Andrew Lichtenberger Wins 2023 Poker Masters Event #5 on his 36th Birthday for $204,000

Andrew Lichtenberger's 36th birthday was one to remember, as he bested a field of 85 entries to win Event #5 for $204,000.

Lichtenberger came into the final table fourth in chips and held steady while players busted around him. No double-ups were needed for him as he gradually chipped up throughout. It wasn't until three players remained that Lichtenberger scored his first knockout, getting it in with pocket threes against Daniel Lazrus' pocket sixes. A three found the flop and the stage was set for heads-up play.

Beginning with more than a 2-to-1 chip lead against Brian Kim, it wasn't long before the cards were on their backs. Lichtenberger was behind again, this time with ace-six against Kim's ace-queen, but the birthday rungood was real as Lichtenberger paired his six on the turn to close it out.

2023 Poker Masters Event #5 Results

Koray Aldemir was the first to fall at the final table, committing his final few big blinds with king-jack against start-of-day chip leader Daniel Lazrus' eight-seven suited. Lazrus flopped the world with an open-ended straight draw and flush draw before he rivered a pair to send Aldemir out in sixth place.

Brock Wilson was the next to go after getting into a three-way all-in with ace-seven suited. Wilson had the worst of it, trailing Kim's pocket tens and Lazrus' ace-king. Not enough help came for Wilson and he was out in fifth place.

Niko Koop fell in fourth place after calling all on the river with two pair. Brian Kim, however, had rivered a full house to bust Koop. The three-handed battle lasted a little while, but ultimately it was Lazrus who bowed out when his pocket sixes failed to hold against Lichtenberger's pocket threes.

The ensuing heads-up match was brief, as both players picked up an ace. Kim wound up all in with ace-queen against Lichtenberger's ace-six, but a six on the turn gave Lichtenberger the win. With his victory, Lichtenberger jumped to third on the Poker Masters Leaderboard.

2023 Poker Masters Leaderboard Top 10

The 2023 Poker Masters series continues through September 26. The series consists of 10 high-stakes poker tournaments, culminating in the $50,000 NL Hold'em finale. The player to accumulate the most PGT leaderboard points during the series will be crowned Poker Masters champion, winning the Purple Jacket and $50,000 championship bonus. For full schedule details, visit pgt.com/schedule.

Connect with PokerGO.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Watch daily poker clips on the PokerGO YouTube channel. Join the conversation on the PokerGO Discord server. You can save $20 off an annual subscription to PokerGO.com by using the code “PGT2023” at checkout.