephens | $24,400 |
| 8 | Victoria Livschitz | $24,400 |
| 9 | Sam Laskowitz | $18,300 |
Soverel's record is more impressive given how the PGT works. The tour's events are made up of small, elite fields, often 50 to 100 entries, filled almost entirely with full-time high rollers. There are no weak fields to farm. Winning 18 of these events means beating the same small group of top professionals again and again. Earlier this year, we covered his 17th PGT title in a PLO mystery bounty; now he's added another.
Five titles in a single year also shows how consistent he's been in 2026. Soverel has long been one of the PGT's most active players, entering a huge share of the schedule, and that volume combined with a high win rate is how records like this are built.
Event #6: Chewy's 10-to-1 Comeback
Event #6 attracted 60 entries. Heads-up, Alex Foxen held 6.8 million chips to Lichtenberger's 700,000, close to a 10-to-1 lead. Lichtenberger doubled up twice and went on to win the title and $192,000. Brock Wilson narrowly missed the money.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Lichtenberger | $192,000 |
| 2 | Alex Foxen | $120,000 |
| 3 | Jesse Lonis | $84,000 |
| 4 | Brandon Wilson | $60,000 |
| 5 | Dylan Linde | $45,000 |
| 6 | Victoria Livschitz | $33,000 |
| 7 | Daniyal Gheba | $24,400 |
| 8 | Neil Warren | $24,400 |
| 9 | Nicholas Schulte | $18,000 |
How Rare Is a 10-to-1 Comeback?
Coming back from 10-to-1 down heads-up is less unlikely than it sounds, but it's still rare. With roughly 7.5 million chips in play, the short stack needs to double about three or four times without losing a single all-in. If each all-in were a coin flip, doubling four times in a row has about a 6% chance (0.5 to the fourth power).
In practice, skill and stack depth shift those odds. A short stack can pick spots with better equity, and the big stack has to call wider. Still, beating a player as strong as Foxen from that position took both good play and good fortune. Our poker odds guide explains how all-in probabilities work, and our ICM explainer covers why heads-up play is the one stage where chips equal money.
Lichtenberger also appeared in our recent strategy piece on short-stack shoving at final tables.
Event #7: McKeehen Closes It Out
The finale drew 53 entries. With ten players left, two players busted at the same time and split the min-cash, each taking $10,600. McKeehen then won the title and $174,900.
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe McKeehen | $174,900 |
| 2 | Daniyal Gheba | $111,300 |
| 3 | Darren Elias | $74,200 |
| 4 | Nicholas Schulte | $53,000 |
| 5 | Jamie Dwan | $42,400 |
| 6 | Neil Warren | $31,800 |
| 7 | Brandon Wilson | $21,200 |
| 8 | Martin Zamani | $10,600 |
| 9 | Patrick Leonard | $10,600 |
McKeehen won the WSOP Main Event in 2015 for $7.68 million, and he's remained one of the strongest tournament players of the post-Main Event era, rather than fading after his big win. He also won the SHRPO Championship this year, which we covered in our McKeehen SHRPO recap.
Daniyal Gheba had a strong week, finishing 7th in Event #6 and 2nd in Event #7. Nicholas Schulte showed both sides of tournament variance: he bubbled Event #5 in 10th, then cashed 9th in Event #6 and 4th in Event #7. Martin Zamani, who just tied the record for WSOP Online bracelets, also cashed in the finale.
Sprint Series Takeaways
The Same Faces Keep Winning
Look across all three final tables and you see repeat names: Livschitz, Schulte, Warren, Gheba and Brandon Wilson each cashed more than once. That's typical of the high roller scene, where a few dozen professionals play almost every event. Our high stakes poker page explains how this ecosystem works.
Small Fields, Big Edges
With 53-61 entries per event and only 15-17% of the field paid, these tournaments are very top-heavy. A player who reaches the final table is guaranteed a solid cash, and first place paid about a third of the prize pool in Event #5. Final table deals and ICM decisions matter enormously in fields this small.
The PGT Leaderboard Race
The Sprint was one of the season's last events, and several big names were in contention for the top of the PGT leaderboard. Year-end standings decide who qualifies for the PGT Championship freeroll, which we covered in our PGT Championship standings report.
What This Means for Players
You probably won't be buying into $10,500 high rollers, but there are useful lessons here:
- Short stacks aren't dead. Lichtenberger's comeback is a reminder to keep making good decisions even when you're far behind.
- Volume plus edge builds records. Soverel's 18 titles come from playing a lot and playing well, the same principle that drives long-term results at any stake.
- Variance is real for everyone. Schulte went from bubble to final tables in a week. Even elite players need solid bankroll management.
If you want to play tournaments online at stakes that fit your bankroll, our tournaments guide compares the best options.