Less than per week in the past, Jonas Kronwitter’s first PokerGO Tour title was inside a fingertip’s attain in occasion no. 1 of the PGT PLO Series. With the vast majority of the chips in play in danger towards Sam Soverel, Kronwitter’s multi-way draw didn’t get there towards pocket aces, and he settled for second place.
After reaching the cash in each the second and fourth occasion on the schedule, Kronwitter was again in occasion no. 5 with a mission in thoughts. This time round, he wouldn’t be denied. Kronwitter outlasted a area of 63 entries from a few of the finest PLO event gamers on the earth to safe his debut PGT title and a $201,600 first-place prize. Kronwitter now has practically $4.3 million in profession earnings to his identify after including $308,000 throughout his 4 cashes at this cease.
The Austrian participant defeated Richard Gryko heads-up to shut out the event. The loss marked back-to-back runner-up finishes for Gryko, a World Series of Poker bracelet winner and multi-time Triton Super High Roller champion. Gryko added $126,000 to the $100,400 he earned a day earlier within the $10,000 quattro bounty occasion.
This victory earned Kronwitter 360 Card Player Player of the Year factors, rising his whole for the 12 months to 1,808 POY factors. That places him simply exterior the highest 250 within the 2026 POY standings, that are offered by CoinPoker. Gryko’s second-place end places him in 82nd place. Fifth-place finisher Youness Barakat is fifty fifth within the standings now, whereas seventh-place finisher Chino Rheem is as much as thirty third.
Kronwitter and Gryko additionally sit in first and second place, respectively, within the 2026 PGT PLO Series player of the series standings. The participant of the sequence winner might be awarded a $10,000 PGT passport in the direction of future occasions on the high-stakes tour.
PLO Crushers Battle It Out
As the PGT PLO Series builds in the direction of its finale within the coming days, occasion no. 5 continued a run of thrilling motion, with $630,000 in prize cash up for grabs. It took practically 15 ranges of poker to achieve the cash bubble, which burst as Jeremy Druckman eradicated Kevin Appleyard in tenth place with only a pair of eights. Before the night time was over, 2026 Onyx PLO millionaire Nino Pansier (ninth – $18,900), current Triton Invitational winner Joao Simao (eighth – $25,200), and Rheem (seventh – $25,200) every went out by the hands of Kronwitter.
Richard Gryko then picked up the final of a short-stacked Dylan Linde’s chips, hitting a runner-runner diamond flush to knock the three-time bracelet winner out in sixth place ($34,650). Gryko managed a double via Kronwitter simply earlier than the tip of the night time, although Kronwitter nonetheless held a major chip lead heading into day 2 with 5 gamers left.
Gryko continued his climb by eliminating Barakat after play resumed on the ultimate day. He turned an unbeatable ace-high straight to ship Barakat out in fifth place ($47,250). For Barakat, this was his third money and second final-table look of the sequence.
Can’t Stop Kronwitter
Despite Gryko’s cost, Kronwitter was merely to not be denied on at the present time. Jiyang Gan doubled via Gryko, giving Kronwitter a good greater benefit over his three remaining opponents.
Kronwitter quickly dispatched every, in fast succession. His set of eights beat Druckman’s prime two pair, jacks and nines, to ship him packing in fourth place ($63,000). Gan was the following participant in Kronwitter’s sights. The chips went in on an A♠Q♣6♣ board, with Kronwitter considerably forward, holding A♣9♠9♥4♣ for prime pair and the nut flush draw. Gan had J♠10♣9♦3♣, which means he wanted to discover a non-club king or different operating outs to hold on.
The flip was the Okay♥, instantly giving Gan his three-outer. But the 8♣ river gave Kronwitter his flush, eliminating Gan in third place ($88,200).
With blinds at 40,000-80,000, there was some play left within the stacks, but it surely wouldn’t take lengthy for one closing, huge conflict. Gryko made a pot-sized increase, and Kronwitter known as, bringing a J♦8♥5♥ flop. Kronwitter checked, Gryko wager 275,000, and Kronwitter introduced a pot-sized increase. Gryko re-raised all-in, and Kronwitter known as. Gryko confirmed A♠J♠8♣4♣, and he was technically tied with Kronwitter, who tabled Okay♥J♥8♠7♣ for a similar two pair.
Kronwitter did, nonetheless, maintain the large benefit of a coronary heart flush draw, which got here in on the A♥ flip. Gryko had two aces to win, in addition to one eight and one jack to cut. But the 2♦ river secured the victory for Kronwitter.
Gryko’s lifetime event haul now sits at over $10.6 million after his back-to-back second-place showings at this pageant.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Jonas Kronwitter | $201,600 | 360 | 202 |
| 2 | Richard Gryko | $126,000 | 300 | 126 |
| 3 | Jiyang Gan | $88,200 | 240 | 88 |
| 4 | Jeremy Druckman | $63,000 | 180 | 63 |
| 5 | Youness Barakat | $47,250 | 150 | 47 |
| 6 | Dylan Linde | $34,650 | 120 | 35 |
| 7 | Chino Rheem | $25,200 | 90 | 25 |
Photo credit score: PGT / Antonio Abrego.
