Sean Winter beats out Jesse Lonis for control of PGT PLO Series II

Sean Winter
Matt Hansen
Matt Hansen
Posted on: October 20, 2025 17:43 PDT

The PokerGO Tour's PLO Series II has reached its halfway point and Sean Winter has taken the lead in the overall points race after a win in Event #5.  

The $10,100 PLO Progressive Bounty was Winter's fourth cash of the series and second final table. He leapfrogged Ben Lamb and Jesse Lonis on the series-long leaderboard with the win, setting the trio up as the men to beat down the homestretch. 

It was the fourth cash of the series for Winter. It was the fourth cash of the series for Winter.

Never a doubt

Winter started Day 2 at the top of the chip counts and gave little ground throughout Monday's livestreamed finale. His final tally was $155,000 in bounties and $122,300 for the victory — a total of $277,300 and 253 PGT points, setting his current total at 416. 

Nick Palma, who entered the day at the bottom of the counts, laddered up to third after a big pot that resulted in the elimination of Lonis in fifth place. Taylor Wilson was out soon after when Winter found a flush on the river to continue the hot hand. Winter then busted Palma on a bluff and it was down to just Soverel, who had some work to do. 

Lonis would have taken the lead with a win. Lonis would have taken the lead with a win.

Part of the work was done as Soverel creeped near even, but it all fell apart when his couldn't beat Winter's flush with . Soverel came along with for a three-bet before the flop and spent the rest of his chips on every street, but Winter turned over the winner and ended the tournament. 

Winter's four PLO Series cashes put him in the top spot ahead of Lamb and Lonis, while Fernando Habegger and Soverel fill out the top five. Erik Seidel is in sixth after an earlier win and Palma has put himself into outside contention in the 11th spot after his second cash of the series. They'll play five more events, capping it off with the $25,200 PLO Championship on October 24. 

Nick Palma is just outside the top 10 on the series-long leaderboard. Nick Palma is just outside the top 10 on the series-long leaderboard.

PGT PLO Series II 2025 leaderboard (after 5 events)

Rank Player Cashes PGT Points
1 Sean Winter 4 416
2 Ben Lamb 1 293
3 Jesse Lonis 3 264
4 Fernando Habegger 1 181
5 Sam Soverel 2 175

Soverel sneaking up on Foxen

The PLO Series II will immediately give way to the Super High Roller Bowl series at the PokerGO Studio from Oct. 25 through 30. It kicks off with the $10K SHRB PLO on Oct. 25 before the $100,500 PLO Super High Roller Bowl on Oct. 27. Two more $15,100 buy-ins close out the four tournament series. 

Sam Soverel is now in the top three in the race for the PGT Championship. Sam Soverel is now in the top three in the race for the PGT Championship.

The big buy-ins will have implications for the season-long PokerGO Tour leaderboard, which will soon set its top 40 for the PGT Championship in December. Alex Foxen has opened up a lead after he passed WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi, but Soverel has moved into the top three and remains in spitting distance of the top. Winter also cracked the top 40 with his win, while Lonis is now just a few points behind Daniel Negreanu in seventh. 

2025 PGT Leaderboard (as of 10/20/2025)

Rank Player Cashes PGT Points
1 Alex Foxen 20 2,723
2 Michael Mizrachi 2 2,250
3 Sam Soverel 20 2,114
4 Nick Schulman 25 1,921
5 Chino Rheem 23 1,860

The PLO Series II rolls on with one more $10,100 buy-in before three $15K tournaments and the $25K closer. Catch all of the final table action PokerGO.

Images courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego.