$50,000 Main Event begins today; leaderboard championship still up for grabs
Two championships remain to be decided at the 2021 U.S. Poker Open, with several big storylines coming to a close over the course of the next two days.
The 12-event series finishes up with the two biggest events on the schedule. Event #11: $25,000 No-Limit Hold’em, sees the six-handed final table play out today.
Also kicking off at the PokerGO Studio today is Event #12: $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em. That tournament features the largest buy-in of any tournament in the series, and essentially functions as the U.S. Poker Open Main Event.
The first of four 2021 majors on the PokerGO Tour drew poker’s finest to the tables throughout the two-week high-stakes circuit. With 10 of 12 tournaments completed, the U.S. Poker Open leaderboard standings look like this:
2021 U.S. Poker Open Championship Standings (through 10 events)
| Place | Player Name | Series Points | Earnings |
| 1 | Ali Imsirovic | 483 | $482,000 |
| 2 | David Peters | 367 | $367,200 |
| 3 | Andrew Lichtenberger | 308 | $308,000 |
| 4 | Joe McKeehen | 302 | $302,200 |
| 5 | Steve Zolotow | 289 | $289,000 |
| 6 | Cary Katz | 270 | $270,100 |
| 7 | Dan Shak | 236 | $235,500 |
| 8 | Maxx Coleman | 231 | $230,800 |
| 9 | Jake Daniels | 219 | $218,500 |
| 10 | Alex Foxen | 224 | $223,300 |
Imsirovic on pace to win the 2021 U.S. Poker Open Leaderboard championship
It’s still mathematically possible for someone to catch Ali Imsirovic in the U.S. Poker Open Leaderboard standings, but the 25-year-old phenom looks like a good bet to win this year’s Golden Eagle trophy.
Imsirovic built a commanding lead in the standings with a pair of big finishes over the weekend. Imsirovic took down Event #9: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em, winning $217,800.
Event #9 also saw deep runs from Andrew Lichtenberger (2nd - $158,400), PokerGO founder Cary Katz (3rd - $118,800), and Americas Cardroom Team Pro Vanessa Kade (4th - $94,050).
Event #10: $10,000 Short Deck saw Imsirovic almost win back-to-back U.S. Poker Open events. David Peters topped the field in the only Short Deck event of the series, securing a $124,200 payday. Imsirovic (2nd - $75,600) still added a five-figure payout and second-place leaderboard points for the Event #10 finish.
With the Event #11 final table and Event #12 two-day tournament yet to be played, the 2021 U.S. Poker Open Leaderboard stands as follows:
U.S. Poker Open winners (through 10 events)
| Tournament | Winner | Runner-Up | First-Place Prize |
| Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em | Jake Daniels | Dan Shak | $218,500 |
| Event #2: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | Sam Soverel | Jordan Cristos | $175,500 |
| Event #3: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em | Joe McKeehen | Ray Qartomy | $200,200 |
| Event #4: $10,000 Big Bet Mix | John Riordan | Sean Perry | $163,200 |
| Event #5: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em | Joey Weissman | Adam Hendrix | $204,400 |
| Event #6: $10,000 8-Game | Eli Elezra | Steve Zolotow | $169,600 |
| Event #7: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em | David Peters | Jared Jaffee | $217,800 |
| Event #8: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha | Jared Bleznick | Maxx Coleman | $189,000 |
| Event #9: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em | Ali Imsirovic | Andrew Lichtenberger | $217,800 |
| Event #10: $10,000 Short Deck | David Peters | Ali Imsirovic | $124,200 |
Imsirovic’s U.S. Poker Open results put his career live earnings over the $11.4 million mark. He’s no stranger to series championships in PokerGO majors, surging to stardom after winning the 2018 Poker Masters purple jacket.
If Imsirovic finishes out of the money in Event #12, however, those trailing him on the leaderboard could catapult into a Golden Eagle trophy win at this year’s U.S. Poker Open.
Featured image source: PokerGO
