Chi-Jen Chu Wins PGT Last Chance Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold'em

Chi-Jen Chu was one of the shortest stacks to start the day at the PGT Last Chance Event #5 final table, but he was able to work his way through a tough field and defeat David 'ODB' Baker in heads-up play to secure his first PGT title and a first-place prize of $263,850. Along with that, Chu also picked up 293 PGT points, which will put him in contention to win one of five Dream Seats to the PGT $1,000,000 Championship from the PGT Last Chance Series leaderboard.

The final table got off to a quick start when Connor Rash was eliminated on one of the first hands of play. In his final hand, Chino Rheem opened on the button, Rash jammed from the big blind, and Rheem quickly called. Rheem was holding ace-king, and it held up against Rash's ace-five. With that, Rash exited first in seventh place, earning $46,800 for his run along with 47 PGT points.

Rheem looked like he might run away with the chip lead, but then he ran right into the heater of Chi-Jen Chu. Chu quickly doubled twice on consecutive hands against Rheem. In the first, Chu's ace-jack held up against Rheem's suited king-eight, and on the second, Chu's tens cracked Rheem's aces. The two doubles put Chu near the top of the pack, and he never looked back on his way to the title.

Nick Seward was the second to fall at the final table when his aces were cracked by Rheem's fives. His sixth-place finish earned him $58,500 and 59 PGT points. Next to go was Matthew McEwan in fifth. McEwan jammed on the button with jack-ten, but Chu woke up in the big blind with kings, which held to secure the pot and push him further up the chip counts. For his run, McEwan earned $76,050 and 76 PGT points.

Four-handed play became a battle, with stacks evening out among the remaining players, but eventually it was Kristen Foxen who hit the rail. Foxen jammed over a raise from David 'ODB' Baker with pocket threes, but this time it was Baker who held the aces. He called and held to send Foxen out. For her run, Foxen earned $99,450 and 99 PGT points.

Chu once again found two doubles through Chino Rheem, putting Rheem on the short stack. On the second double, Rheem jammed from the small blind with king-jack, and Chu woke up with ace-deuce in the big blind. He called and found an ace to leave Rheem with crumbs, and Rheem was eliminated just a few hands later by David 'ODB' Baker.

Heads-up play was a back-and-forth affair, with neither player willing to give an inch. Eventually, the two players agreed to a deal that saw first place earn $263,850 and second place earn $210,000. Even after the deal, both players continued to exchange blows, with double-ups traded back and forth. The stacks stayed relatively even all the way to the wire, but finally, Chu found a bit of a lead. In the final hand, Baker shoved on the button with jack-eight, and Chu called off with ace-four. Chu stayed in the lead and improved with a pair of aces on the river to seal the deal and capture the victory.

With that, Chu collected the $263,850 first-place prize and the 293 PGT points that came along with it. The win puts Chu in fifth place on the series leaderboard, which would earn him a Dream Seat in the PGT $1,000,000 Championship should no one pass him in the final event.

PGT Last Chance Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold'em Results

*A deal was made during heads-up play which changed the payouts for first and second place. PGT points earned remain the same for the event. 

David 'ODB' Baker Takes Over the Top Spot on PGT Last Chance Leaderboard; Chi-Jen Chu Moves into Top 5

The battle for the final seats in the PGT $1,000,000 Championship is heating up with just one event left in the series. Now leading the way after his second runner-up finish of the series is David 'ODB' Baker, who sits with 355 PGT points. Following Baker are Neil Warren, who sits in second with 315 PGT points, Clemen Deng in third with 313 PGT points, Brandon Wilson in fourth with 297 PGT points, and Event #5 winner Chi-Jen Chu with 293 PGT points. Depending on how the last event shakes out, both Neil Warren and Brandon Wilson have a chance to qualify for the PGT $1,000,000 Championship via the 2025 PGT season-long top-40 leaderboard, but each would need a cash in the final event. Should Wilson or Warren find their way into the top 40, two more Dream Seats would open up via the PGT Last Chance leaderboard.

With her fourth-place finish in the event, Kristen Foxen also moved up to ninth place on the season-long leaderboard, which will improve her starting stack in the PGT Championship. Foxen overtook Daniel Negreanu and now sits with 1,671 PGT points. Rheem also improved his point total, but he would have to win the final event of the series to overtake Foxen and Soverel, who are currently sitting second and first, respectively.

Connor Rash, Nick Seward, and Matthew McEwan all improved their positions on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard with the points they collected in Event #5, but each will need to have a strong showing in Event #6 to qualify for the PGT Championship.

PGT Last Chance 2025 Leaderboard

2025 PGT Leaderboard Top 10 

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