The prize pool for the Elite Tampa Bay Poker League Winter/Spring 2026 season has climbed to $83,000 and the league is firmly on track to send nine players to the WSOP Main Event this summer assuming an average of 35 entries the next two weeks. Week 18 brought 34 entries including 6 rebuys, and the night belonged to Dan Cuesta and Jordan Joeckel, who went heads-up and chopped first place to each pocket 13 points. Andra Zachow added a strong 3rd-place finish to vault herself back into serious contention, and Rob Fulton’s 4th-place showing was a timely reminder that the bottom half of the leaderboard is not going quietly. With two weeks left and 28 final table points still on the board, every seat remains very much in play.

A double for Karl through Hugh

And Stuart Phillips, playing for Saif, was Saif after knocking Juan out.

Clive & Don kept getting into it!

A knockout of the boxer by Dan Questa

A double for Clive through Stu

Clive’s 88<Rob’s 77

Clive Gavin 9th

Stuart Phillips TT<Rob Fulton’s AQ

Stuart (for Saif) 8th

Andra’s KK>Ondrei’s 55 when Ondrei picked the wrong time to jam

Ondrei Ronhaar 7th

A huge double for Jay vs Rob Fulton when he hit the FH on the river

Then B v B Andra rivered a flush vs Evan ‘s trip Ks

A chop for Rob and Evan P

A double for Jordan v Evan P

Evan Pantano <Dan Cuesta

Evan P 6th

Dan Cuesta QQ>Rob Fulton TT > Jay Capitano

Jay Capitano 5th

Rob Fulton 4th

Andra Zachow was 3rd for her last few chips

And it was a chop for first between Dan Cuesta and Jordan Joeckel!

The final table in order of finish was:

Week 18

1 Dan Cuesta/Jordan Joeckel

2 chop

3 Andra Zachow

4 Rob Fulton

5  Jay Capitano

6 Evan Pantano

7  Ondrei Ronhaar

8  Stuart Phillips (Saif)

9 Clive Gavin

Here is where things stand heading into the final two weeks with 28 points still available and the 8th-place cutline sitting at 64.

Josh Nicholson and Jay Capitano continue to lead the field at 98 points and are the only players who are mathematically untouchable — nobody can even reach 99. Saif Keshwani and Evan Pantano are locked in a dead heat for 2nd at 88 points each, and with only two players in the entire field capable of mathematically reaching 89, they are also locked in.

The bubble remains a genuine knife fight. Evan Vancavage and Jason Barnett and Steve Trizis are tied at 62 — just 2 points off the cut — and neither made the final table this week. Andra Zachow’s 3rd-place finish pushed her to 60, putting her just 4 back and very much alive. Chrissy Holubeck is at 59 and Maribeth Hilliard at 57. Five players within 7 points of 8th place, two weeks left, and 28 points on the table.

Rob Fulton deserves a separate mention. His 4th-place finish moved him to 50 points and he is building momentum at exactly the right time. Ondrei Ronhaar’s 7th-place finish nudged him to 45, and he and Shawn O’Brien are tied there. Daniel Cuesta’s chop win was a statement — he jumped to 39 points but with only 15 weeks played he must attend both remaining weeks without exception. From roughly 10th place down, the math now requires a final table finish and some help from above — but that is exactly what the final weeks of this league tend to deliver.

REMEMBER – YOU MUST PLAY 17 OF 20 WEEKS AND 4 OF THE LAST 5 WEEKS!!!

On the attendance front: Karl Manouchakian must play both remaining weeks without exception. Daniel Cuesta is at 15 weeks and needs both. John Coleman is at 16 weeks and needs at least one more. Mike Ozer is at 15 weeks and needs both. Two weeks, 28 points, and only five seats are clinched. See you at the felt.