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March 9, 2026 @ 08:34 PM
Bryan Ducharme was feeling optimistic after bagging the Day 1a chip lead at the 2026 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship held at the Palm Beach Kennel Club Poker Room.
He carried that momentum into Day 2, outlasting a field of 328 entries to take down the first-place prize of $26,400 from the $105,600 prize pool.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | League | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan Ducharme | United States | Deepstacks Poker League | $26,000 |
| 2 | Richard Stepanian | United States | Eastern Poker League | $16,000 |
| 3 | Glenda Ricci | United States | Eastern Poker League | $10,500 |
| 4 | Vangjel Haxhia | United States | New York Free Poker | $7,400 |
| 5 | Pat Aguiar | United States | Eastern Poker League | $5,800 |
| 6 | Bill Sandiford | United States | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $4,750 |
| 7 | Kurt Lennon | United States | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $3,700 |
| 8 | Thomas Heinlein | United States | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $2,670 |
| 9 | David Short | United States | No Limit Pub Poker Tour | $2,100 |
"I went home yesterday, shaved, showered, slept in my own bed, and came back today completely refreshed and ready for the day." Ducharme told PokerNews following his victory. "I just played my cards the way they were coming, and I was hitting cards."
The road to the title was not easy. Ducharme had to battle with Glenda Ricci and Richard Stepanian of the Eastern Poker League during three-handed play. At different points, both Ricci and Stepanian managed to take the chip lead, but Ducharme stayed in the hunt.
"I ran into a battle with Glenda, and it just seemed like I wasn't going to be able to beat her. Then I got lucky on the river against her," Ducharme said.
The hand Ducharme referenced came when the chips went in on the turn against Ricci's top pair. Ducharme spiked a king on the river to make two pair, eliminating Ricci and sending him into heads-up play with the chip lead.
It was not long into the heads-up match before Ducharme hit a bump in the road when Stepanian landed a runner-runner flush to stay in contention.
"I just tried not to let my emotions get the best of me and not tilt," Ducharme said.
Stepanian wrestled the chip lead away shortly after, but the momentum swung again when Stepanian attempted a bluff on the river. Ducharme called with top pair after hitting a pair of queens and refused to fold.
Not long after, Ducharme's pocket threes flopped a set against Stepanian's overcards to seal the victory and capture the Bar Poker Open title.
Day 2 Action
A total of 33 hopefuls returned for Day 2. The first hour saw a flurry of bustouts, with the field quickly trimmed to 20 players after the first two full levels of play.
Alfred Cotten and JP Terrasi clashed in a memorable hand filled with banter as Cotten exclaimed, "You only have one pair. Stop wasting time." Terrasi took the advice and folded, prompting Cotten to show a straight while flexing for the table, drawing laughter from those watching. Terrasi eventually finished in 15th place, while Cotten bowed out in 13th.
The televised final table began with a bang when Ducharme eliminated both Thomas Heinlein and Kurt Lennon by hitting trip jacks to crack both queens and kings. It proved to be Ducharme's hand of the day, as he later hit running trips with ace-jack to crack the pocket kings of Pat Aguiar, sending him to the rail in fifth place.
Day 1b chip leader Vangjel Haxhia entered Day 2 with the most chips and carried that momentum to the final table. However, Haxhia struggled to gain traction as the day progressed and ultimately bowed out in fourth place.
This concludes the PokerNews coverage of the 2026 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship. Check back here for continued coverage of tournaments around the world.
March 9, 2026 @ 07:49 PM
Bryan Ducharme outlasted the rest to take down the 2026 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship title.
Stay tuned here at PokerNews for a recap of Day 2.
March 9, 2026 @ 07:47 PM
Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker League shoved on the button for 2,625,000 and was called by Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League to be at risk.
Richard Stepanian: 
Bryan Ducharme: 
Ducharme improved to a set on the 
flop, but Stepanian was still alive with a straight draw.
The 
turn was of no consequence, and the 
on the river was the last card of the tournament as Stepanian was eliminated in second place.
Stepanian earned $16,000 for his finish.
| Bryan Ducharme | 9,725,000 | 2,625,000  |
| Richard Stepanian | 0 | -2,625,000  |
March 9, 2026 @ 07:44 PM
Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker League raised to 700,000 on the button with 
, and Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League called with 
.
Stepanian continued on the 
flop for 1,000,000. Ducharme stuck around with a call.
Both players checked the 
turn to bring the 
river.
Stepanian shoved and was snap-called by Ducharme as Ducharme took down a consequential pot to retake the chip lead.
| Bryan Ducharme | 7,100,000 | 2,850,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 2,625,000 | -2,850,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 07:37 PM
Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League limped on the button, and Richard Stepanian checked from the big blind to bring the flop.
Stepanian bet 500,000 and was called by Ducharme to bring the .
This did not slow down Stepanian, who bet 900,000 as Ducharme folded to yield the pot and the chip lead to Stepanian.
| Richard Stepanian | 5,475,000 | 800,000 |
| Bryan Ducharme | 4,250,000 | -800,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 07:32 PM
Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League raised on the button to 800,000. Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker League defended his big blind.
