Jason Hickey Captures First Career PGT Title

Jason Hickey came into the day third in chips but after taking a back seat early in the day caught fire late to capture his first PGT title, the $50,000 first-place prize, and $47,000 in bounties in Event #5: $5,100 No-Limit Hold'em for the inaugural PGT Bounty Blitz. 

In a day that saw big chip swings throughout, the day started with Andrew Ostapchenko finding him self all in and at risk with pocket nines from under the gun for 590,000, only to see Jeremy Becker move all in over the top for almost 1.2 million on the button. Bryan Swanson called all in for 855,000 total from the big blind, and just like the three-way all-in kicked off the day. 

Becker tabled king-queen, which was good news for Ostapchenko, but when Swanson tabled pocket rockets, both players were left looking to improve. The board ran out king-high, Ostapchenko missed his set to finish in sixth place for $10,500 plus 17 PGT points, and Swanson scored the double into second place in chips, while Becker tumbled down to the short stack, and Swanson also pulled a $5,000 bounty for the elimination. 

Hickey was the beneficiary of Becker being left on the short stack as a few hands later, Becker found himself all in for just 60,000 from the cutoff, and Hickey raised to 200,000 on the button, which didn't deter anyone as Swanson in the small blind and Anthony Marquez in the big blind called. 

The flop fell ace-nine-four, and action checked to Hickey, who continued for 150,000, which got Swanson out of the way, but Marquez called. The turn fell an eight, and Marquez check-folded to a 380,000 bet from Hickey. Becker tabled ten-seven for an open-ended straight draw but was behind the king-jack of Hickey. The river bricked for Becker, and he hit the rail in fifth place for $14,100 plus 23 PGT points while Hickey pulled another bounty this time for $3,000. 

That's when the second set of fireworks was set off as Swanson four-bet ripped it from the small blind for 1,600,000 effective with pocket fives, only for Marquez to find the call with ace-king from the big blind. The flop fell king-jack-ten all spades, giving Marquez the world with top pair top kicker plus the royal draw, leaving Swanson looking for two outs to avoid disaster. The turn and river came up hearts, but neither was the five Swanson needed as Marquez took a commanding chip lead. 

However, just as quickly as the chips came his way, Marquez found himself putting them right back into the middle as Swanson moved all in for 350,000 from under the gun before Marquez three-bet to 700,000 on the button. Hickey moved all in for 1,580,000 from the big blind, and after using a time extension, Marquez called with the hopes of scoring two bounties. 

Swanson was ahead pre-flop with pocket eights, but Hickey had ace-king, leaving Marquez and his jack-seven in last place, but with two live cards. The flop, however, came up king-seven-five, and while Marquez flopped a pair, Hickey had the best of it with top pair top kicker. The turn and river failed to improve Marquez or Swanson, who hit the rail in fourth place for $19,400 plus 32 PGT points, while Hickey pulled another bounty this time for $10,000. 

With Steve Zolotow sitting with just 550,000 in the small blind, Marquez and Hickey would get into it again as Marquez opened to 150,000 from the button, only for Hickey to three-bet to 560,000 from the big blind. Marquez called, and the flop fell five-three-deuce with two spades. Hickey continued for 775,000, Marquez moved all in for 2,700,000, and Hickey snap called tabling nines for an over pair to the board. Marquez also held an over pair to the board with pocket sixes and was left looking to improve to stay alive. 

The turn gave Marquez flush outs, but when the river landed the ace of hearts, he missed everything and hit the rail in third place for $24,700 plus 41 PGT points and $66,000 in bounties he collected on day one. Hickey then pulled another $3,000 bounty before taking a nearly twelve-to-one chip lead into heads-up play. 

Heads-up play lasted just a few hands as Hickey shoved the button with king-four and Zolotow called all in for 310,000 from the big blind with jack-nine. A nine on the flop locked to give Zolotow life, but when the turn fell a queen, both players held straight draws, leaving Hickey looking for Zolotow to make two pair to score the elimination. 

That is precisely what happened as a jack on the river gave Hickey the king-high straight and sent Zolotow to the rail in second place for $33,500 plus 56 PGT points while Hickey scored the last two bounties in the tournament in the form of a $25,000 and a $3,000 bounty. 

Event #5: $5,100 No-Limit Hold'em Mystery Bounty Final Table Payouts

Event #5 Draws Largest Field of Inaugural PGT Bounty Blitz

The penultimate event and the final streamed event of the inaugural PGT Bounty Blitz drew 59 entrants, created a prize pool of $295,000, including $118,000 in bounties, and the final nine players earned a piece of the regular prize pool, with the mystery bounty stage of the tournament starting at 12 players. 

Marquez, who failed to pick up any bounties at the final table, did manage to score five bounties on day one and, on the first bounty pull of the tournament, managed to score the $40,000 top prize before pocketing another $26,000 in bounties before the players bagged for the streamed final table. 

Andrew Lichtenberger, who for the third event in a row found himself the short stack on the money bubble, once again failed to find a cash after running his king-jack in Hickey's pocket aces. Drake Kemper, ninth place for $7,100 plus 12 PGT points, Andrew Kelsall, eighth place for $8,850 plus 15 PGT points, and Craig Mason, seventh place for $8,850 plus 15 PGT points, made the money in Event #5 but failed to reach the streamed final table.

With Event #5 shaking out as it did, nothing changed inside the top forty of the season leaderboard, and the top ten remains precisely as it was yesterday. 

2025 PGT Leaderboard Top Ten

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