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The Arizona State Poker Championship marked its 20th anniversary in style, drawing a massive field of 4,018 entries to Talking Stick Resort. After four starting flights and three additional days of play, Evan Sandberg emerged as champion, earning $627,050 for the win.
The Vegas-based, Bay Area-born pro defeated Jared Rogers heads-up to secure the title, marking a career-high cash despite already holding over $2.5 million in lifetime tournament earnings. Sandberg admitted he had often fallen short in similarly high-stakes final tables before this victory.
Sandberg entered the final day as chip leader among ten returning players but faced a turbulent start. At one point four-handed, he was under ten big blinds and won a crucial all-in with ace-deuce suited against pocket nines when the board ran out fours full of tens, chopping the pot and sparking his comeback.
Notable eliminations throughout the day included John Phan, Ronnie Bardah, Hill Kerby, and Jonathan Roeder. Brandon Conrad emerged as a dominant force, eliminating several players including local favorite Moussa Haddad and Sergio Segura, at one point building nearly half the chips in play.
Three-handed play proved tense, with over $400,000 separating first and third place. A pivotal hand saw Sandberg river a straight with ace-king against Conrad’s pocket fives, eliminating Conrad in third and setting up the heads-up finish.
Rogers, short-stacked in the final match, moved all in with nine-six suited but was outdrawn by Sandberg’s jack-eight suited, which improved to a full house. The two shared a handshake after the tournament concluded, with Sandberg calling the win a major milestone in his career.
