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From Under 10 Big Blinds to $627K for Evan Sandberg in Arizona
- Evan Sandberg wins record $627K at Arizona State Poker Championship.
- Overcomes near elimination in record 4,018-player field.
- Prize pool hits $4M+; Sandberg’s biggest live cash yet.
Evan Sandberg entered the Arizona State Poker Championship final table with the chip lead, fell below 10 big blinds with four players left, and still walked away with a record payday.
The two-time WSOP bracelet winner defeated Jared Rogers heads-up to collect $627,050, the largest first prize ever awarded in the 20-year history of the event. He also had to beat the biggest field the Arizona State Poker Championship has seen: 4,018 entries at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale.
Final Table Lead Disappears Before Sandberg Recovers
Sandberg came into the last day with 36.6 million chips, followed closely by Brandon Conrad on 31 million and Sergio Segura with 30.4 million. Everyone else began with fewer than 20 big blinds.
The short stacks initially disappeared quickly. John Phan finished tenth and Ronnie Bardah ninth, while Hill Kerby and Jonathan Roeder followed in eighth and seventh.
Conrad was the player doing most of the damage as the table shortened. He eliminated Moussa Haddad in sixth before winning a major pot against Segura, rivering a set of tens to crack pocket kings. John Riordan became Conrad’s next elimination in fourth.
That run briefly left Sandberg in serious trouble. He dropped below 10 big blinds and put his tournament at risk with ace-deuce suited against pocket nines. Neither hand won outright after the board double-paired, allowing Sandberg to survive with a chopped pot.
It proved to be the turning point.
River Sends Conrad Out in Third
The final three traded positions before Sandberg and Conrad played the biggest flip of the tournament.
Conrad held pocket fives against Sandberg’s ace-king. Sandberg did not pair either hole card, but the river completed a Broadway straight and sent Conrad to the rail with $224,804.
Sandberg took a roughly three-to-one advantage into heads-up against Rogers and never surrendered it completely.
Rogers eventually committed his remaining seven big blinds with nine-six suited. Sandberg called with jack-eight suited and hit an eight on the flop before making a full house on the river.
Rogers’ runner-up result was worth $369,937, while Sandberg secured the trophy and a new career-high score.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evan Sandberg | $627,050 |
| 2 | Jared Rogers | $369,937 |
| 3 | Brandon Conrad | $224,804 |
| 4 | John Riordan | $140,214 |
| 5 | Sergio Segura | $91,498 |
| 6 | Moussa Haddad | $63,495 |
| 7 | Jonathan Roeder | $47,133 |
| 8 | Hill Kerby | $37,143 |
| 9 | Ronnie Bardah | $30,566 |
| 19 | John Phan | $25,801 |
Arizona Championship Passes 4,000 Entries
Sandberg’s record payout came from an equally historic field.
Last year’s tournament set the previous attendance mark with 3,546 entries. The 20th anniversary edition blew past it, reaching 4,018 entries and creating a $4.018 million prize pool.
That growth is particularly noticeable when looking back only a few years. The championship attracted 1,580 entries in 2022 before moving past 2,000 in 2023 and 2,800 in 2024.
Sandberg’s victory now sits at the top of that progression. His previous résumé already included two online WSOP bracelets and consecutive WSOP Circuit Main Event titles, but the $627,050 score is his largest live tournament cash to date and takes his recorded career earnings above $3.4 million.
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