Alan Keating Forfeits $25,000 Heads-Up Championship Match After Failing to Appear

Cash game specialist Alan Keating registered for his first event of the 2026 World Series of Poker on Saturday but ultimately failed to compete in the tournament. After paying the $25,000 entry fee for Day 1b of Event #7: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship, Keating did not show up on time for his scheduled opening match.

Keating was drawn to face Piotr Krupa in the first round of the 128-player bracket. As the match began without him, his stack was actively being blinded out. Keating eventually contacted tournament operators to inform them that he was running late and chose to officially concede the match.

As a direct result of the concession, Krupa advances to the second round without playing a hand. Krupa will face the winner of the first-round match between Adrian Mateos and Nikita Kuznetsov. Meanwhile, Keating forfeits the $25,000 buy-in he put up to enter the Championship event.