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Through the first week of the U.S. Poker Open, five players have won battles, but the outcome of the war is still to be decided. That is because the USPO Championship trophy doesn’t go to the player that starts the fastest or was the most successful through the first few events of the series. The USPO Championship trophy will go to the winningest player throughout the series, meaning that the war won’t be over until the $50,000 NLH Main Event concludes.

While the USPO war won’t end until a $50,000 finale winner is crowned, there will likely only be a few warriors left on the battlefield when Friday’s Event #7 final table wraps up. Stephen Chidwick leads the way into another $25,000 High Roller final table and if he takes home his third title of the series, he will have over $1.3 million in USPO earnings. No matter where Chidwick finishes at Friday’s final table, he will enter the final event of the series with a nearly $500,000 lead on his nearest competitor.

Daniel Negreanu is the only other player that will add to his total at the Event #7 final table. “Kid Poker” has cashed four times through the USPO, but two of those scores were min-cashes. That means that Negreanu will need to book a deep run in the $25,000 High Roller Simply and then make another run in the $50,000 NLH Main Event.

As one of the short stacks, Negreanu will have his work cut out for him if he wants to overtake Chidwick at the top of the USPO Championship standings. He’ll not only have to take care of his own results, anything less than back-to-back podium finishes likely won’t be enough, but he also needs a sizable field come together for the $50,000 finale. If it does, there will be enough up top to have a handful of players contend for the USPO title. If it doesn’t, Chidwick could clinch the trophy before Event #8 reaches a final table.

Watch the race for the USPO Championship take place in real time on PokerGO, when the Event #7 final table begins at 4:00 PM ET. Subscribe now to watch the world’s best players compete in the eight-event U.S. Poker Open on PokerGO.

PokerGO, Stephen Chidwick, Daniel Negreanu, U.S. Poker Open, USPO, High Roller