The PokerGO Tour 2024 PLO Series II continued Thursday with final table action in Event #3: $5,100 Pot-Limit Omaha. 155 hopefuls ponied up the buy-in for an entry into Event #3 to generate a total prize pool of $775,000 with 23 places paid and $178,250 for the first-place finisher.
After hitting a rush of cards to end Day 1 action as the chip leader, Matthew Wantman started the final table with a decent advantage over his opponents in the chip counts and, after a rollercoaster ride of a performance, managed to collect the entirety of the chips in play to claim the Event #3 trophy and the $178,250 top prize. With the victory, Wantman increases his PGT title count to three.
Setting the scene
Finland's own Eelis Parssinen began the final table second in the counts, with not much separating him from Wantman. After finishing in eighth place in the 2024 WSOP Main Event this past summer, Joe Serock notched his second cash on the PGT and started the final table third in chips. With his cash in this event, Serock is now just one PGT cash away from eligibility for the upcoming PGT Championship $1,000,000 freeroll. Jonas Kronwitter came in as the final player with an above-average stack, sitting fourth in the counts to start proceedings.
Zachary Schwartz led the bottom half of the chip counts, starting in fifth place, and was no doubt hoping to improve on his seventh-place finish in Event #2. Israel's Eran Carmi had his work cut out for him, coming into the final table sixth in chips. Serock wasn't the only WSOP Main Event final table finisher on the felt as Michael Duek rounded out the chip counts in seventh place. Duek finished third in the 2022 WSOP Main Event for a $4,000,000 score.
Parssinen exits after losing chunks to Kronwitter
Despite starting the day second in the chip counts, Parssinen was the first man sent to the payout desk after losing the majority of his chips in a hand against Kronwitter. After opening the button with 
, Parssinen continued to bet on the 
with his top two pair. Kronwitter called with his 
and the two players saw the 
turn, which improved the German to a better two pair. After checking, Kronwitter moved all-in when faced with Parssinen's pot-sized turn bet. The Finn called it off and found himself drawing thin. The 
river completed the board to keep Kronwitter's hand best and leave Parssinen with only crumbs.
After managing to double up once, Parssinen was all-in again against Duek, but couldn't improve to the winner and his run ended with a seventh-place finish.
Wantman scores back-to-back eliminations
Carmi was next up on the chopping block, but his exit came in unusual fashion. After Carmi moved all-in over the top of Kronwitter's under the gun open, action folded to Wantman in the small blind and, before he could act, Schwartz mucked his cards from the big blind, which prompted Kronwitter to do the same as he thought action had folded back to him. Wantman, however, still had a hand to play.
With the knowledge of his opponents' actions behind to guide him, Wantman made the call to put Carmi at risk. As it turns out, the two players had similar hands with Carmi holding 
and Wantman 
. The 
flop saw Wantman immediately improve to the king-high flush and leave Carmi drawing to a runner-runner chop. The 
actually gave him outs to said chop, but the 
kept his hand second-best and Carmi's run ended with a sixth-place finish.
Wantman continued to run hot and notched another elimination in blind versus blind confrontation against Duek. After defending his big blind against Duek's raise, Wantman moved all-in over the top of his opponent's continuation bet on the 
flop. Duek snap-called and turned over his 
, good for top set. Wantman was live, holding, 
, but needed to hit in order to scoop in the chips. The 
turn improved him to two pair, but still he needed more. The river improved both players to a full house, but Wantman held the higher hand and Duek's run ended, in brutal fashion, with a fifth-place finish.
Kronwitter does his share of the work
After Wantman's back-to-back eliminations, Kronwitter stepped to the fore to notch two of his own. The first saw him make top set with 
on a flop. His opponent, Serock, put out a pot-sized bet with his 
and Kronwitter responded with a re-pot to put him all-in. Serock called it off and found himself drawing to just two immediate outs. The provided him with no added outs and the ended his run with a fourth-place finish.
Shortly after, Kronwitter struck again to take out Schwartz. After raising from the button, Kronwitter called off when Schwartz moved all-in from the big blind. The German's 
would need to improve against his opponent's 
and the provided him exactly what he needed. Schwartz needed to hit runner-runner outs to down Kronwitter's nut flush and the offered up a path to survival. The 
river wasn't the card he needed, however, and Schwartz's day ended with a third-place finish.
Comeback time
Once he had dispatched Serock and Schwartz, Kronwitter took a commanding chip lead into the heads-up stage of play. Wantman, however, wasn't going down easy. After fighting tooth and nail to regain the chip lead with which he began the final table, the American lost two key pots to slide well into the danger zone. With only three big blinds remaining, Wantman was in need of a miraculous comeback. After chopping two pots to stay alive, Wantman found the first of his three doubles when he moved all-in with and held up against Kronwitter's on a 
runout.
Wantman's second double came after he raised from the big blind facing a limp from Kronwitter on the button. On the flop, Kronwitter moved all-in with 
and Wantman called it off with 
. Kronwitter needed to hit to close out the tournament, but the turn and river bricked and Wantman scored another full double.
The final of his three double ups saw Wantman re-take the chip lead for the second time in the heads up battle. After limping the button, Wantman called Kronwitter's raise with 
and the two players went to the flop. Kronwitter continued with a bet and Wantman called to see the turn. Kronwitter continued his aggression with a pot-sized bet and Wantman called to put his stack at risk again. The river 
completed the board and Wantman hauled in the chips with top pair against Kronwitter's miss.
In the final hand of the battle, Wantman raised from the button and Kronwitter made the call to see the flop. Kronwitter led out for a pot-sized all-in and Wantman snap-called. Kronwitter held for a double gutshot straight draw, but would need to improve against Wantman's . The turn changed nothing for either player and the river completed the board to put the finishing touches on Wantman's epic comeback.
PGT 2024 PLO Series II Event #3: $5,100 Pot-Limit Omaha final table results
| Place | Player | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Wantman | $178,250 |
| 2 | Jonas Kronwitter | $112,375 |
| 3 | Zachary Schwartz | $77,500 |
| 4 | Joe Serock | $58,125 |
| 5 | Michael Duek | $46,500 |
| 6 | Eran Carmi | $38,750 |
| 7 | Eelis Parssinen | $31,000 |
Images Courtesy of Antonio Abrego/PokerGO
