16 PGT Heads-Up Showdown Qualifiers Revealed

The first-ever PGT Heads-Up Showdown is coming up in April, scheduled for April 21-23 at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The $25,000 buy-in event features a field of 32 players, with 16 of those coming from the top 16 of the PGT leaderboard at the conclusion of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open. Players ranked 16th or higher at the conclusion of the U.S. Poker Open receive an invitation to buy into the competition, and we now know who these players are.

Isaac Kempton is the PGT leaderboard frontrunner at the end of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open series. He has 1,375 points. Ali Imsirovic, last season’s PGT champion, is second with 1,369 points. Then it’s Tony Sinishtaj, Sean Winter, and Sean Perry rounding out the top five places on the leaderboard.

Winter was just outside the top 16 entering the final two events of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open, but then he won Event #11: $25,000 NL Hold’em and Event #12: $50,000 NL Hold’em to move above the PGT Heads-Up Showdown qualifying line.

Daniel Negreanu and Erik Seidel were also ranked in the top 16 following the conclusion of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open. Negreanu is currently 11th with 743 points, and Seidel is 15th with 573 points.

Likely the most surprising name to be inside the top 16 of the PGT leaderboard following the conclusion of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open is Japan’s Tamon Nakamura. Nakamura had no PGT points ahead of the U.S. Poker Open but put together a very impressive series that included two victories and six cashes. Nakamura is currently 14th with 588 points.

The final player making the cut to receive an automatic invitation is Joseph Cheong, who is 16th with 572 points. Japan’s Masahi Oya finished second in the final event of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open and fell just short of making it into the top 16 as he trails Cheong by nine points.

PGT Leaderboard Top 16 At Conclusion of USPO

Rank	Player	Country	Points
1	Isaac Kempton	United States	1.375
2	Ali Imsirovic	Bosnia and Herzegovina	1,369
3	Tony Sinishtaj	United States	1,250
4	Sean Winter	United States	1,217
5	Sean Perry	United States	1,147
6	Nick Petrangelo	United States	1,119
7	Jeremy Ausmus	United States	1,049
8	Alex Foxen	United States	986
9	Alex Livingston	Canada	886
10	Cary Katz	United States	845
11	Daniel Negreanu	Canada	743
12	Brock Wilson	United States	685
13	Jake Schindler	United States	601
14	Tamon Nakamura	Japan	588
15	Erik Seidel	United States	573
16	Joseph Cheong	United States	572

Click here to view the complete PGT leaderboard.

When Is the PGT Heads-Up Showdown?

The first-ever PGT Heads-Up Showdown starts Thursday, April 21, and will run for three straight days from April 21-23.

Where Is the PGT Heads-Up Showdown Held?

The PGT Heads-Up Showdown will be held at the state-of-the-art PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada, adjacent to ARIA Resort & Casino.

What Is the Prize Pool for the PGT Heads-Up Showdown?

With 32 players each putting up $25,000, the first-ever PGT Heads-Up Showdown will have a prize pool of $800,000. The prize breakdown will be announced at a late date.

Who Is in the Field?

The top 16 players on the PGT leaderboard following the conclusion of the 2022 U.S. Poker Open receive an invite to play and have the option to buy-in for $25,000. The additional 16 players to make up the 32-entry field will come from special invites that include top poker pros, notable personalities, celebrities, and more.

Can I Watch the PGT Heads-Up Showdown?

Yes, you can watch the PGT Heads-Up Showdown. The PGT Heads-Up Showdown will be live-streamed on PokerGO. All three days of tournament action will be available for viewing.

PokerGO is available worldwide on all your favorite devices, including Android phone, Android tablet, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. You can also stream PokerGO on any web or mobile browser by going to PokerGO.com. Annual, quarterly, and monthly plans are available.

Connect with PokerGO.com on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Want to watch the first-ever PGT Heads-Up Showdown on PokerGO but aren’t a subscriber yet? Use code “PGT2022” for $20 off an annual PokerGO subscription now!