PokerGO President Mori Eskandani Wins 1st PGT Title in PGT Mixed Games $10K H.O.R.S.E.

Mori Eskandani came into the final table of PGT Mixed Games Event #3: $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. third in chips, but he would maneuver his way into the chip lead in early heads-up play to defeat Jeremy Ausmus. Eskandani collected $201,600 in prize money and the PGT Mixed Games trophy. This was both Eskandani's first PGT title and his biggest career score.

Following his victory, Eskandani now surpasses $1,000,000 in lifetime tournament earnings, according to The Hendon Mob. Eskandani now has amassed $1,073,865 in tournament earnings in a career dating back to 1985 after relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada, from Portland, Oregon. Although predominately a cash game player while tending to his PokerGO Presidential duties, Eskandani now has two PGT final tables an three PGT cashes with total PGT earnings surpassing $270,000.

The third event of the series drew 63 entrants and created a prize pool of $630,000. The final nine players finished in the money, including John Monnette, Benjamin Diebold, Talal Shakerchi, and Maksim Pisarenko. The final five players were led by Benny Glaser with Jeremy Ausmus coming in second overall. 

The PokerGO President remained patient throughout the early levels of play, securing pay jumps while allowing the short stacks to bust. Jerry Wong was the first to exit after failing to outdraw the jack-eight of Ausmus in Razz. 

The next elimination was Daniel Negreanu, who found himself all-in in Stud Hi-Lo with two pair against the bigger two pair of Glaser. However, Negreanu failed to improve to a full house and was sent to the rail for a payday of $63,000 and 63 PGT Points. 

Eskandani then put it into overdrive when play reached three-handed by chipping up off Benny Glaser in back-to-back Limit Hold'em hands, leaving Glaser short. Glaser would be eliminated in third place shortly after by Jeremy Ausmus in the Razz round when needing a three, six, seven, or eight on sixth or seventh street to pull ahead of Ausmus, but failing to improve. 

Ausmus brought a slight chip lead into heads-up play, but Eskandani went to work right away and after winning pots in Stud Hi-Lo and Omaha Hi-Lo, he was able to take the lead from Ausmus.  

Eskandani was then able to extend that chip lead in a Razz hand by driving the betting on each street and building a pot, then getting Ausmus to fold to a bet on seventh street while both players had very rough-looking boards.

Ausmus would secure a double in the Stud Hi-Lo round to stay alive, but after becoming short on chips again, Ausmus found himself all-in pre-flop in Omaha Hi-Lo. Ausmus would need to catch one of the four remaining sixes on the river to complete a gut-shot straight and survive, but did not improve, sending the pot to Eskandani and securing his first-ever PokerGO title and the $201,600 first place prize, his biggest career score.

Place	Player	Country	Prize	PGT Points
1st	Mori Eskandani	United States	$201,600	202
2nd	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	$126,000	126
3rd	Benny Glaser	United Kingdom	$88,200	88
4th	Daniel Negreanu	Canada	63,000	63
5th	Jerry Wong	United States	$47,250	47

With this victory, Mori Eskandani also moves to the top of the PGT Mixed Games leaderboard with 202 PGT points. He sits ahead of Benny Glaser with 164 PGT points after he has two final tables already in the series. Event #1 winner Maksim Pisarenko is third overall with 152 PGT points, while Jeremy Ausmus and John Hennigan round out the top five. The player that tops the 2024 PGT Mixed Games leaderboard will win the PGT Gold Cup and a $10,000 PGT Passport. 

PGT Mixed Games Top 10 Leaderboard; Mori Eskandani Leads the Way

Rank	Player	PGT Points	Wins	Cashes	Earnings
1st	Mori Eskandani	202	1	1	$201,600
2nd	Benny Glaser	164	0	2	$164,325
3rd	Maksim Pisarenko	152	1	2	$152,100
4th	Jeremy Ausmus	126	0	1	$126,000
5th	John Hennigan	120	1	1	$120,150
6th	Daniel Negreanu	93	0	2	$93,450
7th	Adam Friedman	78	0	1	$77,875
8th	Ken Aldridge	56	0	1	$55,375
9th	Dennis Maschke	54	0	1	$54,375
10th	Andrew Kelsall	52	0	2	$52,500

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