Stepanian shoved on the 
flop and Ducharme folded to pull Stepanian close to even in the heads up match.
| Bryan Ducharme | 5,050,000 | -1,700,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 4,675,000 | 1,625,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 07:29 PM
Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League limped from the small blind, and Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker League checked.
The flop came 
before Stepanian ripped it in and was called by Ducharme to be at risk for the tournament title.
Richard Stepanian: 
Bryan Ducharme: 
Ducharme had his opponent on the ropes, but the turn gave Stepanian plenty of outs.
The river completed Stepanian's flush to double him early in teh heads up match.
| Bryan Ducharme | 6,750,000 | -1,300,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 3,050,000 | 1,675,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 07:23 PM
Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League got the hand started with a limp from the small blind, and Glenda Ricci of Eastern Poker League checked her big blind.
The flop came 
. Ducharme checked, and Ricci bet 400,000. Ducharme called.
Ducharme checked again on the turn. Ricci bet 800,000, but Ducharme opted to check-raise all-in to put Ricci at risk for 2,150,000. Ricci called.
Glenda Ricci: 
Bryan Ducharme: 
Ricci was ahead of Ducharme with a pair of queens, but the river was not what she was hoping for as it came the 
to give Ducharme two pair and eliminate Ricci.
Ricci bagged $10,500 for her finish.
| Bryan Ducharme | 8,050,000 | 3,300,000 |
| Glenda Ricci | 0 | -4,650,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 07:04 PM
Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League raised to 350,000 on the button with 
and was called by Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker League from the big blind with 
.
The flop came 
before Stepanian checked. Ducharme bet 350,000, which garnered a fold from Stepanian.
| Bryan Ducharme | 4,750,000 | -200,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 1,375,000 | 0 |
March 9, 2026 @ 06:57 PM
Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker League limped from the small blind, and Bryan Ducharme of Deepstacks Poker League checked.
The flop came 
before both players checked.
Stepanian bet 175,000 on the 
turn and was called by Ducharme.
The river led to a bet of 300,000 from Stepanian, and Ducharme quickly called.
Stepanian pitched his 
into the muck, while Ducharme claimed the pot with .
| Bryan Ducharme | 4,950,000 | 1,550,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 1,375,000 | -300,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 06:51 PM
Updated counts following the break.
| Glenda Ricci | 4,650,000 | 300,000 |
| Bryan Ducharme | 3,400,000 | -295,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 1,675,000 | 550,000 |
March 9, 2026 @ 06:35 PM
Players are on a 15-minute break. Three remain in the 2026 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship. Play will resume at the 75,000/150,000 level.
March 9, 2026 @ 06:10 PM
Glenda Ricci of Eastern Poker Tour opened to 540,000 on the button, and was called by Richard Stepanian of Eastern Poker Tour from the small blind.
The flop came 
before Stepanian checked. Ricci bet 500,000 and was called.
Both players checked the turn and the 
river.
Ricci showed 
, which had Stepnian's crushed to take down the pot.
| Glenda Ricci | 4,350,000 | 210,000 |
| Richard Stepanian | 1,125,000 | -670,000 |
Payouts
1: Bryan Ducharme
$26,400 USD
2: Richard Stepanian
$16,000 USD
3: Glenda Ricci
$10,500 USD
4: Vangjel Haxhia
$7,400 USD
5: Pat Aguiar
$5,800 USD
6: Bill Sandiford
$4,750 USD
7: Kurt Lennon
$3,700 USD
8: Thomas Heinlein
$2,670 USD
9: David Short
$2,100 USD
10: Marianna Laccetti
$1,500 USD
Show More
11: Paul Chamberlain
$1,500 USD
12: Robert Savadge
$1,500 USD
13: Alfred Cotten
$1,300 USD
14: Aaron Boas
$1,300 USD
15: JP Terrasi
$1,300 USD
16: Sam Ho
$1,160 USD
17: Ron Mangiarelli
$1,160 USD
18: Kristen May
$1,160 USD
19: Chris Thatcher
$1,000 USD
20: Jerry Hill
$1,000 USD
21: Nathaniel McNamara
$1,000 USD
22: Mike Diamond
$1,000 USD
23: David Silva
$1,000 USD
24: Tony Gately
$1,000 USD
25: Ariel Suchecki
$1,000 USD
26: Mari Tomaccio
$1,000 USD
27: Terry Shawl
$1,000 USD
28: Domenico Armano
$900 USD
29: James Shelton
$900 USD
30: Tony Lorenz
$900 USD
31: Jolanda Tedford
$900 USD
32: Jordan Germaine
$900 USD
33: Jason Bergman
$900 USD
34: Patrick Aguiar
$1,000 USD
Top Chip Counts
1: Bryan Ducharme
9,725,000 Chips
2: Richard Stepanian
Busted
3: Glenda Ricci
Busted
4: Vangjel Haxhia
Busted
5: Pat Aguiar
Busted
6: Bill Sandiford
Busted
7: Kurt Lennon
Busted
8: Thomas Heinlein
Busted
9: David Short
Busted
10: Terry Shawl
Busted
