Justin Zaki has gained the $25,000 buy-in finale on the 2025 PokerGO Cup, incomes $417,000 because the champion. This was the third-largest rating of the Floridian poker professional’s profession. He now has greater than $6.5 million in lifetime earnings after this triumph.
Zaki defeated PokerGO Cup collection champion Joey Weissman heads-up for the title. This was Zaki’s fifth recorded match victory throughout 270 in-the-money finishes.
The win got here with 420 Card Player Player of the Year factors. This was Zaki’s second last desk of 2025, having positioned third in a $10,000 buy-in occasion on the fortunate Hearts Poker Open for $94,700 and 280 factors. He now sits inside the highest 100 on the POY leaderboard offered by Global Poker.
The first knockout of the day noticed short-stacked Jesse Lonis get his final ten large blinds in with Ok-7 trailing the A-4 of Clemen Deng in a battle of the blinds. Deng made aces and eights to win the pot, sending Lonis to the rail in seventh place. The two-time bracelet earned $59,000 for this end, rising his profession haul to greater than $14.8 million within the course of.
Michael Berk known as off his final 11 or so large blinds with A-Q dealing with a small-blind shove from Christian Roberts, who held Ok-3. Roberts drilled high pair on the flop and held from there to ship Berk house with $81,125. This was already his fourth final-table end of the yr. With 1,450 POY factors, he’s now the Eleventh-ranked participant on the general leaderboard.
Five-handed play lasted for round 90 minutes. Eventually, bracelet winner Christian Roberts discovered himself in danger with A
Q dealing with the J
10 of Zaki, which was raised from the small blind then four-bet shoved excessive of Robert’s three-bet. The board got here down AJ7
5
10 and Zaki made two pair on the top to eradicate Roberts in fifth place ($110,625). This was the second final-table end of the collection for Roberts, who now has greater than $1.9 million in profession earnings.
The very subsequent deal noticed super-short-stack Sam Soverel decide up QQ and get all-in for his final 4 blinds. Unfortunately for the two-time bracelet winner, he was up in opposition to the AA of Weissman. Neither participant linked with the board and Soverel was bounced in fourth place ($147,500). He is now on the verge of hitting $25 million in lifetime cashes.
Stream the ultimate desk now. https://t.co/JJUkxh5nRE pic.twitter.com/rpAwmpncbL
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 21, 2025
Deng known as off his final 9 large blinds with Ok5 from the massive blind dealing with a small-blind shove from Weissman, who held AOk. Weissman flopped an ace to increase his benefit, and Deng was drawing lifeless by the flip. He secured $206,500 because the third-place finisher, the fourth-largest payday of his profession.
Heads-up play started with Zaki out in entrance with 5,100,000 to Weissman’s 3,745,000.
Weissman was capable of battle his manner into the lead in time for the ultimate two to hash out a deal that redistributed the remaining prize cash a bit, locking up a minimum of $350,000 with $417,000 and the trophy up high.
Not too lengthy after the deal got here the essential hand of the showdown. Weissman limped in from the button for 100,000 complete with 1010 and Zaki raised to 400,000 holding A10. Weissman three-bet to 1,000,000 and Zaki four-bet shoved for 3,925,000 complete. Weissman known as, having his opponent coated by 900,000. The board got here down OkJ8Q4 and Zaki got here from behind to make an ace-high straight to double right into a commanding lead.
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JoeyWeissman</a> is human after all! <a href="https://twitter.com/Justin_Zaki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Justin_Zaki spikes the flip throughout heads-up play.Stream the ultimate desk on PokerGO. https://t.co/JJUkxh4Q26 pic.twitter.com/ScpCVHUrkP
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 21, 2025
It didn’t take lengthy for Zaki to transform that lead into the title. A couple of minutes later Weissman shoved from the button for his final seven large blinds with Ok2 and Zaki known as with 107. The flop got here down 1010A to all however seal it for Zaki. The 6 flip and 6 river gave him a full home for the win, ending Weissman’s fourth final-table look of the collection in second place.
With one win, two runner-up finishes, and a third-place exhibiting, Weissman was the clear winner within the series-long factors race. He completed with 758 factors and $930,600 in complete earnings for the competition. With 907 complete PokerGO Tour factors on the yr, Weissman has moved into first place within the season-long PGT standings as properly.
Weissman additionally shot into the lead within the POY rankings, with seven complete last tables and one title up to now in 2025. He has already gathered 2,477 factors and over $1 million in POY earnings. The bracelet winner now has almost $8.8 million in lifetime cashes.
Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Justin Zaki | $417,000 | 420 | 283 |
| 2 | Joey Weissman | $350,000 | 350 | 177 |
| 3 | Clemen Deng | $206,500 | 280 | 124 |
| 4 | Sam Soverel | $147,500 | 210 | 89 |
| 5 | Christian Roberts | $110,625 | 175 | 66 |
| 6 | Michael Berk | $81,125 | 140 | 49 |
| 7 | Jesse Lonis | $59,000 | 105 | 35 |
Here are the highest ten within the last PokerGO Cup collection standings:
| Rank | Player | Points | Titles | Cashes | Winnings |
| 1 | Joey Weissman | 758 | 1 | 4 | $930,600 |
| 2 | Eric Blair | 568 | 2 | 3 | $645,850 |
| 3 | Michael Moncek | 484 | 1 | 3 | $483,750 |
| 4 | Kristen Foxen | 332 | 1 | 3 | $401,300 |
| 5 | Sergio Aido | 327 | 1 | 2 | $345,300 |
| 6 | Adam Hendrix | 316 | 1 | 1 | $316,050 |
| 7 | Keith Lehr | 283 | 0 | 4 | $352,275 |
| 8 | Justin Zaki | 283 | 1 | 1 | $417,000 |
| 9 | Patrick Leonard | 244 | 0 | 3 | $288,550 |
| 10 | Michael Berk | 224 | 0 | 4 | $288,500 |
Photo credit score: PokerGO / Alicia Skillman.
