Event #16, with a $1,700 buy-in, was dubbed the U.S. Circuit Championship and was one of the most anticipated additions to this year's schedule. The tournament attracted an impressive field of 2,148 entries, generating a total prize pool of $3,231,666.
Vargas's journey to victory was not easy, particularly in the final heads-up against Kai Cohen, who managed several comebacks. The climax came on the board of 5 s T s J d Q d 2 h. Cohen called Vargas's all-in with Q s 3 s, but it fell short against Vargas's straight with K c 9 h.
The third place prize of over $211,000 went to Kartik Ved, who finished third at WSOP 2026 for the second time, after also placing third in the opening Mini Mystery Millions.
Results of Event #16: $1,700 U.S. Circuit Championship No-Limit Holdem
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1. |
Antonio Vargas |
USA |
$439,605 |
|
2. |
Kai Cohen |
USA |
$292,916 |
|
3. |
Kartik Ved |
India |
$211,817 |
|
4. |
Michael Plesa |
Canada |
$154,853 |
|
5. |
Liubomyr Melnyk |
USA |
$114,465 |
|
6. |
Malcolm Franchi |
France |
$85,561 |
|
7. |
Shawn Daniels |
USA |
$64,681 |
|
8. |
Scott Horvath |
USA |
$49,459 |
|
9. |
Yannick Capocetti |
Argentina |
$38,258 |
Source: WSOP, WSOP Live
#result
