Fausto Valdez's Hat-Trick Victory at L.A. Poker Classic 2026

Fausto Valdez kicked off his 2026 campaign with a win at the L.A. Poker Classic, taking down the $400 six-max event for $7,110. Just days later, he found himself with a much larger payout, banking $252,840 in the $1,200 no-limit event while topping a huge field of 1,444 players. If that wasn’t enough, he returned to the Commerce two weeks later and also won the $1,100 six-max event, pocketing another $13,990. It was his third Remington trophy of the series, and his fourth overall having also won the $400 opener in 2025 for $68,945. Valdez now has more than $1.5 million in career tournament earnings.

Valdez has also established himself as a respected poker coach. He currently makes content for Jaka Coaching, and has taken on more than 400 students and counting. It’s been a long road for the New York City native, who first picked up the game as a cure for boredom before realizing it could replace his 9-to-5 job. He started off as a low-stakes cash game grinder before moving up to the bigger games and then focused on tournaments.

Card Player caught up with Valdez recently to talk about the biggest of his three wins in Los Angeles, breaking down some key hands he played en route to victory. Fausto Valdez folded against Erick Ordonez with K♥10♠ on a A♦K♦7♥ board. Fausto Valdez raised with K♥10♣ against Duey Duong on a Q♦J♠7♦ board.