Coleman Takes the Crown in the $25K Showdown; Wilson Wins Player of the Series Again!
David Coleman Steals the Show
In a thrilling finale to the 2026 U.S. Poker Open, David Coleman outshone the competition by clinching victory in Event #10: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em. He walked away with a whopping $420,000 after a nail-biting heads-up showdown against Kristen Foxen.
All Eyes on the Final Table
With 48 players vying for glory, only seven made it to Day 2, eager to chase down the title. The stakes were incredibly high as the final table held significant implications for the Player of the Series race. Cherish Andrews was in hot pursuit, trying to snatch the top spot from her boyfriend, Brock Wilson.
Coleman’s Epic Journey
Coleman kicked off Day 1 with an impressive surge despite arriving late to the game. “I maxed out the late registration and within 90 minutes, I had four starting stacks,” he chuckled. “It’s a sweet feeling when you waltz in late and hit the ground running!”
As the final day unfolded, Coleman maintained a cool composure even with the pressure mounting. “I had a slight chip lead, so I had to be strategic,” he noted. “With some short stacks at the table, I tried to leverage my position… I won a few all-ins and got lucky on the flop more times than I can count.”
On a Winning Wave
This victory adds another feather to Coleman’s already decorated cap. Hot off a stellar performance at EPT Barcelona in 2025, where he snagged not one, not two, but four second-place finishes, the poker star then secured his first WSOP bracelet and Triton title in December 2025. Talk about a winning streak!
Coleman’s popularity is on the ascent in the high-stakes poker realm, but he remains humble. “Recognition is nice, but it’s not what drives me,” he stated. “I’m just here to play my game.”
What’s Next for Coleman?
As summer rolls around, Coleman is gearing up for more action in Las Vegas. “I’ll dive into a bunch of events and, who knows, might just play everything except someone else’s game,” he quipped. “I’m stoked for a summer full of poker!”
Cherish Andrews Misses the Mark
Meanwhile, all eyes were on Cherish Andrews as she sat down at the final table, eyeing that coveted Player of the Series title. After Ebony Kenney took a bow in seventh place, Andrews found herself on the ropes but made some stunning comebacks with crucial double-ups, bringing her chip count to over one million!
However, her fortune took a turn when a bold bluff against Coleman fell flat, sending her chip count tumbling. Her run ultimately ended in sixth place, leaving the Player of the Series title—and the bragging rights—firmly in Wilson’s grasp.
Elimination Madness
As the competition heated up, big names fell. The formidable Jesse Lonis was eliminated in fifth place, taking a final stand with ace-three against a pair of pocket fives. Ouch! And just when you thought it couldn’t get more intense, Darren Elias spun his short stack up to second place in chips before an unfortunate blind-versus-blind battle saw him exit in fourth.
Coleman applied relentless pressure, sending Richard Green packing and setting the stage for a climactic heads-up face-off with Foxen.
The Final Showdown
Entering heads-up play with approximately a 6-to-1 chip lead, Coleman initially had Foxen on the ropes, pushing her stack dangerously low. But she clawed back with a double-up, and things heated up again when she hit trip queens on the river. But alas, Coleman’s patience prevailed as she made a surprising fold, leaving her in dire straits.
Coleman finished her off with a cheeky bad beat, using queen-eight to crack Foxen’s pocket tens and sealing the deal on an unforgettable tournament. Talk about an epic finale!
