Daniel Negreanu Headlines PGT Kickoff Event #5 Final Table

The inaugural PGT Kickoff series continued at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino, with Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold'em being the series' final event. It also saw an increase in buy-in from the previous $5,100 buy-in tournaments, and Event #5 attracted a total of 50 entrants that played down to the final six players.

Leading those six players is Daniel Negreanu who finished as chip leader with 2,515,000 in chips. Negreanu won a monster three-way pot when the field was down to 12 players, and then eliminated two additional players and shot up the leaderboard to hold 33% of the chips in play. This was also Negreanu's first event of the 2024 PGT season after he vowed to a 'quality over quantity' motto towards his poker play in 2024.

Joining Negreanu at the final table are Aram Zobian and Samuel Laskowitz as the only other players in the seven-figure club. Kristen and Alex Foxen sit with below average in chips, while Masashi Oya rounds out the final table in sixth overall. The final six players have all locked up $30,000 in prize money and 60 PGT points, while awaiting the Event #5 winner is $165,000 in prize money and 330 PGT points.

The PGT Kickoff finale would attract a 50-entrant field that paid the final eight spots a portion of the $500,000 prize pool. A few new faces made their PGT kickoff debut, and as the pace of play was fast, the final two tables were swiftly met quicker than in previous events. Following the eliminations of Chino Rheem, Dylan Weisman, and Sam Soverel, it would be Jim Collopy eliminated on the money bubble when he rivered a flush and called all-in against Zobian's turned full house. 

With the final eight in the money, a simultaneous elimination would occur to end play for the evening. Dylan Linde was at-risk holding ace-eight against Zobian's pocket sixes and bricked out on the king-high board. On the other table, Eric Baldwin played a three-bet pot with Negreanu. Baldwin called a turn bet to improve to a rivered set of sevens. Negreanu shoved, and Baldwin called all-in with the fourth nuts. Negreanu, however, had flopped top set for the third nuts and eliminated Baldwin while ending play for Day 1.

2024 PGT Kickoff Event #5 Final Table

When play resumes, there is 27:30 remaining in Level 14 with blinds at 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante. The button is on Daniel Negreanu.

Play will resume at 12 p.m. PT and the final table will be streamed on delay starting at 1 p.m. PT on PokerGO.com.

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