Sam Soverel opened the 2026 PGT PLO Series with a win, taking down Event #1: $5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha for $122,850 and 184 PGT points at the PokerGO Studio inside ARIA Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Soverel defeated Jonas Kronwitter heads-up to collect the trophy on Day 1 of a festival that runs through October 4 and crowns a series champion based on cumulative points across eight pot-limit Omaha events.
The 2026 PGT PLO Series: Eight Events, One Gold Cup
The PGT PLO Series runs September 24 through October 4, 2026, at the PokerGO Studio at ARIA in Las Vegas. Eight pot-limit Omaha events escalate in buy-in from $5,300 to $26,000 for the championship. The series champion is determined by cumulative PGT points across all eight events, not a single result. The player who finishes on top receives the PGT Gold Cup and a $10,000 PGT Passport.
The buy-ins climb as the series progresses. Events #1 and #2 are both $5,300. Events #3 and #5 step up to $10,500, and Event #4 is a $10,500 Quattro Bounty. Events #6 and #7 run at $15,700, with #6 a Mystery Bounty format. The series closes October 2 with the $26,000 PLO Championship. Every event airs live on PokerGO.
The consistency angle matters here. Soverel leads the early points standings after Day 1, but seven events remain. Anyone who can rack up multiple cashes across the week-and-a-half schedule has a real shot at the Gold Cup, regardless of who wins individual trophies.
Soverel Wins PGT PLO Series $5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha for $122,850
Event #1: $5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha drew 91 entries and built a $455,000 prize pool, with 13 players cashing. Soverel joined the field late, near the close of registration, and chipped up quickly enough to hold roughly one-third of the chips by the time the final table formed. He was never seriously threatened from there.
At six-handed, Soverel dispatched Sean Winter with A♠K♦Q♠J♥ against Winter’s A♣Q♥J♦5♥. Winter paired his five on the flop, but Soverel rivered a straight to end Winter’s run in sixth for $22,750. Ariel Mantel exited fifth, James Chen fourth. Three-handed, Dapkus moved all-in from the small blind on a Queen-Nine-Nine flop after betting 600,000 and putting in his remaining 300,000. Soverel called with Ac-Jc-6x-4x, ahead of Dapkus’s [invalid notations]. Soverel bet 1,400,000. Kronwitter moved all-in for approximately 2,200,000. Soverel called, tabling A♣A♦5♦2♣. Kronwitter held A♥8♥6♣3♥, drawing to a flush and a pair of threes. The 5♠ turn and 7♣ river changed nothing, and Soverel took the pot, the trophy, and $122,850. Kronwitter collected $79,625 for second.
It is Soverel’s 16th PGT title, the most in tour history, and his third win of 2026 alone. The 36-year-old from West Palm Beach, Florida, has over $32 million in career live tournament earnings and four WSOP bracelets. He won the 2019 Poker Masters Main Event and Purple Jacket. His largest single cash came in December 2025, a $2,594,000 score in a Triton $100,000 PLO Main Event. On the PGT specifically, he leads all-time in both titles and cashes with 112.
Soverel Wins Event #1: $5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha
$5,300 buy-in | 91 entries | $455,000 prize pool
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sam Soverel | $122,850 |
| 2 |  Jonas Kronwitter | $79,625 |
| 3 | John Dapkus | $56,875 |
| 4 | James Chen | $40,950 |
| 5 |  Ariel Mantel | $31,850 |
| 6 | Sean Winter | $22,750 |
| 7 | Michael Wang | $18,200 |
| 8 |  Joao Simao | $18,200 |
| 9 |  Youness Barakat | $13,650 |
| 10 | Mike Zulker | $13,650 |
| 11 |  Kamel Mokhammad | $13,650 |
| 12 | Josh Arieh | $11,375 |
| 13 | Brevin Andreadis | $11,375 |
Event #2 Is Live Now
Event #2 is the second $5,300 PLO of the series, running September 25 to 27 at the PokerGO Studio. Registration is open and Day 1 is underway. Chip counts and live updates are available at pgt.com. The event runs through September 27, with a Final Table day to follow Day 1 bagging. We will update the results here at poker.pro.
What’s Left on the Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #2: $5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Sep 26 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #3: $10,500 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Sep 28 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #4: $10,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Quattro Bounty |
| Sep 29 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #5: $10,500 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Sep 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #6: $15,700 Pot-Limit Omaha Mystery Bounty |
| Oct 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #7: $15,700 Pot-Limit Omaha |
| Oct 2 | 7:00 p.m. | Event #8: $26,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship |
FAQ
- Photos and information courtesy of the PokerGO Tour.
