PokerGO Cup Opening Event Won by Sean Winter for $216,000

The opening event of the 2023 PokerGO Cup attracted some of the best players in the world of poker. Stars such as Daniel Negreanu and Erik Seidel arrived in Las Vegas determined to add another title to their collections by the end of Thursday night. Who succeeded in starring on the biggest stage as ARIA Hotel & Casino Resort welcomed players from around the world? Let’s check in at the tables.

Full Field Produces Instant Drama

There were 90 entrants to the opening event of this year’s PokerGO Cup, with only the top 13 players ‘lucky’ enough to make it into the money. With this year’s battle for the PGT Leaderboard extended to 40 places or the year-end $1 million freeroll where the winner takes $500,000, the world and his wife turned up in Las Vegas to play this opening $10,000-entry No Limit Hold’em event.

The PokerGO Tour (PGT) Leaderboard is a legendary one. From events such as the Poker Masters series that Jeremy Ausmus – that singing sensation – won one of last year to many others such as the Super High Roller Bowl tournaments, all count toward a season-ending list of names. Last years PokerGO Will be sure to be listed in the 25 categories of the 4^th annual Global Poker Awards, which was announced as taking place in March earlier this week.

By the time the final table of seven was reached, plenty of big names had reached the money but fell out of contention nonetheless. It was Nick Petrangelo who busted on the money bubble in 14^th place, his queen-jack unable to win a flip against Daniel Negreanu’s pocket tens. That put everyone in the money, and at that stage, Anthony Hu held the chip lead, the only player over 2 million chips.

Early Bust Outs Send Stars Home

Dylan Linde min-cashed for $18,000 in 13^th place, the same score that Negreanu made in 12^th. Danish player Martin Stausholm crashed out in 11^th place for $27,000, and PokerGO owner Cary Katz joined him on the rail with the same amount having lost out in 10^th. After Dorian Pavon from Venezuela cashed for $36,000 in ninth, Justin Young brought about the final table of seven, leaving in eighth for the same score.

Anthony Hu may have led with 13 left, but he was short-stacked when the final seven convened on the televised table for PokerGO viewers and lost out in seventh place for $45,000. Four-betting all-in with ace-queen from the cut-off, he was called by Foxen with pocket kings and the former GPI Player of the Year held through the king-high board with ease to send Hu home with $45,000.

Out in sixth place was Turkish player Orpen Kisacikoglu for $54,000. All-in with pocket jacks, he was swiftly called by Sean Winter with pocket aces, and across the queen-high board of Q-T-5-5-8, the Britain-based Turk saw his chances of glory disappear. Five remained, and Winter was on the rise more than in the final season of Game of Thrones.

Foxen Outfoxed at the Last

Out in fifth place was the popular Spanish player Adrian Mateos, who lost out to Sean Winter too. After an earlier hand saw Mateos’ stack reduced by a large amount by a superb hero call by Alex Foxen on the river, Mateos was short when his king-nine lost to Winter’s jack-eight with all the chips committed on a flop of K-T-8. The turn of a seven and river nine saw Winter go runner-runner to a straight, sending the Spanish poker boss home with $72,000.

Out in fourth was the overnight chip leader David Peters. Leading with seven left, the American slid out just before the podium places with his pocket tens unluckily usurped by Foxen’s pocket nines. All the chips went in on a flop of 8-6-4 with two clubs, Foxen the only player holding a club. Two more came on 4^th and 5^th street to send Peters home with $90,000, rubbing his chin as he went.

Joe Cheong busted in third place for $108,000, the first six-figure score of the tournament. All-in with king-jack, Cheong was wrong to call it off, Winter shoving pre with ace-four. The board of J-3-2-A-6 sent Cheong home outside the top two and gave Winter a crucial lead in the battle with Foxen for the trophy.

Heads-up, Foxen called it off for his tournament life on a board showing K-T-4-K-Q with ten-eight. It was heroic once again, but this time, Foxen’s read was all wrong, Winter holding king-three for turned trip kings. That sent Foxen home in second place with $153,000, but made Sean Winter the first PokerGO Cup event winner of 2023 for a top prize of $216,000.