PGT Caps Off Tremendous Second Season

The PokerGO Tour® (PGT®) concluded its second season on a high note. After the inaugural PGT season in 2021 produced impressive numbers, the PGT grew tremendously in its 2022 season. The tour now eyes an even bigger and better 2023 season starting with the PokerGO Cup in January.

Whether you look at the season-over-season numbers for prize money, entries, or events, you’ll see an increase for the PGT going from its first season to its second. From the 2021 PGT season, $273,872,903 in prize money was awarded across 145 high-stakes poker tournaments. In 2022, the awarded prize money ballooned to $426,160,997 from 175 tournaments. Those numbers represent an increase of 55.6% in the prize money that was awarded in PGT-qualifying events.

If we break the prize pool numbers down to average prize pool per tournament, we find that the average prize pool in a PGT event went from $1,888,779 in 2021 to $2,435,206. That represents a 28.9% increase in the average prize pool for PGT-qualifying tournament.

When it comes to the number of entries in PokerGO Tour events, there were 17,873 total entries during the 2021 season and growth to 24,998 entries during the 2022 season, good for an increase of 39.9%. In the first season of the PGT, the 145 events averaged 123.3 entries. In the second season of the PGT, the 175 events averaged 142.8 entries.

Jason Koon Crowned 2022 PGT Champion

The 2022 PGT season concluded with the star-studded PGT Championship that featured the best players in the world competing for the right to be crowned the best of the best. Over the course of the year, players competed in high-stakes poker tournaments against elite competition in an effort to qualify for the season-ending PGT Championship.

Only 21 players earned PGT Championship eligibility, including Jason Koon, who entered the final tournament of the season as the third-highest points earner behind only Stephen Chidwick and Phil Ivey. Koon amassed $6,731,848 in PGT winnings in 2022 coming from three tournament victories and 18 cashes.

Koon had a dominant first day of the PGT Championship and took 57% of the chips in play to Day 2. From there, Koon battled his way to the winner’s circle, defeating Sean Winter in heads-up play to score the winner-take-all $500,000 prize. Along with the half million dollars that Koon won, he earned the 2022 PGT Championship trophy and was crowned the 2022 PGT champion.

2023 PGT Season Kicks Off In January

With the 2022 PGT season in the books, there is a short break for the holidays before the 2023 PGT season gets underway. The season will start with the third edition of the PokerGO Cup in January, with action running January 11-20 at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. Buy-ins for the 2023 PokerGO Cup start at $10,000 and climb all the way up to $50,000.

In February, the first-ever PGT Mixed Games series will take place at the PokerGO Studio as part of the PGT. This festival will run February 4-11 and consists f $10,300 H.O.R.S.E., $10,300 8-Game, $10,300 Triple Stud Mix, $10,300 Big Bet Mix, $10,300 Triple Draw Mix, $10,300 Dealer’s Choice, $5,300 No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw, and $25,500 10-Game Championship events.

Another first for the PGT will be the tour’s first-ever pot-limit Omaha series, running March 11-19 and featuring buy-ins from $2,200 to $25,000.

Then soon to be added to the 2023 PGT schedule are the U.S. Poker Open, Poker Masters, and Super High Roller Bowl. As it has in its previous two seasons, the 2023 PGT season will also include ARIA High Roller events and select high-stakes poker tournaments that meet PGT criteria.

Check out the full schedule of events of the 2023 PGT season.

Connect with PokerGO.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Watch daily poker clips on the PokerGO YouTube channel. Join the conversation on the PokerGO Discord server. You can save $20 off an annual subscription by using the code “PGT2022” at checkout.