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Level 16
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
2026 PokerNews Cup Thunder Valley
$400 PokerNews Cup
Day: 2
Event Info
2026 PokerNews Cup Thunder Valley
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$400
Prize Pool
$306,340
Total Entries
901
Level
31
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
88
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 901
Filter
Level: 16
Blinds: 6,000/12,000
Ante: 12,000
Level 15
: 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Francis Nguyen checked the Q♣9♦K♦ flop from the big blind, and Jeevandeep Singh bet 15,000 in middle position. Nguyen then check-raised to 35,000, and the call was made.
Nguyen led out for 40,000 on the 9♣ turn, and Singh used a time card before sliding in the call. The 10♣ river produced a check from Nguyen, and Singh announced all in covering his opponent.
After using two time extensions, Nguyen opted to let his hand go and Singh picked up a healthy pot.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Sanjay Kochhar opened to 32,000, making the call when Gary Grant moved all in for 81,000 across the table.
Gary Grant: A♠K♦ 
Sanjay Kochhar: J♣J♥
Grant found four spades on the 3♠4♠2♠8♠A♥ board to make a flush, besting Kochhar's jacks to double up.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Greg Byard was all in for his last big blind from the big blind, at risk against Michael McDonough in the cutoff.
Greg Byard: Q♣4♦
Michael McDonough: A♣K♦
Byard could not connect on the 9♠K♣6♠8♣A♥ runout, as McDonough made two pair to score the knockout.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Matthew Patterson and Christopher Rudd both committed 40,000 on the A♠3♥A♦ flop, and the 4♠ turn hit the table. Patterson led out from middle position for 50,000, and Rudd called in the cutoff.
Patterson then checked the Q♠ river, and Rudd announced all in. That put pressure on Patterson, who took most of his 30 seconds before send his cards into the muck.
Level 15
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
The final 88 players have taken their seats, and cards are in the air.
Level: 15
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
The opening week of the RunGood Passport Season Finale series is off to a great start, as the return of the $400 PokerNews Cup easily surpassed the guaranteed prize pool entering the final day.
The tournament drew 901 entries at Thunder Valley Casino Resort, with 88 players battling into the money before earning a spot in Day 2. Action resumes today at 11:00 a.m. local time, when the final 11 tables will be filled with dreams of a deep run tonight.
Four opening flights created a total prize pool of $306,340, with a minimum cash of $700 already paid out to several players who missed out on bagging up chips. The remaining field has already earned the first pay jump, and everyone is chasing Xiong Thao (994,000). The Day 1a chip leader dominated the first flight of the week, amassing almost 30 percent of the chips in play to take a commanding lead with just shy of 100 big blinds.
Thao is followed by Day 1c leader Ryan Carr (721,000), while Eric Estrellado (662,000) rounds out the top three after setting the pace on Day 1b.
Khamla Kounlavouth (655,000) led the way on the final flight, and returns to the table as the only other contender with more than 60 big blinds in his stack.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xiong Thao | United States | 994,000 | 99 |
| 2 | Ryan Carr | United States | 721,000 | 72 |
| 3 | Eric Estrellado | United States | 662,000 | 66 |
| 4 | Khamla Kounlavouth | United States | 655,000 | 66 |
| 5 | Joseph Stevens | United States | 571,000 | 57 |
| 6 | Nabil Zumout | United States | 569,000 | 57 |
| 7 | Eric Lee | United States | 567,000 | 57 |
| 8 | Christopher Rudd | United States | 532,000 | 53 |
| 9 | Francis Nguyen | United States | 471,000 | 47 |
| 10 | James Lee | United States | 444,000 | 44 |
Only one player in the field was able to take advantage of the double bag bonus, as Ricky Flora collected almost three times as many chips in the third flight after also surviving Day 1a. That leaves his larger stack in play today, and Flora will take home an additional Day 2 minimum payout of $760.
Another name to look out for is Jaime Haletky (365,000), who already owns two WSOP Circuit Main Event rings at Thunder Valley, and secured a big score at the 2026 World Series of Poker by finishing sixth in Event #72: $1,000 Mini Main Event.
All 88 players are in the money, aiming for a shot at the top prize of $48,340 and the PokerNews Cup trophy. Play resumes at the start of Level 15, with blinds of 5,000/10,000 along with a 10,000 big blind ante.
The start of Day 2 means two changes to the tournament structure, as action will now be eight-handed for the remainder of the event. Time chips will also be introduces when players take their seats, with each receiving five at the start of the day and five more once the final table is reached. Levels will remain 30 minutes in duration, and breaks are scheduled after every two hours of play.
The final day also brings the last chance to earn merchandise by sharing your story with the PokerNews team. Whether you have a ludicrous bad beat story, a fantastical poker journey, or simply want to tell people about the time you rubbed shoulders with some of poker's elite, our team will be on hand to record and share your story with our audience.
Day 2 Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $48,340 | 13-15 | $3,440 |
| 2 | $32,000 | 16-19 | $2,880 |
| 3 | $23,800 | 20-23 | $2,420 |
| 4 | $17,800 | 24-31 | $2,020 |
| 5 | $13,500 | 32-39 | $1,680 |
| 6 | $10,300 | 40-47 | $1,420 |
| 7 | $7,900 | 48-55 | $1,200 |
| 8 | $6,100 | 56-63 | $1,020 |
| 9-10 | $4,820 | 64-76 | $860 |
| 11-12 | $4,080 | 77-88 | $760 |
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The first weekend of action is wrapping up at Thunder Valley, so be sure to follow along as the PokerNews live reporting team brings you all of the excitement on the road to determining a winner tonight.
