Event #2: Battistone Takes the Lead in the Rankings
After Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger claimed the opening tournament, Event #2 sent another strong signal that the 2026 season will be thrilling. The $5,100 NLH event attracted 151 entries, surpassing the first event and marking the second-largest field in PGT history for a tournament with a $5k buy-in.
Day 2 was marked by a long bubble fight, with Natalie Ferguson just missing the money at 23rd place. Once the final table was set with seven players, it was clear it would be a battle of experience: Dan Smith entered as chip leader aiming for his sixth PGT title, but in the decisive phase, Brian Battistone stood in his way.
Battistone smoothly navigated through the table to a heads-up against Smith, who, after a setback, will have to wait for his sixth title. The result? Battistone’s first career PGT title, a PGT Gold Cup, and a win of $173,600 along with 347 leaderboard points, instantly placing him at the top ahead of Lichtenberger.
Final Table Results:
| Position | Player | Country | Amount |
| 1 | Brian Battistone | USA | $173,600 |
| 2 | Dan Smith | USA | $109,475 |
| 3 | Maksim Pisarenko | USA | $75,500 |
| 4 | Mike Zulker | USA | $56,625 |
| 5 | Yifu He | USA | $45,300 |
| 6 | Sam Laskowitz | USA | $37,750 |
| 7 | Nick Schulman | USA | $30,200 |
Event #3: Moreno Turns Heads-Up Battle for Third PGT Title
The third tournament in the PGT Kickoff series continued the upward trend in participation, setting the bar even higher. The $5,100 NLH event recorded 159 entries and a $795,000 prize pool, outperforming the previous events #1 and #2, becoming the second-largest “five-thousand” event in PGT history.
Joao Simao and David Coleman entered the final table with the biggest stacks, but the night unfolded in favor of Andrew Moreno. After eliminating Stephen Song (7th), Jared Jaffee (6th), and Brandon Wilson (5th), the field narrowed to four players, where Moreno gained momentum, paving his way to a heads-up against Jim Collopy.
The duo agreed on a deal, and although Collopy initially had the upper hand, Moreno clawed back from a tricky position to clinch victory. His reward was a third career PGT title, $162,300, and 366 points, propelling him to the top of the season leaderboard. Overall, he surpassed second-place Battistone and third-place Lichtenberger, with Jim Collopy and Dan Smith completing the current top 5.
Final Table Results:
| Position | Player | Country | Amount |
| 1 | Andrew Moreno | USA | $162,300 |
| 2 | Jim Collopy | USA | $135,775 |
| 3 | David Coleman | USA | $79,500 |
| 4 | Joao Simao | Brazil | $59,625 |
| 5 | Brandon Wilson | USA | $47,700 |
| 6 | Jared Jaffee | USA | $39,750 |
| 7 | Stephen Song | USA | $31,800 |
Sources – PGT, X
