Joe McKeehen PGT Sprint Finale: $174,900 After a Heads-Up Comeback on Nov. 4
Updated on November 6, 2026.
Joe McKeehen won the final event of the 2026 PGT Sprint on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The 2015 WSOP Main Event champion beat a field of 53 entries in the $10,500 no-limit hold’em event and took $174,900, according to Card Player. It is the 33rd recorded title of his career.
Quick summary
- Winner: Joe McKeehen, 35, from Pennsylvania, for $174,900 and 175 PokerGO Tour (PGT) points.
- Field: 53 entries at $10,500 each, for a $530,000 prize pool paid to nine players.
- Heads-up: Daniyal Gheba started with more than a 2-to-1 chip lead and finished second for $111,300.
- Final hand: McKeehen’s pocket kings held against Gheba’s ace-eight.
- Career: more than $23.1 million in live tournament earnings, according to Card Player.
How did Joe McKeehen win the PGT Sprint finale?
Joe McKeehen won by coming back heads-up against Daniyal Gheba, who started the duel with more than twice his stack. McKeehen erased the gap early, took the lead and then stretched it, Card Player reported.
In the final hand, Gheba raised to 180,000 from the button with the ace and eight of hearts. McKeehen three-bet to 550,000, and Gheba four-bet all-in for about 1.8 million. McKeehen called with pocket kings, and the board ran out 9-5-2-9-3 to end the tournament.
McKeehen was in the middle of the pack when the official seven-handed final table began. Four-time World Poker Tour champion Darren Elias had the chip lead, but Gheba knocked him out in third place when K-J of spades made a full house against Elias’ A-5 of clubs.
This was McKeehen’s fourth PGT win and his first of the season. Card Player counts four more wins for him outside the PGT in 2026, and five cashes at the PokerGO Studio in the past few weeks.
PGT Sprint finale payouts
Only nine of the 53 entries got paid. Two players busted on the same hand at the bubble, so Martin Zamani (8th) and Patrick Leonard (9th) split the last two payouts, $10,600 each.
Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
1 | Joe McKeehen | $174,900 |
2 | Daniyal Gheba | $111,300 |
3 | Darren Elias | $74,200 |
4 | Nicholas Schulte | $53,000 |
5 | Jamie Dwan | $42,400 |
6 | Neil Warren | $31,800 |
7 | Brandon Wilson | $21,200 |
8 | Martin Zamani | $10,600 |
9 | Patrick Leonard | $10,600 |
Source: Card Player. The nine prizes add up to the $530,000 prize pool.
Brandon Wilson’s seventh place was his 25th final table of 2026, and it moved him past Punnat Punsri for first in the Card Player Player of the Year race, according to the outlet. Gheba’s runner-up finish was his seventh cash at the PokerGO Studio in the past month.
The finale followed Andrew Lichtenberger’s PGT Sprint comeback against Alex Foxen and Sam Soverel’s record 18th PokerGO Tour title.
Can regular players get to the PokerGO Tour?
Yes, but most players won’t start in the $10,500 events at the PokerGO Studio. The cheaper route starts online: CoinPoker PGT Online, a season run by CoinPoker and the PokerGO Tour, begins Sunday, Nov. 8, with the $50 million guaranteed PGT KickOff Online, according to Card Player.
That season ends with a $1 million winner-take-all final for 50 qualifiers at the PokerGO Studio in January 2028. You earn qualifier tickets through challenges in the CoinPoker app. We explained how it works in our post on CoinPoker PGT Online and its $250 million in guarantees.
Before you chase a seat, set a budget. A $10,500 buy-in is far outside the bankroll most players have, and even satellites have big swings. Our poker bankroll calculator shows how many buy-ins you need for the stakes you play.
What it means for players in the US
You can play CoinPoker from the US, but it is an international site, not licensed by any US state, so state consumer protections don’t apply. Only a few states license online poker, and some, such as Washington, prohibit online gambling. Read our guide to real money online poker in the USA before you deposit.
Most US players fund these sites with crypto, because banks often block card payments to poker rooms. See our list of poker sites that accept Bitcoin.
If you open a CoinPoker account through the button in our CoinPoker review and message us on Telegram, you get 30% rakeback through our deal, plus CoinPoker’s 150% first-deposit bonus up to $2,000, under the room’s terms. You can compare it with ACR, Ignition and BetOnline in our ranking of the best online poker sites.
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Frequently asked questions
How much did Joe McKeehen win in the PGT Sprint?
Joe McKeehen won $174,900 in the final event of the 2026 PGT Sprint on Nov. 4, according to Card Player. The $10,500 buy-in event drew 53 entries and a $530,000 prize pool.
Who finished second in the PGT Sprint finale?
Daniyal Gheba finished second for $111,300. He started heads-up with more than a 2-to-1 chip lead, but McKeehen won the final hand with pocket kings against Gheba's ace-eight.
Can regular players get to the PokerGO Tour?
The PGT Sprint finale cost $10,500 to enter, but you can also start online. CoinPoker PGT Online begins Sunday, Nov. 8, and you earn qualifier tickets through challenges in the CoinPoker app. Fifty qualifiers from that season will play a $1 million winner-take-all final at the PokerGO Studio in January 2028.
Can US players play on CoinPoker?
CoinPoker accepts players from the US, but it is an international site without a US state license, so state consumer protections don't apply. Check the rules where you live before you sign up.
Sources
- Card Player: Joe McKeehen closes PGT Sprint with finale victory
- Card Player: 2026 PGT Sprint final event results
- Card Player: CoinPoker and PokerGO Tour team up for $250 million guaranteed online season
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