Negreanu crushes PGT final table for first-ever Dealer's Choice win

Daniel Negreanu dominated the final table and held off Nick Schulman in heads-up play to win Event #6 of the PGT Mixed Games series at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The win was his first of 2025 and his first-ever victory in a Dealer’s Choice event. 

The $15,200 buy-in — the sixth of seven events before the $100K Super High Roller Bowl — drew 65 entrants to Las Vegas and the final seven returned on Tuesday. Negreanu started the day in the middle of the pack but he caught fire in early action and entered heads-up play with a 9.3 million-to-350K chip advantage. Schulman fought back and nearly evened the counts but Negreanu held him off to claim the $292,500 top prize. 

Negreanu held off a charging Schulman at the end for his first win of 2025.

Negreanu takes control

It was a day that started innocently enough. Maxx Coleman was the chip leader and Schulman started as the short stack. Negreanu was hanging out in the middle of the leaderboard when he caught a hot start in a round of Omaha Hi-Lo. Every card seemed to fall his way in the early going and he built a commanding lead before anyone could do anything about it. 

The rest of the group — needing to make a move while Negreanu pounded away at them — started to break the log jam and Ryan Miller was the first out in seventh place before Philip Sternheimer followed him in sixth. Dylan Smith busted in fifth and the final four was set with Negreanu holding a massive advantage and 70% of the chips. Coleman was the closest player but it really didn’t matter at that point in the tournament. 

Nick Schulman nearly pulled off the comeback of the quarter-century.

Coleman soon ran into trouble in 2-7 NL Single Draw against Negreanu and was left with crumbs after the clash. Negreanu then left Schulman short a few moments later and he held over 8.8 million chips to Schulmans 400K, Coleman’s 275K, and Yuri Dzivielevski’s 200K. 

Brief hope for Schulman

The short stacks took their shots and Coleman bowed out next before Dzivielevski followed him, both losing in 2-7 NL Single Draw and both against Negreanu. The final two adjusted their seats and Negreanu held over 9.3 million to Schulman’s 350K. 

Schulman answered the bell with a save after drawing four in 2-7 NL Single Draw and quickly doubled in two PLO hands, followed by a Stud round that changed the tone of the final battle. It was a spot of false hope, however, and Negreanu regained the momentum, never allowing Schulman close to the lead again. 

The big moment came in one final hand of PLO, the preferred game of Negreanu in the final stretch. Schulman opened and Negreanu three-bet before all the chips went in and the cards were turned up. Negreanu had the lead with and Schulman needed help with the double-suited . The board brought and Negreanu held on to finish one of the most dominating final table performances of the year so far. 

PGT Mixed Games Event #6: $15,200 Dealer's Choice final table results

The PGT Mixed Games will wrap up on Wednesday with the finale of the $25K 10-Game Championship just before the start of the $100K Super High Roller Bowl on Thursday in Las Vegas. 

^{Photos courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego}