Ray Qartomy Wins 2025 ARIA High Roller Series Event #8 in Heads-Up Chop for $270,000 and his 3rd PGT Title

The 2025 ARIA High Roller Series continued on Friday with Event #8: $15,100 No-Limit Hold'em from the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A heads-up chop was agreed upon by the final two players and Ray Qartomy was the chip leader at the time, making him the official Event #8 winner for $270,000 and 270 PGT points. After finishng on the money bubble in Event #7 on Thursday, Qartomy rebounded to nab the victory on Friday. The win also marked Qartomy's third PGT title, having recently won two high-roller events at the 2025 PGT Texas Poker Open in May.

The eighth event of the 2025 ARIA High Roller Series drew a 75-entrant field, setting the prize pool at $1,125,000 to mark highs on both fronts this series. The final 11 players finished in the money and for a little while it appeared Qartomy could finish on the outside again, as he was one of the short stacks with two tables remaining. Ultimately, it was Leonard Maue who bubbled.

The first to fall in the money were Renat Bohdanov, Mikita Badziakouski, Adrian Mateos, and Todd Hovenden, each falling short of the final table. Badziakouski fell to Qartomy, getting his shorter stack in with king-deuce against Qartomy's king-queen and failing to improve. Not long after it was Hovenden with ace-king suited against Qartomy's pocket queens. The pair held up and Qartomy had gone from a short stack to the middle of pack at the final table of seven players.

Qartomy was a spectator as Nick Schuman busted in seventh place, Kuanhan Lee exited in sixth place, and Masashi Oya departed in fifth place. With four players remaining, Qartomy got involved with pocket nines in the small blind, holding up against Ed Sebesta's ace-nine in the big blind. Sebesta was eliminated the ensuing hand in fourth place, followed by Felipe Boianovsky in third place, both at the hands of Masato Yokosawa.

Heads-up play began with Yokosawa holding about a 4-to-1 chip lead over Qartomy, but a crucial double-up swung the tide in Qartomy's direction when his king-jack suited beat Yokosawa's ace-queen. With Qartomy now in the lead, they agreed to an even chop for $270,000 apiece.

2025 ARIA High Roller Series Event #8: $15,100 No-Limit Hold'em Payouts

The 2025 ARIA High Roller Series resumes on Saturday, July 5th, with the third of five $15,100 No-Limit Hold'em events.

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