John Monnette Wins PGT Mixed Games Event #2 for $211,200

John Monnette has won Event #2: $10,300 8-Game at the first-ever PGT Mixed Games tournament series. Monnette and his heads-up opponent, Albert Daher, finally resumed play on Wednesday after pausing the match on Monday so they could compete in other tournaments. The two resumed play just before noon on Wednesday, and it was Monnette who emerged victorious in about an hour's time. For the win, Monnette picked up $211,200 in prize money.

"I feel really good," Monnette said. "It was weird having the delay, for sure. I started the heads-up match, I don't know what it was, 11-2 or something? I was a big dog in chips and then we grinded back and forth, back and forth. But then when we started here today, I was like 10-3, so then the pressure was on me after it wasn't."

When play resumed on Wednesday, Monnette had approximately a 3-to-1 chip lead. Daher quickly doubled his stack to just about tie things up, but then Monnette came right back to open up a lead. Daher was ground down, doubled up once, and then Monnette sealed the deal in a hand of pot-limit Omaha.

During the break, Monnette played Event #3: $10,3000 Triple Stud Mix. Eli Elezra won that tournament, but Monnette had a good showing of his own and finished fourth for $60,000.

 "It was fun to be able to register for the next tournament and final table that," Monnette added. "Albert wanted to play last night, but I wanted to go home and see the kids and get some sleep and he was really cool about it, so we figured out a time to do it before the triple draw tournament."

PGT Mixed Games Event #2 Results

Event #2: $10,300 8-Game was the biggest of the series so far, drawing 88 entries and generating an $880,000 prize pool. The top 13 spots reached the money.

For much of the final table on Monday, it looked as though Daher was going to run away to the winner's circle. He even started heads-up play with nearly a 5-to-1 chip lead after he knocked out Brian Rast in third place. Daher quickly stretched his lead further and a couple of times Monnette was operating on fumes, but Daher could never really put his opponent away.

Eventually, Monnette worked his way into the lead, but then Daher fought to get it back. The lead changed hands a few more times after that before the two put the battle on hold while they went and participated in Event #3: $10,300 Triple Stud Mix. The heads-up match was then pushed to Wednesday because Monnette made the final table of Event #3 and finished in fourth place.

On Wednesday, there were no lead changes, even though Daher closed the gap to just about even early on. Monnette opened things back up and came out on top in the end to scoop the $211,200 top prize.

The victory also gave Monnette 211 leaderboard points which allowed him to move into a sizable lead at the top of the PGT Mixed Games leaderboard. The player who tops the leaderboard through all eight events will be crowned PGT Mixed Games champion and win the $25,000 championship bonus.

"It's such a cool tournament that's being put on here, such a good series of different tournaments," Monnette said of the series as a whole. "There's what, three more?  It'll be fun. It's all so close though because there's such a small player pool and if anyone wins one more tournament they're going to pass me. I definitely need to try and win something else or at least final table."

PGT Mixed Games Series Leaderboard Top 10

To follow the entire PGT Mixed Games series, stay tuned to the PGT.com live reporting section.

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