Maryland Doctor Wins $136,054 at Potomac Poker Open Final Table

Family doctor Kyle Smith won the main event of the Potomac Summer Poker Open after his hospital shift, taking home $136,054 after making a deal heads-up.

At the final table of the Potomac Summer Poker Open Main Event with a $3,000 buy-in, the unexpected hero was Maryland family physician Kyle Smith. Before taking his seat to compete for the top prize, Smith worked a shift at the hospital, then went on to capture the title and $136,054 after agreeing to a deal in heads-up play with Phong Nguyen. The final day of the tournament, which drew 280 entries, unfolded at a rapid and dramatic pace, and Smith’s victory marked the biggest achievement of his poker career. Potomac Summer Poker Open $3,000 Main Event Final Table Results Place Player Prize 1 Kyle Smith $136,054* 2 Phong Nguyen $130,000* 3 Justin Liberto not specified 4 Patrick Martorella not specified 5 Jonathan Moritz not specified 6 Chris Kiani not specified * Prizes reflect the heads-up deal. Family Doctor at the Final Table: The Journey of Kyle Smith Kyle Smith is a recreational player originally from Michigan who now works as a family physician in Bethesda, Maryland. Despite a demanding work schedule, he still finds time to play live poker tournaments. On the day of the final table, Smith got just four hours of sleep before heading to work at the hospital, and after his shift, he made his way to MGM National Harbor to compete for the top prize. Prior to this win, his total live tournament earnings were around $90,000 (according to Hendon Mob), with his best result being a runner-up finish for $51,000 in a $320 Mystery Bounty event at the 2023 Potomac Poker Open, also held at MGM National Harbor. This victory, therefore, earned Smith a sum several times greater than all his previous winnings combined. After his win, Smith said that the prize money meant more to him than the trophy itself, but it was still gratifying to come out on top of a 280-player field. He emphasized that he has no plans to change his profession: “I’m an amateur. Today I got up and went to work, even though I only slept four hours. This win won’t change my poker career, but it might make a difference financially.” Key Hands and Final Table Action Six players returned for the final day, with Smith starting fourth in chips. Early on, he faced a tough decision when chip leader Patrick Martorella moved all-in on the turn. Smith tanked before calling with pocket eights, while Martorella held both straight and flush draws. Smith’s hand held up, and the double-up vaulted him into the chip lead. Smith later remarked that if his call had been wrong, it could have gone down as “one of the biggest bluffs in tournament poker history.” But making the right decision gave him confidence: “I felt like I could play more relaxed and put my opponents in tough spots.” Soon after, Smith eliminated Chris Kiani in sixth place by making a straight on the river. Martorella managed to rebuild his stack somewhat by knocking out Jonathan Moritz, who had qualified for the tournament through an online satellite on BetMGM. Moritz was all-in with an ace but failed to improve and finished fifth. The next pivotal hand saw Martorella shove for 1,270,000, with Smith calling from the small blind. The flop gave Smith top pair, and the river gave Martorella two pair, kings and sevens. Martorella began to celebrate his double-up, but Smith revealed aces and jacks to win the pot. That hand ended Martorella’s run in fourth place, while Smith claimed about 60% of the chips in play. Justin Liberto—the most accomplished player at the final table, with two WSOP bracelets and over $8 million in live tournament earnings—couldn’t turn things around. After losing several hands, Liberto shoved all-in from the small blind with eight-high, and Nguyen quickly called from the big blind with pocket nines. Liberto didn’t improve and finished third. Heads-Up: Phong Nguyen’s Comeback and the Deal At the start of heads-up play, Smith held a commanding chip lead—13,400,000 to Nguyen’s 3,400,000. The players discussed a possible deal: Nguyen was offered an extra $12,000 on top of the second-place payout ($112,048), but he declined, saying, “I have nothing to lose.” Play continued. In one of the first hands, Smith made a pair of kings and won a big pot against Nguyen’s tens. Nguyen dropped below 2,000,000, but then doubled up with top pair of queens against Smith’s nines. After that, Nguyen made a flush and then a nut straight in back-to-back hands, taking the chip lead at the final table for the first time. Just before the break, another key hand unfolded: on a board with two tens, Smith bet 1,700,000 on the river, Nguyen called with queen-ten, but Smith showed ace-ten to reclaim the lead. After the break, the players revisited deal discussions and quickly reached an agreement: Nguyen received about $130,000, while Smith took home $137,000. They also split the trophies: Smith took the MGM National Harbor glass trophy, while Nguyen received the black BetMGM trophy. Smith was officially crowned the tournament champion and posed for the winner’s photo. Smith admitted that even when Nguyen mounted his comeback and took the chip lead, he stayed calm: “I just kept reminding myself to be patient and play my game. It’s easy to feel like things are slipping out of control, but in reality, we still had plenty of chips and room to maneuver. I just waited for my spot.” The next day, Smith was back at work in his clinic, but that evening remained special—he became a champion by making the most important “diagnostic” decision of his poker life. Context: Potomac Summer Poker Open Series and Final Table Participants The Potomac Summer Poker Open is a major poker series held at MGM National Harbor. The Main Event, with a $3,000 buy-in, attracted 280 entries and generated a substantial prize pool. Among the finalists were both seasoned professionals and recreational players who qualified through online satellites. Justin Liberto, who finished third, deserves special mention. He is a two-time WSOP bracelet winner and one of the most successful live poker players, with over $8 million in earnings. Jonathan Moritz qualified for the tournament via BetMGM, while Patrick Martorella started the final table as chip leader but was eliminated in fourth place after a series of tough hands against Smith. Phong Nguyen showed resilience and skill, overcoming a massive chip deficit to take the lead in heads-up play before agreeing to a deal. Chris Kiani finished sixth, while the other final table participants—Kevin Kwak, Nicholas Verderamo, and Casey Hatmaker—were eliminated earlier in the tournament. Poker Formats and Terms Used in the Tournament Buy-in — the amount a player pays to enter a tournament. In this case, the buy-in was $3,000. All-in — betting all your remaining chips. If a player loses an all-in, they are eliminated from the tournament. Straight/flush draw — a situation where a player needs one more card to complete a straight (five consecutive cards) or a flush (five cards of the same suit). Top pair — a pair made with the highest card on the board. Chip leader — the player with the largest stack (number of chips) at a certain stage of the tournament. Heads-up — the final stage of a tournament when only two players remain. Deal — an agreement between the remaining players to split the remaining prize pool under certain conditions. Satellite — a qualifying tournament with a smaller buy-in, where the winner earns a ticket to a bigger event. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players Kyle Smith’s story is a great example that even recreational players who don’t devote all their time to poker can achieve major success in live tournaments. For PPPoker club members, it’s proof that regular practice and confidence in your decisions can lead to big results, even if you combine poker with a full-time job. It’s also important to highlight the role of mental resilience and the ability to make tough decisions under pressure. Smith wasn’t afraid to make a big call against the chip leader, which became the turning point of the tournament. For PPPoker club players, this is a reminder to focus on mental game work and analyzing key hands—skills that are valuable both online and in live events. Finally, Smith’s experience shows that playing tournaments with different buy-ins, including through online satellites, can open the door to big prizes. In the PPPoker ecosystem, there are regular qualifiers and club events that let you step up and test yourself against strong opponents. Don’t miss the opportunities that club play offers, and use every session to develop your skills!