James Obst Wins PGT Mixed Games $25,000 Finale

The ultimate title of the 2025 PokerGO Tour Mixed Games competition was captured by James Obst, who was making his first money of the sequence. Obst beat out a subject of 56 entries within the $25,000 10-game combine occasion, incomes $462,000 and the PGT trophy. The Australian poker professional now has almost $4.5 million in recorded match earnings, together with two victories in World Series of Poker bracelet occasions.

Obst took just a few years away from skilled play to pursue a profession in tennis, however returned to the scene in 2023 and rapidly bought again to his successful methods. This newest triumph was his largest payday but, topping the $427,930 he earned for a Thirteenth-place end within the 2016 WSOP important occasion.

This win got here with 277 PGT factors, sufficient to see him end in sixth place within the series-long factors race regardless of no prior cashes through the seven-event competition. The total participant of the sequence honors finally went to Chino Rheem, who received the $10,000 8-game combine occasion, completed third within the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E., and cashed within the $15,000 vendor’s alternative.

This match drew 56 entries contained in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas, which resulted in a $1,400,000 prize pool. The high eight finishers made the cash, with six-figure scores for the ultimate 5.

The cash bubble burst when Obst scooped three-time bracelet winner and two-time World Poker Tour champion Chad Eveslage with a straight in stud eight-or-better. Eveslage bought all-in with break up kings towards Obst’s made jack-high straight. He hit operating aces to finish up with two pair, nevertheless it was nonetheless second-best for the excessive, and neither participant had a qualifying low. With that, the remaining eight gamers all locked up at the least $56,000 for his or her efforts whereas Eveslage headed to the rail empty-handed.

Obst continued his surge up the leaderboard by eliminating $10,000 Mori’s Mix occasion winner Maxx Coleman in eighth place ($56,000). The two bought all-in after a Okay54 flop, with Coleman having just a few large blinds to begin the hand. Coleman held OkayJJ9 towards Obst’s AOkay62. The 4 and three river noticed Obst enhance to a six-high straight to win the pot. Coleman completed with $363,500 in complete earnings throughout the sequence, along with his 322 factors good for a third-place exhibiting within the ultimate competition standings.

Jason Mercier’s run got here to an finish in seventh place ($56,000). The six-time bracelet winner misplaced a giant one towards Aaron Sacks in stud eight-or-better to fall to the underside of the leaderboard. He quickly bought all-in taking part in the identical recreation with (A2)5 towards the (AA)J of Sacks. Mercier wound up making aces and queens for a excessive whereas bricking out on a low after making 4 to a wheel by fourth road. Sacks had made aces and fives on sixth road, then discovered one other 5 on seventh to scoop with a full home. Mercier is now approaching $21.2 million in profession earnings after recording what was his 2 hundredth recorded match rating.

Jason Mercier eradicated in seventh place by Aaron Sacks in PGT Mixed Games Event #7.@JasonMercier was all-in on third road in Stud Hi-Lo with three-to-a-low and made aces-up, however Sacks began with buried aces and improved to a full home.

Mercier earns $56,000 and 34 PGT… pic.twitter.com/dYMZjUNkpV

— PGT (@PokerGOTour) March 6, 2025

Two-time bracelet winner Nick Guagenti had slid to the underside of the chip counts throughout early six-handed motion. He then misplaced the vast majority of his remaining stack in a triple draw deuce-to-seven lowball conflict with Robert Wells. Guagenti folded after the ultimate draw after having drawn one at a 8-5-3-2 every spherical and was left with a small fraction of a small blind. He was knocked out quickly after in sixth place ($84,000).

Wells adopted in fifth place when his eights up have been bested by Philip Sternheimer’s queens up in stud. He was left with simply shy of a small blind after his ultimate guess was referred to as. Moments later he was heading to the payout desk to gather his $112,000 after 2022 WSOP important occasion third-place finisher Michael Duek took his final chips with journey eights. This was the biggest reside match rating but for Wells.

The subsequent large conflict noticed Obst and Sternheimer go to conflict in no-limit deuce-to-seven single draw. Sternheimer raised to 100,000 with J7542 as the primary to behave predraw and Obst three-bet to 425,000 holding 86532 out of the large blind. Sternheimer four-bet to 925,000 and Obst shoved for 1,725,000 complete. Sternheimer referred to as and patted his mad 8-6. Sternheimer broke his convertible jack and drew up the J to finish up with the identical showdown worth. Obst doubled to greater than 3.4 million whereas Sternheimer slid to 655,000.

Sternheimer was quickly all-in taking part in the identical recreation drawing one at 9-7-3-2. Obst, who had shoved earlier than the draw, drew one at 10-6-5-2. Obst made a 10-7, whereas Sternheimer paired his three to hit the rail in fourth place ($140,000). The UK resident now has greater than $3.1 million in profession earnings.

Duek started to fall behind as three-handed play continued. His ultimate stand got here in no-limit maintain’em. Obst shoved from the small blind with Q9 and Duek referred to as all-in for 900,000 with Okay7. The board got here down J1066Okay and Obst rivered a king-high straight to ship Duek packing in third place ($196,000). The rating grew his lifetime match haul to just about $7.7 million.

James Obst and Aaron Sacks are heads-up in Event #7 of PGT Mixed Games.

Obst – 7,650,000
Sacks – 3,850,000

Both gamers have locked up $294,000 however are taking part in for the $462,000 first-place prize and 277 PGT factors. pic.twitter.com/CJADl0BQ4R

— PGT (@PokerGOTour) March 6, 2025

Heads-up play started with Obst holding roughly a 2:1 chip lead over Sacks. The hole was narrowed within the early going, just for Obst to win a wholesome badugi pot to halt his opponent’s momentum. Obst then took down a large razz pot with a 9-8 to depart Sacks brief.

Sacks managed to double up twice after that, however was quickly all-in and in danger once more. Obst made a six-five badugi after the primary draw and patted from there. Sacks bought the final of his brief stack in drawing lifeless with a 9-5-3 three-card badugi and ended up making a king-nine. He earned $294,000 because the runner-up, his finest match end result but on the scene.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: PokerGO.