Businessman Who Has Played Poker for 40 Years Wins PokerGO Title

California businessman Peter Placey has been enjoying poker recreationally for 40 years, and he can now add a excessive curler title to his resume. Right now, he shipped Occasion #5: $10,000 contained in the PokerGO Studio for $224,000 as he defeated heads-up opponent Qinghai Pan.

The fields on the 2026 U.S. Poker Open (USPO) in Las Vegas have primarily consisted of high-stakes professionals, however it was a leisure participant who took down right now’s occasion.

Placey, who runs an data firm in California, instructed PokerNews he at all times admire(s) and luxuriate in(s) the chance to play with the extent of gamers right here.” On the 2022 USPO, he completed tenth on this exact same occasion for $19,800.

“I like enjoying on this room,” Placey stated. “I appear to have finished okay the instances I’ve performed right here. That is the proper exclamation level.”

Occasion #5 Closing Desk Outcomes

Hitting Quads to Beat the Execs

The second $10,000 buy-in of the collection drew 80 runners for a prize pool of $800,000. Those that ran deep within the occasion embody Poker Corridor of Famer Nick Schulman, high professional Jesse Lonis, and poker energy couple Cherish Andrews and Brock Wilson, who’ve each received occasions this collection.

Placey, who had the chip lead for a part of Day 1, has by no means had hassle battling high professionals. In 2014, he completed thirty fifth within the WSOP Foremost Occasion for $230,487, busting to eventual champion Martin Jacobson.

Day 2 started with brief stack Andrew going out in sixth place, sufficient to place her in first place on the general collection leaderboard.

Justin Zaki and Day 1 chip chief Brandon Wilson had been the following two out, and it ended up being the 2 gamers with completed careers exterior of poker, Placey and Pan, a physician, that performed for the title as Anil Jivani bowed out in third place.

Pan managed to double into the chip lead by Placey, however he was no match for Placey’s flopped journeys in opposition to high pair that was quads to finish Pan’s run.

That wraps up PokerNews’ protection of Occasion #5 right here on the U.S. Poker Open in Las Vegas. Take a look at the stay reporting hub for different collection highlights.

*Photographs courtesy of PokerGO

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Exterior Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for 3 International Poker Awards for his writing.