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Several events at the 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open went into the early morning hours, but one group of final tablists was out of the poker room by around 9 p.m.
That’s because the Super Seniors event at MGM National in Harbor resulted in a nine-way chop as each final tablists reached an ICM deal.
PSPO Super Seniors Final Table Results
| Seat | Player | Calculated Prize | Chop Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Murphy | $13,570 | $6,088 |
| 2 | Michael Mathers | $8,803 | $5,832 |
| 3 | Lawrence Zerolnick | $5,188 | $5,591 |
| 4 | Frederick Narding | $3,156 | $5,133 |
| 5 | Eric Persian | $2,436 | $4,033 |
| 6 | Joseph Bianchi | $2,020 | $3,905 |
| 7 | Charles Ausell | $1,755 | $3,363 |
| 8 | Gordon Haab | $1,575 | $3,034 |
| 9 | Pepper Rodgers | $1,357 | $2,881 |
Nine-Way Chop in Maryland
The $330 buy-in event, which was open to players 60 and older, drew 153 entrants with a prize pool of $50,490. The first-place finisher was set to take home $13,750, but the deal saw final table chip leader Phillip Murphy taking home $6,088.
Also among those who got in on the chop were Michael Mathers (2nd – $5,832), Lawrence Zerolnick (3rd – $5,591) and Frederick Narding (4th – $5,133), who all received payouts in the $5,000 range. The shortest stack, Pepper Rodgers, cashed for $2,881, more than double the $1,357 that the ninth-place finisher was slated to win.
Not everyone in the poker room was surprised to see the event end in a nine-way chop. As one of the participants wandered over and told the players in the $600 Opener about the chop, Justin Arnwine said that he and other players predicted that very result.
“It’s 9 p.m., time for bed!” Arnwine laughed.
Arnwine ended up having a late night himself as he finished fourth in the $600 Opener for $36,157. That event saw longtime grinder Ivan Tomic defeating heads-up opponent Atharv Kumar to win the trophy and $156,190.
This isn’t the first time this year, or this summer, for that matter, that a poker tournament has resulted in a big chop. In July, a £100,000 guaranteed Monster Stack event at the Grosvenor Goliath festival resulted in an 11-way chop.
And there have been even bigger chops throughout the years, such as a 15-way chop in a 2024 Ladies Event at Wynn Las Vegas.
PokerNews is on-site at MGM National Harbor and will be providing coverage throughout the 2026 Potomac Summer Poker Open.
Senior Editor U.S.