Qin Zhao Leads Final Six in 2025 PGT Bounty Blitz Event #1: $5,100 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout

The 2025 PGT Bounty Blitz kicked off today from the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Event #1: $5,100 No-Limit Hold'em Knockout. The tournament drew 46 entries, and Qin Zhao leads a star-studded final six players.

Zhao had a fairly steady climb throughout the day, but topped off his stack with three late-day eliminations: Justin Sternberg, Drake Kemper, and Jacob Mendelsohn, pushing him past the 1,000,000 chip mark. Zhao would finish the day with 1,300,000. However, right on his heels is Darren Rabinowitz with 1,250,000, and rounding out the top three stacks is none other than Andrew 'Lucky Chewy' Lichtenberger, who bagged 1,170,000. Also bagging chips were Josh Arieh (885,000), Jeremy Becker (450,000), and John Andress (600,000).

These players will return on Tuesday, September 2, at noon local time to play the livestreamed final table down to a winner on PokerGO.

The 46-entry field created a prize pool worth $230,000, with $92,000 allocated to the bounty pool. Alex Condon was the unfortunate bubble boy, finishing in eighth place when his ace-eight couldn't improve against Rabinowitz's ace-jack. The remaining seven players were then guaranteed at least $8,300 plus bounties, in which that prize went to David 'ODB' Baker, who busted in seventh place right after Condon when his pocket fives couldn't hold against Lichtenberger's ace-queen suited.

The first event of the new PGT bounty series drew a big-name field that included John Riordan, Jim Collopy, Chris Moorman, Chino Rheem, Sam Laskowitz, Michael Berk, Michael Rossitto, Jonathan Little, Francis Anderson, Christian Roberts, Neil Warren, and Andrew Ostapchenko, to name a few. 

The six-event schedule consists exclusively of No-Limit Hold'em events, and all buy-ins are $5,300, with a $200 discount available for on-time entry for players in the registration line by the start of play.

Unique to PGT Bounty Blitz is that every event will be a different bounty format, with $2,000 from each player's entry set aside for the bounty pool. Events #1 and #6 are standard knockout tournaments with an elimination earning that player $2,000. Event #2 is an escalator format with bounties valued at three different price points that rise as the tournament progresses. Eliminating players while registration is open earns the player $500, eliminations after registration closes are worth $1,000, and once the tournament reaches one full table before the bubble, the bounty value will be adjusted to the remaining prize pool divided by the number of players remaining.

Event #3 is a Quattro format, where bounties will begin with 25% of the field remaining and be valued at $8,000. Event #4 is a Progressive Knockout with each elimination earning the player half the bounty paid out in cash, and the half being added to their bounty value. Event #5 is a Mystery Bounty, and the second-highest bounty prize will be reserved for the final table.

2025 PGT Bounty Blitz Series Event #1 Final Table

Here's a look at the remaining payouts: 

When play resumes, there will be 9:00 remaining in Level 13 with blinds at 10,000/15,000 and a 15,000 big blind ante. 

Play will resume on Tuesday, September 2, at 12:00 p.m. PT, and the final table will be livestreamed on PokerGO at 1 p.m. PT.

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