John Racener Captures First PGT Title and $151,200 in Event #5: $10,200 Triple Stud Mix

Five months after finishing runner-up to Nick Schulman in this very event, John Racener was determined not to let history repeat itself, but unlike last year when he held a nearly nine-to-one chip lead before bowing out in second place, he found himself with a six-to-one chip disadvantage heads-up against Max Hoffman. 

Racener was left with just 525,000 with the limits at 200,000-400,000 but scored doubles in back-to-back Stud Hi hands to move to over two million and then scooped a Hi-Lo hand with jacks-up when Max Hoffman missed his draw to pull in front and then cruised to victory as he captured his first PGT title and the $151,200 first place prize. 

Racener ended the tournament shortly after that when he made trip fours on fifth street against the four flush of Hoffman. Hoffman had three shots at making his flush but bricked on all three as he headed to the payout desk in second place for $100,800. 

Event #2 Champion John Hennigan started the day with the chip lead and eliminated Scott Lake in fifth place for $33,600 early in the day to extend the lead but could not hold on as Hoffman and Racener slowly ate away at his stack. 

Hoffman would start the race to the top when he rivered kings up in stud-hi to send Adam Friedman out the door in fourth place for $46,200. Hoffman would take the chip lead for the first time early in Level 18, but it would not last as Hennigan would score a double late in the level to bring all three players to around two million in chips. 

Level 19 would see the three players trade the chip lead back and forth before Hoffman started to distance himself again as level 20 dragged on. 

Racener would drop Hennigan to just two big bets in stud hi and would finish the job moments later in Razz when he rivered a six to end the nearly hour-long three-handed affair as Hennigan collected his $63,000 third place prize. 

Heads-up play began with both players sitting dead, even with three million chips a piece, but it was Hoffman who quickly built a six-to-one chip advantage only to see Racener claw back to take the chip lead. 

Hoffman again appeared to weather the storm as he once again found the spots when needed to pull back in front by a nearly six-to-one margin before Racener found a way to chisel the lead and the tournament from his grasp. 

Event #5: $10,200 Triple Stud Mix saw 42 entrants make their way into the PokerGO Studio, and as play went on late into the night on day one, it would be John Monnette who fell just short of scoring a piece of the $420,000 price pool bowing out in seventh place. 

Dzmitry Urbanovich would pick up his first cash of the series thanks to Monnette's elimination, but the Belarusian would go no further, finishing in sixth place for $25,200. 

Event #5: $10,200 Triple Draw Payouts

Hennigan Pulls In Front for Player of the Series

While Hennigan could not muster his second tournament victory of the series, but did pick up his third cash of the series with the third-place finish, and it was just enough to inch in front of Event #3 winner Mori Eskandani, as he now holds the poll position with 207 points and just four events to go. 

Event winner Racener picked up his first cash of the series and vaulted into the top ten, now sitting in sixth place with 151 points, one point behind Event #1 winner MAksim Pisarenko. 

Runner-up Hoffman picked up his second cash of the series and now sits in eighth place on the leader board six points ahead of Jeremy Ausmus. 

Rounding out the top ten is fourth-place finisher Friedman, who also scored his second cash of the series and now sits with 124 points, 31 points clear of 11th-place Daniel Negreanu. 

Four events remain in the race for the added PGT Passport, and you can catch all the day one action of Event #6: $10,200 Triple Draw Mix as the PGT Live Reporting Team has you covered with all the Mixed Game action. 

PGT Mixed Games Leaderboard

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