First Half of PGT Bounty Blitz Sees Titles for Becker, Aido & Tice

The PokerGO Tour Bounty Blitz is on the midway stage, with three of the six trophies already awarded contained in the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The brand-new PGT sequence options $5K buy-ins with $2,000 from every entry funneled into the bounty pool, creating loads of motion as a number of the sport’s largest names battle it out.

To date, it’s Jeremy Becker who has stood out. The rising star took down the opening occasion and has since added two extra final-table runs. He’s joined within the winners’ circle by Spanish excessive curler Sergio Aido and his 2024 crossbook rival Landon Tice.

Second PGT Title for Becker

Each day event grinder turned high-stakes contender Jeremy Becker opened the sequence with a win in Occasion #1: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em. Performed as an ordinary knockout, Becker collected 5 bounties alongside the best way and secured the $45,600 prime prize, good for a complete payday of $55,600.

The 46-entry subject was full of expertise, and Becker needed to overcome a remaining desk that includes bracelet winners Andrew Lichtenberger (4th – $30,500) and Josh Arieh (sixth – $13,600), earlier than defeating Qin Zhao heads-up to seal the victory.

It was Becker’s second profession PGT title, following his breakthrough win final September that earned him $255,000, his largest rating. The triumph additionally pushed his dwell earnings previous the $3.5 million mark, per The Hendon Mob.

Occasion #1: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em Ultimate Desk Outcomes

PlaceNamePrizeBounty PrizeTotal 1Jeremy Becker$45,600$10,000$55,600 2Qin Zhao$29,000$14,000$43,000 3John Andress$19,300$6,000$25,300 4Andrew Lichtenberger$14,500$16,000$30,500 5Darren Rabinowitz$11,700$6,000$17,700 6Josh Arieh$9,600$4,000$13,600

Aido Denies Hunichen in Occasion #2

Sergio Aido picked up his second PGT title of the season after defeating Chris Hunichen heads-up within the 48-entry subject of Occasion #2: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em Escalator. The Spaniard earned $47,500 plus $21,500 in bounties, closing out one of many quickest remaining tables in PGT historical past in simply over 90 minutes.

For the Escalator, bounties different between three totally different worth factors. Bounties throughout open registration had been price $500, whereas eliminations after registration closes rose to $1,000. As soon as the event reached the complete desk earlier than the bubble, the bounty worth was adjusted by dividing the remaining prize pool by the variety of gamers remaining.

Aido’s run started with an enormous slice of fortune when his pocket kings spiked a set to crack Becker’’s aces, denying the Occasion #1 champion back-to-back wins. Chino Rheem quickly discovered himself on the incorrect finish of a cooler in opposition to Sean Winter earlier than bowing out a number of arms later, whereas Winter’s personal surge ended when Hunichen picked him off and Michael Berk completed the job.

Hunichen entered heads-up with the lead after dispatching Berk in third, however Aido clawed again, turned the match round, and sealed the victory when his prime two pair held in opposition to Hunichen’s prime pair.

Occasion #2: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em Escalator Ultimate Desk Payouts

PlaceNamePrizeBountiesTotal 1Sergio Aido$47,500$21,500$69,000 2Chris Hunichen$30,200$13,600$43,800 3Michael Berk$20,100$22,200$42,300 4Sean Winter$15,100$7,800$22,900 5Chino Rheem$12,300$8,300$20,600 6Jeremy Becker$10,100$5,300$15,400

Tice Reels in Largest Rating So Far

Landon Tice fought via 50 different entries and a swingy remaining desk to win Occasion #3: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em Quattro, the place bounties had been price $8,000, for $47,500 plus $32,000 in bounties.

Tice, who entered the ultimate day as a middling stack, survived a number of all-ins and located a string of key doubles earlier than eliminating Sam Laskowitz in third and defeating Dan Shak heads-up. The end result gave Tice his first PGT title of the season and sixth money general.

Occasion #3: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em Quattro Ultimate Desk Payouts

PlaceNamePrizeBountiesTotal 1Landon Tice$47,500$32,000$79,500 2Dan Shak$32,200$16,000$48,200 3Sam Laskowitz$21,400$0$21,400 4Andrew Ostapchenko$15,300$16,000$31,300 5Cherish Andrews$12,200$14,000$26,200 6John Andress$9,200$16,000$25,200

Rheem Leads Occasion #4; Becker Makes Third FT

Occasion #2 finalist Rheem has put himself in pole place in Occasion #4: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em PKO after bagging the chip lead. The event drew 36 entries for a $180,000 prize pool, with $72,000 allotted to bounties within the progressive knockout format.

Rheem was among the many greater stacks for many of Day 1 and completed with greater than 1 / 4 of the chips in play. He’ll return to a remaining desk that additionally consists of Huge Huni, Andrew Kelsall, Mike Zulker, Alex Condon, and Becker.

Becker, who made his third in-the-money end of sequence, shall be a major goal when play resumes because of the $10,000 bounty on his head. The six survivors are assured $8,600, whereas the eventual winner will acquire $28,100 plus bounties.

Play resumes Friday, September 5, at 12 p.m. PT, with the ultimate desk streaming dwell on PokerGO from 1 p.m. PT.

Occasion #4: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em PKO Chip Counts

SeatPlayerProgressive BountyChip CountBig Blinds 1Chino Rheem$4,0001,165,00058 2Chris Hunichen$5,0001,100,00055 3Andrew Kelsall$8,000635,00032 4Alex Condon$4,000120,0006 5Mike Zulker$6,000970,00049 6Jeremy Becker$10,000510,00026

Photos and reporting courtesy PokerGO

Calum Grant

Senior Editor & Stay Occasions Government

Calum has been part of the PokerNews staff since September 2021 after working within the UK power sector. He performed his first hand of poker in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the sport.

Calum has written for varied poker shops however discovered his house at PokerNews, the place he has contributed to numerous articles and dwell updates, offering insights and reporting on main poker occasions, together with the World Sequence of Poker (WSOP).

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