Dan Zack Crowned PGT Mixed Games Champion

The motivation behind PGT Mixed Games was to lure players from around the country to the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada, to participate in a week-long series of high-stakes mixed-game tournaments. One of the most accomplished mixed-game players of his generation made the trip from the East Coast as Dan Zack was crowned PGT Mixed Games Champion following five consecutive cashes in the series; including a runner-up finish in the 10-Game Championship.

A mixed-game series of this magnitude was long overdue, and players flocked to the PokerGO Studio to be a part of the inaugural series. Anyone that held a ticket for the overs on total numbers were able to cash that winning bet as the first two events of the series broke the unique player record for a $10,000 buy-in event held in the PokerGO Studio with 70 and 68 unique players in the H.O.R.S.E. and 8-Game, respectively.

"It's incredible. It is so nice to have this," Zack said on the inaugural PGT Mixed Games series. "There are no mixed game tournaments outside of the WSOP before this at reasonable stakes. It's incredible to have another chance a year to play these events, given how fun mixed game tournaments are, and how much demand there is for them in the high-stakes mixed community."

With PGT Mixed Games running alongside Super Bowl week, the high-stakes cash games were buzzing. However, those players were playing tournaments during the day and then starting cash games at night once they were eliminated - or something after they reached the final table.

"I think it's already becoming more popular each year at the WSOP," Zack said about where mixed games are trending. "The numbers have been going up, and the turnout here beat everyone's expectations. I was trying to get over bets down on all these events before the series started. I think the momentum that is already existing is just going to continue toward mixed games."

Zack was crowned the 2022 WSOP Player of the Year after winning two bracelets and cashing 16 times on the way to winning more than $1,45 million in prize money. Zack was determined to win WSOP Player of the Year title in 2022, and although it resulted in what he said was a stressful chase as he looked to fend off Shaun Deeb and Daniel Weinman, he wants to try again. However, coming into PGT Mixed Games, it was always going to be a little more difficult to be Player of the Series with a schedule of only eight events.

"Unlike the WSOP, there is so little control you have over it because it's only eight events," Zack said on if winning Player of the Series was his goal. "At the WSOP, you can play so much volume that you give yourself a really good chance to win. But here everyone can play the same volume, so you really have to run hot. I was very happy to do that. Happy to win it."

Like many players that participated in PGT Mixed Games, it was Zack's first time he stepped foot in the PokerGO Studio to be part of a poker series. Discounted rake for on-time entry, free food, courteous staff, and a relaxed environment to play high-stakes tournaments.

"The staff here are incredible, they get all the rules right, they get all the procedures right in a way that I've never seen in any other tournament room," Zack said on how everything exceeded his expectations. "Everyone is very friendly, everyone is very professional, the comps and discounts for being on-time are ahead of the industry. There is nothing that they do here that is done worse than anywhere else. It's just the best. I wish they could host the WSOP."

Zack has amassed a stunning poker resume as he enters his early 30s. Zack has won more than $3.28 million in live tournaments, which includes 69 WSOP cashes and three WSOP bracelets. Nearly all of Zack's results are exclusive to the WSOP, but with the addition of PGT Mixed Games as a yearly or bi-yearly series, he may start to book multiple trips to Las Vegas.

"I don't tournaments outside of the WSOP, but I made an exception to come to this," Zack said. "And if they have this again, I will definitely continue to make that exception."

Dan Zack's PGT Mixed Games Results

After luck didn't fall his way in the first two events of the series, Zack turned it around in Event #3. Reaching the final three against Eli Elezra and Yuval Bronshtein, an orbit of Stud would be Zack's downfall when he was all-in on sixth street with two pair and a straight draw. Bronshtein had a superior two pair, and when Zack was unable to improve, he would be eliminated in third place for $84,000 in prize money. Immediately Zack was in the event and reached the money before falling short of a consecutive final table. In a hand against chip leader Adam Friedman, Zack was all-in with a pair of sixes in No-Limit 5-Card Draw High and was drawing three against Friedman who held a pair of aces. Both players made trips and Zack fell in eighth place for $27,600.

The next event on the schedule was a Triple Draw Mix, and Zack would be eliminated on the last hand of Day 1 when he was drawing to a seven-smooth in A-5 Triple Draw on the final draw against Alex Livingston who made a jack-six low. Zack paired, and he added $34,500 in prize money to his series total. Once in the money and during a No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw orbit, Zack was all-in against eventual winner Scott Abrams. At showdown, Abrams made a rough-nine, and Zack mucked and collected $33,600 for his sixth-place finish.

The marquee event on the PGT Mixed Games schedule was the 10-Game Championship, and after 11 levels of play on Day 1, Zack was the chip leader ahead of the final 18 players. Only the top nine would be in the money, and by the time the final table was set, Zack had sunk back to fifth overall. Knowing that the championship race was heating up with David "ODB" Baker and Maxx Coleman also in the hunt to overtake John Monnette. Coleman was eliminated in fourth-place, and Monnette was eliminated just a few spots shy of the money in Event #8, meaning that whoever outlasted the other between Baker and Zack would be crowned the PGT Mixed Games Champion.

Zack, Baker, and eventual winner Jason Mercier all held the chip lead at various points during short-handed play, but with big betting limits, a bad runout in Razz ended Baker's run in third-place when Zack made a seven-low to trump Baker's nine-low. Now assured of being crowned the PGT Mixed Games Champion while also receiving the $25,000 championship bonus and PGT Cup, Zack and Mercier struck an ICM deal. Following a series of Pot-Limit Omaha flips, Mercier was crowned the Event #7 champion and Zack collected $345,000 for his second-place finish.

PGT Mixed Games Top 10 Leaderboard

The PGT Mixed Games point totals for Ben Lamb and Maxx Coleman include the 138 points that each player has earned for reaching heads-up play in Event #4: $10,300 Big Bet Mix. To play in other events, Lamb and Coleman put their heads-up match on pause. Neither player can overtake Dan Zack at the top of the PGT Mixed Games leaderboard, so Zack is the series champion. Lamb and Coleman are scheduled to finish their match on Monday.

PGT Mixed Games Series Results

Some of the world's best mixed-game players collected PGT Mixed Games wins over the past week, including Poker Hall of Fame member Eli Elezra and many future Poker Hall of Fame members, including Shaun Deeb, John Monnette, and Jason Mercier. PokerGO Cup Champion Cary Katz extended his lead on the PGT leaderboard by winning the final event of the series. Katz now has 543 PGT points and is 89 PGT points ahead of Anthony Hu and 150 PGT points ahead of Alex Foxen.

The inaugural PGT Mixed Games was an incredible success that gave players the opportunity to play poker inside the PokerGO Studio for the first time. The series featured 538 total entrants and 126 unique players that participated in the eight events. The buzz and excitement for PGT Mixed Games were on show for the week, and planning for the next PGT Mixed Games series has already begun. Stay tuned to PGT.com for information on all PGT events and how you can qualify for the season-ending PGT Championship which is a $1,000,000 freeroll by playing PGT events or by winning a Dream Seat™ through various special events and promotions.

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