Dan Shak Wins Event #8: $10,200 Big Bet Mix for $133,200 and Inaugural PGT Title

Dan Shak entered the final table of Event #8: $10,200 Big Bet Mix, having never won a PGT title. He entered the final day as the shortest stack, but was able to ride a series of good fortune and timely double ups to reach heads-up play against fellow PGT regular Jeremy Ausmus. Shak would deny Ausmus and, in the process, collect his first PGT title and the $133,200 first-place prize.

Shak now moves to 82nd on the All-Time Money List with more than $13.52 million in lifetime tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob. In a career spanning more than 20 years, this is Shak's seventh career victory and first since 2019. On the 2024 PGT leaderboard, Shak now climbs into 13th place with 272 PGT points and three total cashes.

The eighth event of the series attracted 37 entrants and created a prize pool of $370,000. The final six players finished in the money, and following the elimination of Event #5 winner John Racener, play concluded for Day 1. Negreanu started the final table as the overall chip leader, with Ausmus right behind in second, and the bottom three stacks of Walter Chambers, Jerry Wong, and Shak all within a few blinds of each other. 

Wong doubled early through Ausmus after dwindling to just 340,000 in chips when he moved all-in over Ausmus' button open in the No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw round. Both players drew one card, but Wong caught better to secure the double with a nine low. Wong would be eliminated a few hands later in the No-Limit 5 Card Draw High round when his one pair hand failed to improve against Ausmus' two pair. 

Chambers was also unable to chip up during the early levels of play and was eventually eliminated in fourth place during the No-Limit 5 Card Draw High Round when, after moving all-in against Ausmus' open, both players drew three cards and Ausmus' pair of sixes turned into trips against Chambers tens. Chambers collected $40,700 for the effort. 

Negreanu came into the day as the overall chip leader with 1,800,000, but could never quite get things going and would find himself on the wrong side of a few clashes with second in chips, Ausmus. Negreanu eventually finished in third place when, short on chips, his queen-four fell to the nine-seven of Ausmus in the No-Limit Hold'em round.

Shak survived multiple all-ins, some with only one or two outs, to the chagrin of his opponents. One example of this came in the No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw round when in all-in hand against Ausmus, Shak drew three cards, while Ausmus stood pat. Shak showed a pair of kings to Ausmus dealt trip eights. Ausmus also revealed he had thrown a king away, but Shak was able to catch the case king to secure the double and stay alive.

Shak and Ausmus started heads-up play close in chips, with Ausmus having a slight lead. That would change early on during the 2-7 No-Limit Single Draw round, when both players found themselves all-in before the draw. Ausmus had a pat ten and Shak drew one to a nine, catching what he needed, securing the double and leaving Ausmus short on chips.

Ausmus would be eliminated in second place a few hands later when during the Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo round he moved the remainder of his chips in on the flop with two pair. Shak would call with the same two pair, but would catch a nine on the river to make two higher pair and secure his first ever PGT title and the $133,200 first place prize. 

Event #8: $10,200 Big Bet Mix Final Table Results

PGT Mixed Games Top 10 Leaderboard; Tight Race On Top

Following cashes in Event #8 from Daniel Negreanu and Jerry Wong, both players now sit inside the top four, separated by just 11 PGT points with two events remaining in PGT Mixed Games.

The top four players on the PGT Mixed Games leaderboard all have four cashes each, and Max Hoffman remains on top with 263 PGT points. Wong sits second with 261 PGT points, while John Hennigan is third overall with 256 PGT points. Negreanu is winless like Hoffman, and he sits fourth overall with 252 PGT points. Rounding out the top five is Event #8 runner-up Jeremy Ausmus with 215 PGT points. 

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 “PGT2024” at checkout.