PokerGO Cup Event #4 Won by Justin Saliba for $195,000

The fourth PokerGO Cup event of the 2023 series has been won in Las Vegas, and a fourth different winner has held aloft the famous trophy in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Hotel & Casino Resort. Justin Saliba reigned supreme as he overtook the chip leader at the final table, Anthony Hu as he triumphed heads-up to capture the crown, as Spanish player Adrian Mateos leapt to the top of the overall series leaderboard.

Another Bumper Field Pays Out a Dozen

With 78 entries in the $10,000 buy-in event, only 12 players would make money, and the last player to miss out on profit would be one who over the previous three events had cashed in two. Kristen Foxen may be the best female poker player to have sat at the felt over the past five or six years, but even she isn’t immune to bubbling sometimes, and her ace-king lost to Anthony Hu’s jack-eight when committed pre-flop.

Into the money fell Dylan DeStefano, whose 12^th-placed result was worth $15,600 instead of nothing. DeStefano was committed with the best hand too, pocket tens, but he was unable to hold, as Nick Petrangelo’s seven-six caught a seven on the flop and a six on the river. Soon after, Vikenty Shegal was gone too, his pocket threes losing to Adrian Mateos’ king-jack, a king on the river proving painful for Shegal, who left for $23,400.

Mateos was on the rise, but others couldn’t keep up. All-in with pocket queens, Petrangelo was short-stacked and called by Hu with king-ten. A flop of Q-T-9 gave Petrangelo top set, but opened up the possibility of a straight for Hu, and a jack on the turn completed that fortunate draw for him. Petrangelo needed the river to pair for a full house, but a four on the river was no good and the American left with $23,400.

Shak Bubbles Final Table, Hu Grabs Lead

With nine remaining, it was Dan Shak who missed out on the eight-handed final table. Shak’s ace-ten was no good on a board of K-Q-2-A against Justin Saliba’s king-queen, and a nine on the river condemned Shak to an exit in ninth place worth $31,200. The chips were fairly even with eight left but Anthony Hu held the lead with 1.9 million, a touch clear of Andrew Moreno with 1.7 million chips.

First out of the final table reckoning was Brian Kim, who busted for $31,200 in eighth place, before Jeremy Ausmus joined him on the rail in seventh for $39,000. The poker-player-turned-singer was in for his stack with ace-five but lost out to Erik Seidel’s queen-deuce of spades as the board came J-7-2-J-8.

The final table began with six players, and Hu’s lead was now considerable, with him holding 3,380,000 chips, Seidel the closest with 2.1 million. Surprisingly, Seidel was the first to be eliminated, the nine-time WSOP bracelet winner succumbing to Anthony Hu. Seidel lost most of it with pocket queens to Justin Saliba’s queen-jack, but it was Hu who took out the Poker Hall of Famer as ace-six was no good against king-jack, giving Seidel a payout of $46,800 in sixth place.

Moreno and Hu Fall Short

With five players left in the hunt for the latest PokerGO Cup event trophy, Andrew Moreno missed out next. Cashing for $62,400 in fifth place, Moreno – something of a tournament crusher in the last few years – was all-in from the blinds with jack-seven offsuit, but was crushed by Mateos who called with pocket aces. Moreno hit a jack but it wasn’t enough and he slid out of contention.

Out in fourth place for $78,000 was Calvin Lee. He pushed his chips into the middle as a call with king-nine, but although he started ahead of the aggressor Hu with jack-eight, the board was not a favorable one. A flop of J-7-3 was only followed by a deuce on the turn and five on the river to skittle Lee’s hopes just outside the podium places.

Out in third place was the new leader of the overall PokerGO Cup leaderboard, Adrian Mateos. The Spanish player was committed with king-ten, but was dominated by Saliba’s king-jack and couldn’t catch up on the board of 8-7-2-9-J, the river giving Mateos a useless straight after the turn had gifted Saliba the flush.

After the drama of Ed Sebesta winning yesterday’s Event #3, Hu and Saliba went into the final duel aiming for gold. Heads-up, Saliba had all the momentum, and while Hu was a threat, that danger to Saliba’s push for glory was sated when Hu’s ace-seven was unluckily overtaken by Saliba’s ace-four, a five and deuce on the flop joined by a three on the river. That gave Saliba a wheel straight and the title, along with the top prize of $195,000, with Hu earning $140,400 for finishing in second place.