Samuel Laskowitz Wins PGT Last Chance Event #3 for $205K

The final series of the 2023 PGT season continues to be a success with Event #3: $10,100 No-Limit Hold'em of PGT Last Chance attracting an 82-entrant field. With dreams of qualifying for the PGT Championship $1,000,000 Freeroll on the minds of players, along with the final two Dream Seats on offer with the treasure at the end of the PGT Last Chance rainbow, it would be Samuel Laskowitz emerging victorious to win his first PGT event and collect $205,000 in prize money.

Laskowitz is fresh off an incredible 2023 in poker, where he won more than $1.07 million, according to The Hendon Mob. Laskowitz began last year with a final table in The Return: A Borgata Championship Event and then cashed in four WSOP events. Following two cashes during the Poker Masters, Laskowitz finished runner-up in the $1,600 Mystery Bounty during the Wynn Fall Classic before he won the NAPT $5,300 High Roller for $180,850. His victory at PGT Last Chance is the third of Laskowitz's career and his second-largest career score, trailing his runner-up finish in the 2022 WSOP $400 COLOSSUS for $256,170.

The third event of PGT Last Chance would see another impressive turnout, with the 82-entrant field setting a prize pool of $820,000 that paid the final 12 places. Following the elimination of Landon Tice on the money bubble, a rapid succession of eliminations followed as Kristen Foxen (12th), Jim Collopy (11th), Jonathan Cohen (10th), and Daniel Smiljkovic (9th) were all eliminated before the final table was set. Chris Brewer (8th) and Jonathan Little (7th) were eliminated on the same hand on opposing tables to see the final six redraw to one table, with Dylan Linde holding the chip lead ahead of Isaac Haxton and Seth Davies.

David Peters exited in sixth place when his ace-queen couldn't improve against the pocket kings of Haxton before Aram Zobian exited in fifth place when his jack-nine was outed by Linde's queen-eight. Linde delivered doubles to Laskowitz and Davies and would be the next to fall when his king-ten failed to improve against the ace-jack of Haxton. Davies was eliminated in third place when his small blind-shove with jack-eight couldn't spike against the pocket fives of Laskowitz. Laskowitz would hold slightly better than a two-to-one advantage over Haxton to begin heads-up play, but Haxton edged himself into the lead before relinquishing back to Laskowitz. The final hand would see Haxton all-in with pocket fives against the nine-eight of Laskowitz, and when a nine fell on the river, Haxton would settle for a runner-up finish - his second final table appearance of the series - while Laskowitz was crowned the champion.

Martirosyan and Laskowitz Leading Race for Final Dream Seats

After winning Event #3: $10,100 No-Limit Hold'em of PGT Last Chance, Samuel Laskowitz moves into second overall on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard with 205 PGT points. Both Laskowitz and Event #2 winner Artur Martirosyan (211 PGT points) lead the race for the final two Dream Seats on offer.

These two Dream Seats will give players direct entry into the PGT Championship $1,000,000 Freeroll on January 9-10, 2024, and their starting stack will be a minimum of 100 big blinds.

Trailing Martirosyan and Laskowitz are Michael Jozoff (145 PGT points), Vitalijs Zavorotnijs (110 PGT points), Seth Davies (107 PGT points), David Peters (104 PGT points), and Jonathan Cohen (102 PGT points). Regarding their current place on the PGT leaderboard, Martirosyan sits 47th and is 75 PGT points outside of the Top 40. Justin Bonomo is 49th on the PGT leaderboard and sits eighth on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard, while the closest to being in the Top 40 is Andrew Lichtenberger, who is 42nd on the PGT leaderboard. Lichtenberger needs just 28 PGT points to be in the Top 40 and is currently 14th on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard with 35 PGT points.

PGT Last Chance Top 10 Leaderboard

* Players currently in the Top 40 of the PGT leaderboard have been removed

3 Events Remaining in PGT Season

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

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