Amidst a sea of United States players, Brazilian João Simão emerged as champion of Event 8 (US$ 15,100 NLH) of the US Poker Open. The tournament, decided last Monday (20) in Las Vegas (USA), was part of the festival’s schedule valid for the PokerGO Tour.
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Event 8 registered a field of 61 entries, distributing US$ 915 thousand in total payouts. The largest share, for champion João Simão, was US$ 292,800. He was the only final table player not representing the USA, and after reaching the final as chip leader, he maintained the momentum to confirm the result.
Immediately after eliminating Dylan Linde in 4-handed play, João Simão surged into the lead, reaching up to 85% of the chips in play at one point. The Brazilian also dispatched Justin Zaki, and by starting the heads-up with ten times more chips than Zach Bruch, it didn’t take long to settle the score.
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With less than 10 bbs at the start of the heads-up, Bruch even managed to double his stack, winning a TT versus 55 duel. However, in the second all-in, he was dominated with JT versus KJ, and without the help of the deck, he was eliminated. By confirming second place, he took US$ 183 thousand.
Check out the final standings of Event 8:
| Position | Name | Country | Prize |
| 1 | João Simão | Brazil | US$ 292.800 |
| 2 | Zach Bruch | USA | US$ 183.000 |
| 3 | Justin Zaki | USA | US$ 128.100 |
| 4 | Dylan Linde | USA | US$ 91.500 |
| 5 | Aram Zobian | USA | US$ 68.625 |
| 6 | Shannon Shorr | USA | US$ 50.325 |
| 7 | Paul Roy | USA | US$ 36.600 |
After moving to the USA, João Simão became a frequent figure in PokerGO Tour competitions. So much so that this was his fourth title in circuit tournaments, being the first in 2026. The last time he had celebrated a PGT tournament win was in the giant Super High Roller Bowl, in December, in a victory that earned him US$ 1.1 million.
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