James Chen Captures First PokerGO Tour Title With $10,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Victory

The stakes have been raised on the 2024 PokerGO Tour Pot-Limit Omaha Series II. The first three occasions of the PLO pageant all featured $5,100 buy-ins, however the price of entry grew to $10,1000 for occasion no. 4. With 100 whole entries, there was $1,000,000 in prize cash up for grabs on this occasion, with the biggest share finally being awarded to James Chen.

The Pennsylvania resident walked away with $220,000 and his first PGT title because the final participant standing. This was his second-largest event payday but, and it elevated his lifetime earnings to $1,049,287.

Chen’s largest rating got here in 2023, when he completed because the runner-up within the $10,000 Omaha eight-or-better championship on the World Series of Poker. Nearly a yr faraway from that shut name, Chen took down the $1,500 Omaha eight-or-better eight-max occasion at 2024 WSOP to safe his first bracelet.

Chen secured 255 PGT factors for this win. This was his second money of the collection, having additionally eked into the cash in occasion no. 1. With 263 whole factors, he now sits in second place within the collection standings. He additionally climbed to only exterior the highest 150 on the season-long PGT points leaderboard.

This occasion noticed the highest 15 finishers made the cash, with massive names like two-time bracelet winner Dylan Linde (fifteenth), two-time bracelet winner Sam Soverel (14th), three-time bracelet winner Jim Collopy (thirteenth), six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus (twelfth), two-time Super High Roller Bowl champion Isaac Haxton (eleventh), two-time bracelet winner Ben Lamb (tenth), two-time bracelet winner Alex Livingston (ninth), and ten-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel (eighth) all working deep.

The second and remaining day of this event noticed seven gamers return to the PokerGO Studio inside ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas, with Chen within the lead and PGT PLO Series II occasion no. 3 champion Matthew Wantman sitting on the second-largest stack.

Jose ‘Nacho’ Barbero scored the primary knockout of the day, together with his double-suited kings outrunning the double-suited aces of bracelet winner Joni Jouhkimainen (seventh – $40,000). Chen then despatched bracelet winner Eelis Parssinen packing in sixth place ($50,000), with an overpair holding in opposition to center pair and a flush draw for the Finn.

Samuel Sipila got here out on prime within the factors race on the first PGT PLO Series of the yr, profitable two titles and making two extra remaining tables at that pageant. His first money this time round was for $65,000. He completed fifth on this occasion when his double-suited pocket queens with ace-high spades bumped into pocket aces for Chen, who backed right into a flush to safe the pot.

Chen’s surge continued when his QQ83 gained in opposition to the AJ52 in a preflop conflict with Wantman, who got here into the hand short-stacked. Pocket queens performed for Chen by the tip and Wantman was eradicated in fourth place ($90,000). The 90 PGT factors he earned had been sufficient to maintain him within the lead within the collection standings, with 319 whole factors earned throughout 4 cashes.

Sean Rafael’s final chips went in preflop with AOk97 going through the AAQ9 of Chen. An ace-high runout gave Chen a profitable set and the knockout. Rafael earned $115,000 because the third-place finisher.

Chen entered heads-up play with 11,475,000 to Nacho Barbero’s 1,025,000. The bracelet winner from Argentina managed a pair fast double-ups and even overtook the lead, however Chen regained management in time for the ultimate hand of the event. Chen opened to 450,000 on the button with QJ87 and Barbero potted, making it 1,350,000 from the large blind with AOkJ4. Chen known as and the Q106 flop prompted a 2,850,000 guess from Barbero, who had flopped a wrap draw. Chen shoved together with his prime pair and gutshot. Barbero known as for 4,725,000 whole. The 3 on the flip gave Chen a spade flush draw and the 6 on the tip formally earned him the title. Barbero earned $200,000 because the runner-up. He now has greater than $21 million in recorded earnings.

Barbero additionally earned 500 Card Player Player of the Year factors. This was his eighth final-table end of the yr. With 4,043 whole factors, he’s now the Twenty sixth-ranked contender within the 2024 POY standing introduced by Global Poker. He additionally climbed to 66th place within the PGT season-long rankings.

Photo credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.