Bryce Yockey Captures Another PGT PLO Series Title in Event #9: $15,100 Pot-Limit Omaha

Bryce Yockey couldn’t lose a pot today if he tried. From start to finish, everything went Yockey’s way, and despite starting the day as one of the shortest stacks left in the tournament, Yockey steamrolled his way to a victory in Event #9: $15,100 Pot-Limit Omaha for $290,000.

Yockey found a double quickly at the start of the day through Veselin Karakitukov, the only other player who could take the lead on the PGT PLO Series leaderboard. After a preflop confrontation, Yockey was left with just a handful of chips but flopped a straight. Karakitukov put Yockey all in for the rest, and Yockey was able to hold with his straight and quickly double up at the start of the day.

Just before this, Sean Rafael fell to Ike Haxton in seventh place when Haxton flopped a set and improved to a full house, leaving the field with just six players. The next to drop was Matthew Wantman, who also fell to Ike Haxton. After a preflop confrontation, Wantman called off his short stack with top set on a queen-high board. Haxton, however, made a straight on the turn to send Wantman to the rail in sixth place.

Start-of-the-day chip leader Artur Martirosyan was the fifth-place finisher. Martirosyan gave Yockey the chip lead in a wild pot where Yockey raised with . Martirosyan defended his limp with . When the flop came , the two got all the money in, with Yockey holding a king-high flush draw and Martirosyan holding top pair and an open-ended straight flush draw. The turn was the , giving Yockey the lead, and he held through the river to put himself into the chip lead.

There was no looking back from there, as everything continued to go Yockey’s way. He eliminated Veselin Karakitukov in fourth place when he made two pair to improve against Karakitukov’s top pair and flush draw. Then he eliminated Ike Haxton by rivering a straight against Haxton’s two pair.

The heads-up battle lasted quite a few hands, but in the final hand, Yockey and Ben Tollerene created a big pot preflop. Yockey flopped an open-ended straight draw against Tollerene’s double-gutter and ace-high. The on the turn brought in the straight for Tollerene. Fortunately for Yockey, as had been the case all tournament, he found a flush on the river to seal the deal and capture his second victory of the series.

Event #9: $15,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Final Table Payouts

Yockey Assumes the Lead; Winter and Karakitukov Still Chasing

With the win, Bryce Yockey earned $290,000 and 232 PGT points, taking over the lead on the PGT PLO Series II Leaderboard. With just one event remaining in the series, Yockey currently sits with 487 PGT points, three cashes, two wins, and a total of $537,600 in winnings. Following close behind are Sean Winter with 459 PGT points and Veselin Karakitukov with 358 PGT points, either of whom can take over the lead with a strong finish in PGT PLO Series Event #10: $25,200 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, which is currently running.

Others making moves on the PGT PLO Series Leaderboard include Matthew Wantman, who moved into 8th place with his finish; Ben Tollerene, who climbed to 13th with his runner-up result; Ike Haxton, who moved into 19th with his third cash; and Sean Rafael, who earned his fourth cash and slipped into 14th place. All four will have a chance to claim the top spot with a strong performance in the final event.

While the top ten of the 2025 PGT Season Leaderboard remains unchanged, several players made important moves with their finishes today, including Ben Tollerene, who entered the qualifying top 40 for the PGT Championship. Tollerene now sits with 1,045 PGT points in 37th place. Bryce Yockey also made the leap into the top 40 with his win, now sitting with 1,037 PGT points in 39th place. Sean Rafael climbed into 21st place with his 7th-place finish today, while Matthew Wantman moved into 22nd. Isaac Haxton rounds out the major movers, climbing into 29th place with 1,130 PGT points.

2025 PGT PLO Series II Leaderboard - Top Ten 

2025 PGT Season Leaderboard - Top Ten 

Connect with PokerGO.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. Watch daily poker clips on the PokerGO YouTube channel. Join the conversation on the PokerGO Discord server. You can save $20 off an annual subscription to PokerGO.com by using the code "PGT2025" at checkout.