Chino Rheem wrapped up a career-best year in 2025 with $3,487,508 in live tournament winnings—the biggest annual haul of his career—and he’s wasting no time proving it wasn’t a one-off. The Californian has come flying out of the gate in 2026, already piling up results at an eye-catching pace.
Rheem kicked off the year by making four consecutive final tables during the PokerGO Tour Last Chance series, then added three more cashes inside the PokerGO Studio. That momentum carried into this week, where he secured his first trophy of the year by taking down the $5,300 H.O.R.S.E event at the PGT Mixed Games.
The win came after Rheem navigated a 101-entry field and sealed the title by defeating Dylan Linde following a heads-up agreement that guaranteed both players $100,000, with an additional $12,100 still in play for the winner.
PGT Mixed Games $5,300 H.O.R.S.E Final Table Payouts
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chino Rheem | $112,100* |
| 2 | Dylan Linde | $100,000* |
| 3 | Alex Livingston | $58,075 |
| 4 | Matt Vengrin | $45,450 |
| 5 | Brian Breck | $32,825 |
| 6 | Eli Elezra | $25,250 |
| 7 | Chad Eveslage | $20,200 |
*Heads-up deal
From Short Stack to Champion
Rheem’s path to victory wasn’t smooth early on. At one stage during the final table, he was reduced to just two-thirds of a big bet. A timely triple-up turned the tide, followed by a string of well-chosen steals, the elimination of Eli Elezra in sixth place, and a pivotal Stud pot against Brian Breck that pushed Rheem into the chip lead.
Momentum briefly swung in Dylan Linde’s favor when he cracked Breck in Stud and then quickly sent Matt Vengrin to the rail in Hold’em, setting up three-handed play with Alex Livingston. Rheem halted that run by eliminating Livingston in Stud to secure a spot in heads-up play.
Stud continued to treat Rheem kindly during the duel with Linde, highlighted by a massive 7.4 million-chip pot where Rheem forced a fold to stretch his lead to nearly 2:1. Stud Hi-Lo finished the job, with Rheem’s full house overpowering Linde’s trips to capture the title.
Is 2026 Shaping Up to Be Another Monster Year?
At this stage, Rheem’s poker résumé needs little introduction. He now boasts three PGT Mixed Games titles and nine PokerGO Tour victories, alongside three WPT titles and his 2019 PCA Main Event triumph. Nearly $20 million in live tournament cashes underline a career most players could only dream of.
Still, one achievement remains missing.
Despite countless deep runs, a World Series of Poker bracelet continues to elude Rheem. He’s come painfully close four times, finishing runner-up in events spanning Stud, PLO, PLO Hi-Lo, and No-Limit Hold’em.
If anything, those near-misses highlight Rheem’s versatility. Very few players are genuinely competitive across that many formats, and even fewer consistently put themselves in contention year after year. Rheem is anything but a single-game specialist.
A WSOP bracelet would also complete poker’s coveted Triple Crown for Rheem. With titles already secured on the World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour (via the PCA Main Event), a WSOP win would place him among an exclusive group of just ten players. Mike Watson was the most recent addition in 2024—and Rheem looks well-positioned to quietly become the next.
Given his fast start to 2026, it’s not difficult to imagine this being the year it finally happens. If this form carries into the summer, Rheem may not only be chasing a bracelet but could also find himself firmly in the WSOP Player of the Year discussion.
PGT Mixed Games and SHRB Mixed Games Schedule
With the opening event complete, the PGT Mixed Games series continues toward the $25K 10-Game Championship on February 10, before transitioning straight into the Super High Roller Bowl: Mixed Games from February 12–14.
The next live broadcast goes out Saturday, February 7 at 1 p.m. local time, featuring coverage of the $10K 8-Game on the PokerGO YouTube channel.
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 3 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #1: $5,300 H.O.R.S.E. |
| Feb 4 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #2: $5,300 8-Game |
| Feb 5 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #3: $10,200 T.O.R.S.E. |
| Feb 6 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #4: $10,200 8-Game |
| Feb 7 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #5: $15,200 Big Bet Mix |
| Feb 9 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #6: $15,200 Dealer’s Choice |
| Feb 10 | 12 p.m. | PGT Mixed Games #7: $25,300 10-Game Championship |
| Feb 12–14 | 1 p.m. | Super High Roller Bowl $100,500 Mixed Games |
| Feb 13 | 2 p.m. | SHRB Event #1: 8-Game |
