PokerGO Tour explained

PokerGO Tour
Current Season:2023 PokerGO Tour
Last Season:2022 PokerGO Tour
Sport:Poker
Founded:[1]
Champion: Daniel Smiljkovic
Most Champs: Ali Imsirovic (20)
Website:PGT.com

The PokerGO Tour (PGT) is the official tour and ranking system for professional poker players that play in high roller poker tournaments with a minimum $5,000 buy-in.[2] The PGT awards points to poker players based on prize money won in approximately 150 tournaments around the globe.[3] [4] The player who accumulates the most points during the year is crowned PGT Player of the Year. A predetermined cutoff point of the top point earners each year determines who will compete in a season ending event, with the winner of that event crowned PGT Champion.

History

Launched in April, 2021, the PokerGO Tour was created for poker players that played in high roller poker tournaments around the world. The top three finishers would share in $175,000 in prize money, and when residential mortgage company Guaranteed Rate was announced as the presenting sponsor in September, the prize money was increased to $350,000, awarded as: $200,000 and the Guaranteed Rate Cup for the points leader, $100,000 for second place, and $50,000 for third place.[5] [6] [7]

Following the conclusion of all qualifying PokerGO Tour tournaments for the 2022 season, the top 21 players on the PokerGO Tour leaderboard were to be invited to play in the season-ending PGT Championship.[8] Players were to receive starting chips based on how many points they earned during the season, and the PGT Championship was to be a winner-take-all where the winner would collect the $500,000 first-place prize.[9] [10] [11]

Following the conclusion of all qualifying PokerGO Tour tournaments for the 2023 season, the top 40 players on the PokerGO Tour leaderboard and select "Dream Seat" winners were to be invited to play in the season-ending PGT Championship.[12] All players were to receive starting chips based on how many points they earned during the season, with the minimum set at 100 big blinds. The PGT Championship was to be a $1,000,000 freeroll with a $500,000 first-place prize.[13]

Points system

The PokerGO Tour calculates all cashes that are less than $1,000,000 in prize money by using three percentages based on buy-in amounts; 0.0010% for $5,000 to $24,999 buy-in events, 0.0006% for $25,000 to $99,999 buy-in events, and 0.0003% for $100,000+ buy-in events.[14] For cashes more than $1,000,000 in prize money, the following points table is used for cashes that fall within structured segments.

PokerGO Tour Points System!Cash!$10,000 - $24,999!$25,000 - $99,999!$100,000+
$5,000,000 - $5,999,9991,6001,100800
$4,000,000 - $4,999,9991,5001,000700
$3,000,000 - $3,999,9991,400900600
$2,500,000 - $2,999,9991,350850550
$2,000,000 - $2,499,9991,300800500
$1,500,000 - $1,999,9991,250750450
$1,000,000 - $1,499,9991,200700400
< $1,000,0000.0010%0.0006%0.0003%

Seasons and champions

Each year, players compete throughout the entire year in poker tournaments and are ranked by the PGT leaderboard. Each PGT season, there is a season-ending event called the PGT Championship.

In 2021, Ali Imsirovic was crowned the 2021 PGT champion ahead of Michael Addamo and Sean Perry.[15] [16] [17]

In 2022, Stephen Chidwick finished as the 2022 PGT Player of the Year, while Jason Koon won the PGT Championship.[18] [19]

In 2023, Isaac Haxton finished as the 2023 PGT Player of the Year, while Daniel Smiljkovic won the PGT Championship.[20] [21] [22]

SeasonEventsPGT ChampionMost winsMost cashesHighest earnings
2021145 Ali Imsirovic Ali Imsirovic (14) Ali Imsirovic (34) Michael Addamo ($9,418,837)
2022175 Jason Koon Stephen Chidwick (6) Stephen Chidwick (32) Espen Jørstad ($10,217,955)
2023133 Daniel Smiljkovic Isaac Haxton (4) Isaac Kempton (4) Daniel Negreanu (25) Jason Koon (25) Daniel Weinman ($12,180,000)

PGT majors

There are currently four PGT majors, three of which (PokerGO Cup, Poker Masters, U.S. Poker Open) include multiple events through the year to determine the overall winner of that major. They exception is the Super High Roller Bowl, a single event major.

PokerGO Cup

SeasonEventsCup winnerTournament winningsRunner-up
20218 Daniel Negreanu$1,016,200 Ali Imsirovic
20228 Jeremy Ausmus$824,500 Sean Perry
20238 Cary Katz$655,800 Anthony Hu

Poker Masters

SeasonEventsPurple Jacket winnerTotal winningsRunner-up
202112 Michael Addamo$1,840,000 Nick Petrangelo
202210 Sean Winter$777,000 Jason Koon
202310 Stephen Chidwick$1,109,000 Vladas Tamasauskas

The Poker Masters was first held in 2017. It was first included in the PGT in 2021 as the PGT launched for that year.

U.S. Poker Open

SeasonEventsGolden Eagle winnerTotal winningsRunner-up
202112 David Peters$832,950 Sean Winter
202212 Sean Winter$1,196,000 Tamon Nakamura
202310 Martin Zamani$835,800 Ren Lin

The U.S. Poker Open was first held in 2018. It was first included in the PGT in 2021 as the PGT launched for that year.

Super High Roller Bowl

SeasonEventsChampionship ring winnerTotal winningsRunner-up
Super High Roller Bowl VI1 Michael Addamo$3,402,000 Justin Bonomo
Super High Roller Bowl VII1 Daniel Negreanu$3,312,000 Nick Petrangelo
Super High Roller Bowl VIII1 Isaac Haxton$2,760,000 Andrew Lichtenberger
Super High Roller Bow: PLO1 Jared Bleznick$1,292,000 Isaac Haxton

The Super High Roller Bowl was first held in 2015. It was first included in the PGT in 2021 as the PGT launched for that year.

