Mori Eskandani has made an enormous influence on the poker world. The PokerGO President was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018 attributable to his instrumental function within the manufacturing of lots of the most celebrated poker tv applications within the sport’s historical past. While Eskandani is greatest recognized for his work in that capability on exhibits like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, the 68-year-old Las Vegas resident can be an skilled participant with greater than $1 million in profession match earnings to his title. The largest rating on Eskandani’s resume was earned on Saturday, March 2. He topped a area of 63 entries within the 2024 PGT Mixed Games $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. occasion to safe his seventh profession title and the highest prize of $201,600.
Prior to this victory, which was his first on the PokerGO Tour, Eskandani’s largest payday was a $128,0000 money because the champion of a $10,500 buy-in excessive curler at ARIA again in 2019.
Eskandi was awarded 360 Card Player Player of the Year factors because the champion, together with 202 PGT rankings factors. This was his first certified rating of 2024, however it alone was sufficient to maneuver him into twentieth place on this year’s PGT leaderboard. He can be the present chief within the series-long factors race after this win.
The street to victory was removed from a simple one for Eskandani. He needed to take care of a few of the most completed gamers within the sport down the stretch. The different eight gamers to make this cash on this match have mixed for twenty-four World Series of Poker bracelets and greater than $107 million in profession match earnings.
The second and closing day of this occasion started with 5 gamers remaining and five-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser main. Eskandani was in third chip place when playing cards acquired within the air contained in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
Six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus scored the primary knockout, making a 7-6-4-3-A in Razz to greatest the J-8-6-5-3 of bracelet winner and 2016 WSOP foremost occasion eighth-place finisher Jerry Wong (fifth – $47,250).
Six-time bracelet winner and two-time World Poker Tour champion Daniel Negreanu was the following to fall, together with his tens up bested by the queens up of Glaser in a hand of stud eight-or-better. Negreanu took dwelling $63,000 because the fourth-place finisher. This was his fifth POY-qualified money of the yr, together with a win in a PGT Last Chance sequence only a few days into 2024. He now sits in twenty eighth place within the POY standing offered by Global Poker with 1,250 whole factors and $450,850 in to-date POY earnings. He climbed to eighth within the 2024 PGT standings, with 5 certified cashes to date this season. The 49-year-old’s profession match earnings are approaching $51.2 million.
Eskandani was the brief stack for a lot of three-handed play, however Glaser was finally the following to be eradicated. He misplaced a giant pot to Eskandani taking part in maintain’em, after which dedicated the final of his chips in Razz with 10-4-5-2 in his first 4 playing cards. He was up towards 8-7-4-3 for Ausmus. Glaser hit an ace on fifth road to make a ten low, however Ausmus additionally caught an ace for an eight low. Glaser was unable to enhance any additional and was knocked out in third place ($88,200). This was Glaser’s second podium end of the sequence, having positioned second within the $5,100 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. occasion simply days earlier. He is now ranked second within the sequence factors race, behind solely Eskandani.
Heads-up play started with Ausmus holding 5,525,000 to Eskandani’s 3,925,000. The lead quickly modified fingers’ because of a giant scoop in Omaha eight-or-better. The closing blow got here in the identical sport. All of the chips went in preflop with Ausmus holding A1098 towards the 5432 of Eskandani. The board got here down 7543J to offer Eskandani a scoop with two pair for the excessive and a dwell deuce on the low facet. Ausmus earned $126,000 because the runner-up.
Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the closing desk:
Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PGT Points |
1 | Mori Eskandani | $201,600 | 360 | 202 |
2 | Jeremy Ausmus | $126,000 | 300 | 126 |
3 | Benny Glaser | $88,200 | 240 | 88 |
4 | Daniel Negreanu | $63,000 | 180 | 63 |
5 | Jerry Wong | $47,250 | 150 | 47 |
6 | Maksim Pisarenko | $34,650 | 120 | 35 |
Photo credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.