Erik Seidel and Jason Koon Climb PGT Leaderboard Following WSOP Paradise

The 2023 PokerGO Tour (PGT) season is down to one final tournament series following the completion of WSOP Paradise, which hosted six PGT-qualifying events at Atlantis Paradise Island. The top of the PGT leaderboard didn't see too many changes, but multiple people entered the Top 40, while many PGT regulars tumbled out and will need to rely on PGT Last Chance if they are to qualify for the season-ending PGT Championship $1,000,000 freeroll.

Super High Roller Bowl VIII winner Isaac Haxton remains on top of the PGT leaderboard and in the driver's seat to be crowned PGT Player of the Year. At WSOP Paradise, he extended his lead over Chris Brewer by cashing two times for 89 PGT points. Brewer also cashed twice and picked up 82 PGT points, while only Alex Foxen from the remaining players in the Top 10 gained ground as he added 202 PGT points to his tally following his sixth-place finish in Event #7: $50,000 Super High Roller.

The $50k Super High Roller winner was Erik Seidel, who won his tenth WSOP bracelet to form a four-way tie with Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, and Johnny Chan for second-most WSOP bracelets behind Phil Hellmuth with 17. Seidel collected 750 PGT points for his victory, and along with a cash in Event #3, he rocketed up to 11th on the PGT leaderboard with 1,474 PGT points. The other big winner at WSOP Paradise concerning the PGT leaderboard was Jason Koon, who collected 853 PGT points from three cashes. Koon now sits in 33rd place on the PGT leaderboard with 1,162 PGT points. 

Sitting directly behind Koon in 34th place is Daniel Smiljkovic, who has 1,143 PGT points. Smiljkovic finished third in Event #3, and combined with his previous two PGT cashes, he moves into the Top 40 for the first time this season. Masashi Oya won his first WSOP bracelet in the $100,000 Ultra High Roller and cashed in two additional PGT events at WSOP Paradise. Oya added 634 PGT points to his total, which now sits at 1,079 PGT points, which results in him sitting in 39th place heading into PGT Last Chance.

Other players to enter the Top 40 or solidify their position include Nick Schulman (12th - 1,459 PGT points), Leon Sturm (20th - 1,304 PGT points), Adrian Mateos (23rd - 1,262 PGT points), Josh Arieh (29th - 1,201 PGT points), and Orpen Kisacikoglu (32nd - 1,165 PGT points).

PGT Leaderboard Top 40 Through WSOP Paradise

Leaderboard standings as of Monday, December 18, 2023. See the complete and current PGT leaderboard at pgt.com/leaderboard.

PGT Championship Qualification & Player of the Year Bonus

Players who finish the 2023 PGT season ranked in the top 40 of the PGT leaderboard earn qualification for the season-ending PGT Championship $1,000,000 freeroll, held at the PokerGO Studio from January 9-10, 2024. The PGT Championship winner will take home $500,000 with additional payouts for the final table. The more points a player earns, the more starting chips they'll begin the PGT Championship with.

The player who finishes the 2023 PGT season with the most leaderboard points will be named PGT Player of the Year and be awarded a $50,000 bonus.

What's Next On the PGT Schedule?

Only six PGT events remain for the season, with PGT Last Chance taking place from January 2-7, 2024, from inside the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The PGT Last Chance series will include six $10,500 buy-in tournaments that begin at 12 p.m. PT, while registration closes at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT, which is the start of Level 9. Players in the registration line by 12 p.m. PT will have the $400 rake waived. The first-of-its-kind series will allow players to both improve their leaderboard standing and qualify for the season-ending PGT Championship.

Two Dream Seats will be up for grabs during the PGT Last Chance series, with the winners of the Dream Seats granted automatic entry into the season-ending PGT Championship $1,000,000 freeroll. The final two Dream Seats will go to the two highest-ranked players on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard who do not finish in the Top 40 following the conclusion of PGT Last Chance Event #6.

For full PGT schedule information, check out pgt.com/schedule.

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