Justin Zaki Scores $232,400 With PokerGO Cup Event No. 5 Victory

Justin Zaki has greater than $5 million in recorded poker event earnings, with 245 complete profession cashes to his identify. On Wednesday, Jan. 31, he earned his third profession stay event title, topping a subject of 83 entries to win the newest $10,500 buy-in no-limit maintain’em occasion on the 2024 PokerGO Cup.

Zaki was awarded $232,400 because the champion of occasion no. 5, the fourth-largest payday of his carer. He additionally took house 480 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win, shifting him inside attain of the highest 100 within the 2024 POY standings introduced by Global Poker.

With 232 PokerGO Tour factors, Zaki now sits in fourth place within the race for the PokerGO Cup sequence championship. Card Player columnist Jonathan Little, who has one title and three cashes up to now throughout the sequence, is in pole place with 277 factors heading into the ultimate few occasions of the competition.

This event took two days to finish, with the highest 12 finishers cashing. Only the highest six returned for day 2 motion contained in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas, with Stephen Chidwick main and Zaki in third chip place to begin.

Chidwick added to his lead early by knocking out Joris Ruijs (sixth – $41,500). Zaki scored a key double-up early via Sam Soverel after which knocked out two-time bracelet winner Justin Saliba with an overpair of jacks in opposition to prime pair of nines on the flop. The jacks held via the river and Saliba settled for $58,100 because the fifth-place finisher.

Soverel was left on fumes when his journey tens bumped into the tens stuffed with aces held by bracelet winner Joey Weissman. Soverel quickly hit the rail in fourth place, incomes $78,850 to convey his profession complete to greater than $22.9 million.

Zaki labored his manner into the lead throughout three-handed play, and remained forward even when Weissman knocked out Chidwick in third place. Chidwick secured $107,900 after his Ok-Q failed to return from behind in opposition to Weissman’s A-Q. Chidwick, a bracelet winner and two-time POY, now has practically $55.2 million in profession earnings, which is sweet for third on poker’s all-time cash record.

Zaki entered heads-up play with higher than a 2:1 lead. He relinquished the benefit for a bit, however was in a position to pull again in entrance in time for the preflop cooler that ended this event. He raised from the button with OkOk and Weissman three-bet shoved from the large blind for 12 large blinds with AQ. Zaki rapidly referred to as and a ten73510 runout locked up the title. Weissman elevated his lifetime earnings to greater than $6.1 million together with his runner-up end for $149,400.

Here is a have a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the closing desk:

Photo credit score: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.