Chino Rheem Wins PGT Sprint Kickoff for 10th Title

Chino Rheem opens the PGT Sprint with a statement win

Chino Rheem wasted no time making noise in the 2026 PGT Sprint. The veteran high roller captured the kickoff event of the series, topping a field of 92 entries in the $5,300 no-limit hold'em tournament to earn $119,600 and his 10th career PGT title.

For Rheem, this was more than a first-place finish. It was another reminder that he remains one of the most accomplished and adaptable tournament players in the game, especially in elite fields where every pot can swing a final table in a single orbit.

If you want to track where this kind of action lives year-round, check out our guides to [poker rooms]( /en/pokerrooms ) and [poker clubs]( /en/pokerclubs ) that host the toughest live events.

Prize money, rankings and why this win matters

The trophy came with a meaningful boost in both money and points. In modern poker, that combination matters just as much as the headline score, especially late in the season when players are chasing year-end honors.

• $119,600 for the win
• 432 Card Player Player of the Year points
• 179 PGT points
• His 12th final table of 2026

Those points pushed his season total to 4,669 POY points, good for 28th place in the overall standings presented by CoinPoker. On the PGT side, he moved into the lead on the series-long leaderboard and climbed to 19th in the seasonal rankings.

That kind of consistency is exactly why experienced pros treat tournament scheduling like a long-term project. Many also sharpen their game through a [poker school]( /en/pokerschool ) or by choosing softer spots in high-quality [poker rooms]( /en/pokerrooms ) when building volume.

How the PGT Sprint #1 final table played out

The event paid 14 players from a $460,000 prize pool after three-time bracelet winner Jim Collopy bubbled the money. He was followed out by Justin Vaysman, Joe McKeehen, David Coleman, Darren Rabinowitz, Brock Wilson and Nicholas Seward.

Neil Warren entered the official final table with the chip lead, while Rheem started third in chips. With only a handful of players left, a single pot could completely reshape the endgame.

Big swings at the business end

Reigning Card Player POY Jesse Lonis made his final stand holding A♣10♦ against Michael Berk's Q♥J♥. A jack-high flop immediately put Berk in front, and he held through the river to eliminate Lonis in sixth place for $23,000.

Berk then scored another knockout when his A-3 held against Warren's A-Q, sending Warren out in fifth for $32,200. But Berk's run soon hit a wall in a major collision with Andrew Lichtenberger. He managed a few doubles, yet eventually ran J♦5♦ into Rheem's K♥J♥ and finished fourth for $41,400.

Expert analysis: what Rheem's win tells tournament players

Rheem's victory is a strong case study in how top-level tournament poker is really won today. At this stage of a series, success is rarely about wild aggression alone. It is about stack awareness, pressure points and ICM discipline.

Key takeaways for players:

• Final-table patience pays. Rheem did not need to force marginal spots early; he waited for the right leverage opportunities.
• Hero calls can decide titles. In heads-up play, he caught Lichtenberger bluffing with pocket tens on Q♥8♣6♦8♦J♦ and seized control.
• Ranking points shape strategy. Pros increasingly plan schedules around both prize pools and points races, not just one-off scores.

For aspiring players, the lesson is simple: winning at this level requires more than card sense. It demands preparation, structure and repetition, whether that's through study, volume or selecting the right events in [poker clubs]( /en/pokerclubs ) and [poker rooms]( /en/pokerrooms ).

Heads-up against Lichtenberger and the closing stretch

Lichtenberger entered heads-up with the lead, but Rheem quickly turned the match. The defining hand came on Q♥8♣6♦8♦J♦, where Lichtenberger fired a bluff with 9♣5♣ and Rheem made the correct call with pocket tens.

That pot left Lichtenberger short, and the final hand soon followed. 7-2 held up against 6-5 for the remaining chips, bringing the tournament to an end. Lichtenberger collected $75,900 for second place.

What Rheem's PGT Sprint win means going forward

Rheem's start to the PGT Sprint puts him right back in the mix for more hardware and more leaderboard movement as the year winds down. With 10 career PGT titles now on the board, he has once again shown that he can convert deep runs into trophies at the highest level.

For players following the series, the bigger picture is clear: the modern tournament landscape rewards consistency, adaptability and smart event selection. If you're building your own schedule, keep an eye on [promotions & bonuses]( /en/blog/promotions ) and structure your year around the events that best fit your edge and bankroll.

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