Jeremy Ausmus is the PGT Championship Cup winner after topping a field of 50 players to land the season-ending top prize of $500,000 in the $1million freeroll finale.
Ausmus came into the event as PGT Player of the Year, his leaderboard-heading performance also giving him an early chip lead in the 50-player freeroll.
A host of big names appeared in the PokerGO Studios for a shot at the $1million on offer, with the top six getting paid.
Among those who didn’t make it to the money were Adrian Mateos (48th), Phil Ivey (47th) WSOP Main Event winner Jonathan Tamayo (40th), Daniel Negreanu (26th), Viktor Blom (23rd), and Ike Haxton (18th).
Poker’s leading couple, Kristen and Alex Foxen, were looking to do a family double but it all ended rather painfully, Alex falling in 8th and Kristen busting on the bubble…
Bubble Trouble! 🤯 Alex and Kristen Foxen Bust Back-to-Back at the 2024 PGT Championship! pic.twitter.com/3sMOFeezlG
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) January 11, 2025
Day two and the final table of six was led by Dylan Weisman, with Schulman and Ausmus bringing up the rear, but things were about to get better for Ausmus.
A race with big slick against Jim Collopy’s pocket sevens went Ausmus’ way, and those same sevens cost Dylan Weisman his seat, with Chris “Big Huni” Hunichen falling inbetween.
Down to three and the payjumps were getting very serious, $120k, $200k and $500k prizes on the line.
When Calvin Anderson made a move, the bronze medal position on the podium was quickly decided…
Anderson: J♠ 5♣
Ausmus: K♠ K♦
Anderson’s blind-on-blind shove had backfired badly…
Flop: Q♠ Q♣ 8♥
Turn: 10♠
River: K♥
…and he was out in 3rd for a $120k cash, leaving Ausmus and Schulman to battle for the title.
It was a similar story that would decide top honours, with Schulman attempting a monster bluff…
Schulman: 8♣ 5♠
Ausmus: K♦ 9♣
Flop: J♠ 9♦ 7♦
Turn: 2♣
River: 7♣
…Schulman fired a third barrel but Ausmus smelled a rat and found the call…and the win!
PGT Championship Cup Final Results
| 1 | Jeremy Ausmus | USA | $500,000 |
| 2 | Nick Schulman | USA | $200,000 |
| 3 | Calvin Anderson | USA | $120,000 |
| 4 | Dylan Weisman | USA | $80,000 |
| 5 | Chris Hunichen | USA | $60,000 |
| 6 | Jim Collopy | USA | $40,000 |
It was Ausmus’ seventh career PGT title, tying him in 5th spot with Alex Foxen, Isaac Haxton, and David Peters. He also ranks 2nd all-time in PGT points behind Stephen Chidwick, and 3rd all-time in PGT final tables (59), PGT cashes (83), and PGT earnings ($13,289,300).
“I love the leaderboard, it really inspires me to play a lot,” Ausmus said of the PGT. “It’s kind of like a video game. You just want to get to the top.”
2025 PGT Season Kicks Off On January 20
The 2025 PGT season begins on January 20, 2025, with the aptly named PGT Kickoff. Five No-Limit Hold’em events (four with $5,100 buy-ins) will conclude with a $10k buy-in finale.
All PGT Kickoff events are worth double leaderboard points to offer some early-season interest. Other upcoming PGT events include:
- PokerGO Cup (February 11-20),
- PGT Mixed Games (February 25-March 5)
- Super High Roller Bowl: $100k Mixed (March 6-8).
- PGT PLO Series (March 25 – April 5)
- U.S. Poker Open (April 8-17)
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