Jonathan Little Crowned 2024 PokerGO Cup Champion With Clutch Victory In Series Finale

This yr’s PokerGO Cup factors race got here all the way down to a photograph end, with Jonathan Little squaring off in opposition to Justin Zaki heads-up for the $26,000 buy-in finale title with the sequence title hanging within the stability. Little was capable of shut out the victory within the clutch, incomes $453,750 and 272 PGT factors for the win. With two titles and $730,350 in whole earnings made throughout 4 cashes throughout the eight-event event competition, Little was formally topped the 2024 PokerGO Cup champion, securing the titular cup and a championship bonus of $25,000.

This high-roller victory was the fourth-largest payday of Little’s event profession. The Card Player columnist and two-time World Poker Tour champion now has greater than $8.8 million in lifetime earnings to his title after his spectacular displaying throughout this sequence. The 39-year-old poker professional and proprietor of PokerTeaching.com has already cashed for $799,000 in 2024, which might be adequate for his third-biggest yr on the stay circuit since he first confirmed up on the scene in 2006. He had back-to-back years with seven figures in earnings in 2007 and 2008.

What a tremendous feeling!

This week was a blast battling in opposition to most of the greatest gamers on the planet and I’m extremely fortunate to win this $25k and the general @PokerGO Cup!!

Thanks for all of the love & assist, it means the world to me! pic.twitter.com/yrpChPeOvE

— Jonathan Little (@JonathanLittle) February 4, 2024

Little has now accrued 549 PokerGO Tour factors, good for third place within the season-long PGT standings. His scorching begin to the yr has additionally moved him right into a tie for seventeenth place within the 2024 Card Player Player of the Year rankings offered by Global Poker.

This sturdy efficiency for Little contained in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas got here amidst a social media beef between poker professionals Daniel Negreanu and Matt Berkey that arose from latest criticism of Little’s play by Berkey. Little completed seventh within the first occasion, after which received occasion no. 3, topping a subject of 85 entries in that $10,500 buy-in to earn $229,500. He fell simply in need of a final-table displaying within the remaining $10,500 buy-in on the schedule, inserting ninth. He then closed out the sequence by topping the sector of 55 entries within the $26,000 buy-in finale.

The high eight finishers cashed within the finale, with Stephen Chidwick (eighth) and Jim Collopy (seventh) incomes $55,000 after being knocked out late on day 1. Four-time bracelet winner Nick Schulman was eradicated on the cash bubble when his pocket aces had been cracked by the Q-9 suited of two-time bracelet winner John Riordan. Schulman took to social media to element his expertise within the hand.

I obtained into it with J Little on the bubble final evening lol pic.twitter.com/TVNOiqnGwG

— Nick Schulman (@NickSchulman) February 3, 2024

The remaining day started with Riordan within the lead and Little in fifth chip place among the many remaining six contenders. PokerGO newcomer Shaneil Stokes (sixth – $82,500) was the primary to fall. His pocket sixes had been outraced by the A-Q of Zaki, who had already overtaken the lead. Zaki flopped a queen and held from there to drag even additional forward.

Little scored a key double up with center pair holding in opposition to Zaki’s open-ended straight draw and overcards to seek out some room to maneuver. He then knocked out short-stack Seth Davies in fifth place ($110,000), besting his fellow WPT champion’s A-9 with A-Okay to slender the sector to 4.

The surge up the leaderboard continued for Little when he picked off a river bluff from Zaki. Little’s diamond flush draw improved to a pair of aces on the tip, whereas Zaki’s backside pair and membership flush draw bricked out. Little moved into the lead after taking down the pot.

Riordan’s run on this occasion got here to an finish when his A-J was unable to come back from behind dealing with the A-Q suited of Zaki. He earned $137,500 because the fourth-place finisher to extend his profession earnigns to almost $4 million.

Not lengthy after that, one other two-time bracelet winner discovered himself all-in and in danger in opposition to Zaki. This time round, it was Justin Saliba who was dealing with elimination. His A3 was in tough form in opposition to the AA of Zaki. The board got here down QQ327 to present Zaki the nut flush and the knockout. Saliba earned $192,500 for his third-place displaying. He now has greater than $5.9 million in lifetime cashes to his title.

Heads-up play started with Little holding 4,880,000 to Zaki’s 3,375,000. Zaki had taken down occasion no. 5 at this sequence of $232,400, and would have secured the participant of the sequence honors if he bested Little on this finale. That was not how issues shook out, although. Little was capable of lengthen his result in practically a 3:1 benefit by the point the ultimate hand was dealt. With blinds of 40,000-80,000 and an enormous blind ante of 80,000, he shoved from the button for two,065,000 efficient. Zaki referred to as with Okay7 and Little tabled A3. The board got here down A97JJ and Little made aces and jacks to lock up the pot, the title, and the PokerGO Cup championship.

Zaki earned $288,750 because the runner-up. This was his fourth-largest rating but. The Florida resident now has greater than $5.3 million in lifetime earnings after his sturdy displaying at this competition.

Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the remaining desk:

Photo credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.