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Brock Wilson Wins US Poker Open Event #1 to Extend Remarkable PGT Streak

Written by: Liam Carter

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April 14, 2026

Brock Wilson Wins US Poker Open Event #1 to Extend Remarkable PGT Streak

Brock Wilson is putting together one of the most dominant stretches on the PokerGO Tour (PGT) in recent memory. 

The American pro claimed his fifth career PGT title — and third of the 2026 season — at Event #1: $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2026 U.S. Poker Open (USPO), banking $120,900 at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.

A Dominant Start to the 2026 PokerGO Tour Season

Wilson entered the USPO off the back of a dominant March at the PokerGO Cup, where he won two events and claimed the overall series title, becoming the 2026 PokerGO Cup champion ahead of a star-studded field. That momentum has carried directly into the new series.

With the win, Wilson now sits second on the 2026 PGT season leaderboard with 905 points — just 29 behind pace-setter Yuri Dzivielevski. He also leads the USPO leaderboard heading into the remaining eight events, putting him in prime position to claim the series’ coveted Golden Eagle trophy and a $25,000 PGT Passport.

From Short Stack to Champion at the PokerGO Studio

The 93-entry field generated a prize pool of $465,000. Jeremy Ausmus held the chip lead when five players returned for Day 2, and he controlled the action throughout, eliminating Rodger Johnson when his ace-six outran Johnson’s ace-four shove, then sending Justin Zaki to the rail when his pocket sevens turned a set against Zaki’s flopped ace. Natalie Ferguson fell in fourth when her queen-jack ran into Wilson’s king-queen on a nine-high board.

By the time heads-up began, Ausmus had 10.3 million chips to Wilson’s 1.3 million — a roughly 8:1 advantage that looked close to insurmountable. In deep stack situations, chip leads of that magnitude rarely get overturned, which made what followed all the more impressive.

He doubled through with ace-jack, then pulled off one of the key moments of the tournament: a river hero-call with just fourth pair, accurately reading Ausmus for a seven-high bluff. Two hands, two big swings, and the chip counts had flipped entirely.

From there, the finish came on fast. Wilson flopped trip threes against Ausmus’ two pair, and when Ausmus led the river with nines-up and called Wilson’s raise, he sealed his fate. Ausmus left as runner-up, one elimination short of his 10th career PGT title.

Chasing a Place in PGT History

Wilson now has $5,537,494 in career PGT earnings across 54 cashes, placing him 58th on the all-time PGT money list. His lifetime tournament earnings across all tours have surpassed $13 million, according to The Hendon Mob.

The milestone within reach, though, is historical. Wilson is now chasing back-to-back PGT No-Limit Hold’em series titles — a feat only Sean Winter has achieved, back in 2022. Andrew Lichtenberger, who sits third on the 2026 PGT leaderboard with 846 points, claimed the PokerGO Cup finale in March — but it was Wilson who walked away as the series’ overall champion, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

For recreational players following the tour, the USPO is one of the PGT’s major series — the kind of event where the best high-stakes players in the world show up with something to prove. Winning it outright after already taking a full series title would be a statement result by any measure, and would put Wilson’s 2026 season among the most impressive individual runs the tour has seen.

What’s Next for Brock Wilson

The 2026 U.S. Poker Open runs through April 22 at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, with eight events remaining. Buy-ins escalate through the series, culminating in a $25,100 finale. 

The first livestreamed final table arrives with Event #4: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em on April 15 — and with Wilson leading the leaderboard, he will be the name to watch.

Image: @PokerGOTour / Twitter