Sam Soverel Wins Record 18th PGT Title at 2026 PGT Sprint Event #5
Sam Soverel claimed his record 18th PGT title at 2026 PGT Sprint Event #5, earning $195,200 after topping 61 entries in the $10,500 No-Limit Hold'em tournament.
It was his fifth PGT victory of 2026. The win also brought him 195 PGT points and lifted him four places to eighth on the season-long leaderboard with 1,590 points.
Soverel Defeats Coleman in Two-Hand Heads-Up Match
David Coleman entered heads-up play with roughly one-quarter of Soverel's chips. The match lasted just two hands.
Coleman got his chips in ahead on the second hand, but Soverel paired on the river to win the pot and take the title. Coleman finished second for $122,000.
A key pot against Jeremy Becker had helped Soverel build his lead earlier at the final table.
A Flopped Straight Sends Becker Out in Fifth
Soverel entered the seven-handed final table as chip leader after Sam Laskowitz and Victoria Livschitz were eliminated in ninth and eighth place. Kent Stephens followed in seventh, with Michael Berk finishing sixth.
Soverel then picked up 9♠6♠ in the small blind and raised. Becker three-bet from the big blind, and Soverel called.
The flop came 8-7-5 with two spades, giving Soverel the nut straight. He led with a small bet, and Becker called with A-K.
An ace on the turn gave Becker top pair with top kicker. Soverel checked and called Becker's bet.
The 2♠ on the river completed a flush for Soverel. After he checked again, Becker bet most of his remaining stack. Soverel check-raised all-in, and Becker called off his last big blind, finishing fifth.
Nick Seward went out in fourth place, followed by Kuan Han Lee in third, leaving Soverel and Coleman to contest the title.
2026 PGT Sprint Event #5 Results
The tournament generated a $610,000 prize pool from 61 entries, with nine players finishing in the money.
| Place | Player | Prize | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Sam Soverel | $195,200 | 195 |
| 2nd | David Coleman | $122,000 | 122 |
| 3rd | Kuan Han Lee | $85,400 | 85 |
| 4th | Nick Seward | $61,000 | 61 |
| 5th | Jeremy Becker | $45,750 | 46 |
| 6th | Michael Berk | $33,550 | 34 |
| 7th | Kent Stephens | $24,400 | 24 |
| 8th | Victoria Livschitz | $24,400 | 24 |
| 9th | Sam Laskowitz | $18,300 | 18 |
Soverel Climbs to Eighth in the 2026 PGT Standings
Soverel's three consecutive cashes have earned him 235 points, bringing his season total to 1,590. He now trails seventh-place Yuri Dzivielevski by just 12 points.
Sean Winter remained atop the leaderboard with 2,223 points, holding a 281-point lead over Brock Wilson.
2026 PGT Leaderboard Top 10 After Event #5
| Rank | Player | PGT Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sean Winter | 2,223 |
| 2 | Brock Wilson | 1,942 |
| 3 | Jeremy Ausmus | 1,836 |
| 4 | Eelis Parssinen | 1,783 |
| 5 | Alex Foxen | 1,777 |
| 6 | Adrian Mateos | 1,760 |
| 7 | Yuri Dzivielevski | 1,602 |
| 8 | Sam Soverel | 1,590 |
| 9 | Brandon Wilson | 1,556 |
| 10 | Lucas Jumalon | 1,550 |
Coleman and Seward Narrow the Gap to the Top 40
Coleman's runner-up finish earned him 122 points and moved him up eight places to 45th with 901. He reduced his deficit to the top-40 cutoff from 195 points to 73.
Seward added 61 points for fourth place, climbing from 50th to 48th with 862 points. He remains 112 points behind the cutoff.
Michael Berk moved up three places to 27th with 1,148 points, while Sam Laskowitz rose from 39th to 37th with 1,015.
No players entered or dropped out of the top 40 after Event #5. Sergio Martinez Gonzalez remained in 40th place with 974 points.
PGT Championship Scheduled for January 2027
The season-ending PGT Championship is scheduled for January 11-12, 2027. The $500,000 freeroll is open to the top 40 eligible players on the PGT leaderboard and select Dream Seat winners.
A place in the top 40 does not automatically secure entry. To qualify through the leaderboard, players must have at least four PGT cashes during the 2026 season, including one in a PGT-owned-and-operated event. They must also opt in before the final series begins.
If a player does not meet the requirements or fails to opt in, the seat passes to the next eligible player on the leaderboard.