Player stats

Top 10 all-time money list

Information correct as of 24 December 2022.

RankPlayerPGT winnings
1 Michael Addamo$11,225,480
2 Espen Jørstad$10,217,955
3 Jake Schindler$10,179,541
4 Jason Koon$9,655,677
5 Ali Imsirovic$9,641,477
6 Alex Foxen$9,312,620
7 Stephen Chidwick$9,223,404
8 Koray Aldemir$9,204,452
9 Nick Petrangelo$8,499,074
10 Daniel Negreanu$7,735,079

Top 10 most tournament wins

Information correct as of January 27, 2023.

RankPlayerTotal PGT winsPokerGO CupPoker MastersU.S. Poker OpenSuper High Roller BowlOther
1 Ali Imsirovic2031115
T-2 Michael Addamo8215
T-2 Sean Perry8215
T-2 Jake Schindler8116
T-5 Justin Bonomo77
T-5 Stephen Chidwick716
T-5 Alex Foxen7214
T-8 Sean Winter61131
T-8 Chris Brewer615
T-8 Nick Petrangelo615
T-11 Andrew Lichtenberger514
T-11 Daniel Negreanu52111
T-11 David Peters532
T-11 Jason Koon5113
T-11 Jeremy Ausmus51112

Top 10 most cashes

Information correct as of January 27, 2023.

RankPlayerPGT cashes
1 Ali Imsirovic55
T-2 Stephen Chidwick53
T2 Cary Katz53
4 Alex Foxen47
5 Chris Brewer43
T-6 Sam Soverel42
T-6 Sean Winter42
8 Sean Perry37
9 Jeremy Ausmus36
10 Jake Schindler32

References

  1. Web site: 2021-04-22. PokerGO Tour Unveiled: A Groundbreaking Professional Poker Tour & Ranking System PGT. 2022-01-21. PokerGO Tour. en-US.
  2. Web site: 2021-04-22. PokerGO Tour Unveiled: A Groundbreaking Professional Poker Tour & Ranking System PGT. 2022-01-21. PokerGO Tour. en-US.
  3. Web site: 2021-04-22. PokerGO unveils worldwide tour, big events in Las Vegas. 2022-01-21. Las Vegas Review-Journal. en-US.
  4. Web site: PokerGO Announces 2021 Schedule, Cash Prizes Under New Point System. 2022-01-21. www.pokernews.com. 23 April 2021 . en.
  5. PokerGO. Guaranteed Rate Announced as Presenting Sponsor of the PokerGO Tour™. 2022-01-21. www.prnewswire.com. en.
  6. Web site: Presenting Sponsor of PokerGO Tour Guaranteed Rate. 2022-01-21. www.rate.com. en.
  7. Web site: 2021-09-02. Guaranteed Rate Becomes Presenting Sponsor of PokerGO Tour™ PGT. 2022-01-21. PokerGO Tour. en-US.
  8. Web site: 2022-03-03 . PGT™ Champion To Earn $500,000 Prize at the Conclusion of 2022 Season PGT . 2022-03-10 . PokerGO Tour . en-US.
  9. Web site: 2022-03-10 . PokerGo Tour Champion To Earn $500,000 Prize at the end of the season . 2022-03-10 . VIP-Grinders . en-GB.
  10. Web site: 2022-03-07 . PokerGO Tour to Crown 2022 Champion with $500K Winner Take All Tournament . 2022-03-10 . Poker News Daily . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2022 PokerGO Tour's PGT Championship To Characteristic $500,000 Winner-Take-All Format . 2022-03-10 . Poker News Desk . en-US.
  12. Web site: pgt-website . 2023-01-27 . www.pgt.com.
  13. Web site: PokerGO Doubles 2023 PGT Championship Freeroll to $1 Million . 2023-01-27 . www.pokernews.com . 7 January 2023 . en.
  14. Web site: PokerGO Tour Points System PGT. 2022-01-21. PokerGO Tour. en-US.
  15. Web site: Ali Imsirovic Wins PokerGO Tour; Rok Gostisa Takes Season Finale. 2022-01-21. www.pokernews.com. 21 December 2021 . en.
  16. Web site: 2021-12-22. Ali Imsirovic claims PokerGO Tour Player of Year title. 2022-01-21. Las Vegas Review-Journal. en-US.
  17. Web site: 2021-12-22. PokerGO Tour Concludes for 2021 with Ali Imsirovic, Michael Addamo, and Sean Perry Winning Top Prizes PGT. 2022-01-21. PokerGO Tour. en-US.
  18. Web site: 2022-12-22. Persistence Pays Off for Jason Koon in PGT Championship Win title. 2022-12-23. PokerNews.com. en-US.
  19. Web site: 2022-12-23. Jason Koon Wins PGT Championship For $500,000 title. 2022-12-23. CardPlayer.com. en-US.
  20. Web site: Daniel Smiljkovic Wins PGT Championship for $500,000 PGT . 2024-01-11 . PokerGO Tour . en.
  21. Web site: Isaac Haxton Crowned 2023 PGT Player of the Year PGT . 2024-01-12 . PokerGO Tour . en.
  22. Web site: 2024-01-10 . Daniel Smiljkovic Rallies to Defeat Arden Cho Heads-Up for PGT Championship Title ($500,000) . 2024-01-12 . www.pokernews.com . en.