PGT PLO Series II: Ausmus does the heavy lifting to win Event #7

The PokerGO Tour 2024 PGT PLO Series II continued Monday with action from the final table of Event #7: $15,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. Day 1 action drew a field of 64 entrants to generate a prize pool of $960,000 with ten players paid, including Michael Duek, Richard Gryko, Elias Harala, and Event #6 winner Daniel Negreau. 

The final six players in Event #7 returned to the PokerGO Studio to play down to a winner, each having secured a $52,800 cash. Gruffudd Pugh-Jones started proceedings as the chip leader, on a run which marked his second PGT final table and fourth PGT cash, all in 2024. Pugh-Jones has been on a heater in the four-card streets as of late. Recently, the Welshman showed up in a big way during PokerStars WCOOP Main Event Sunday, winning both the High and Medium iterations of the PLO events. 

Despite his advantage to start, Pugh-Jones still faced a tough lineup of opponents, including Nick Schulman and defending PGT PLO Series I champion Samuli Sipila – second and third in the chip counts respectively. The bottom half of the counts saw Jeremy Ausmus start the day in fourth, with Artem Maksimov and Event #6 runner-up Alex Foxen in fifth and sixth. 

Ausmus starts with double elimination

The early goings at the final table saw both Maksimov and Foxen slip further into the danger zone before a three-way clash saw both players head for the payout desk at the hands of Ausmus. From the button, Maksimov moved all-in with before Foxen raised from the small blind with . Ausmus looked down at and moved all-in over the top, covering both players. Foxen called it off and the three players turned up their cards. 

Alex Foxen moved into second place on the series leaderboard with his fifth-place finish.

The dealer spread the flop to give Foxen outs to a flush and the turn provided Maksimov outs to a straight. With both players still drawing live, the river locked up the win for Ausmus and awarded all remaining players with a double pay jump. With that pot, Ausmus took a sizable chip lead over the rest of the players, each of them clustered together in the counts. 

Sipila was next up on the chopping block, after a limped pot led to his demise. From the button, Sipila limped in with , leading Schulman to complete from the small blind, and Pugh-Jones checked his option in the big blind. The flop came down and action checked through to the turn. Schulman checked again, but Pugh-Jones bet out. Sipila re-potted from the button, leaving only a few chips behind. Pugh-Jones raised again to get all the chips in the middle and Sipila made the call. Unfortunately for the Finn, Pugh-Jones had turned a straight with and he needed to improve to a full house, but the river wasn't the card he needed. 

Schulman next, Pugh-Jones later

Ausmus continued his dominance at the final table by notching another elimination, taking out the short-stacked Schulman. In a blind versus blind confrontation, Ausmus came in for a raise from the small blind. Schulman defended from the big blind and the two players took the flop. With only crumbs left behind, Ausmus bet enough to put his opponent all-in and Schulman called it off. 

Nick Schulman notched a podium finish in Event #7.

The two players turned over their cards with Schulman holding for top pair and Ausmus holding for an overpair. The turn offered no additional outs and the river ended Schulman's day in a third-place finish.

Ausmus took a commanding chip lead into the heads-up portion of play, but a fortunate river card saw Pugh-Jones score an early double-up to even out the fight. The two players traded blows for some time, with Ausmus whittling his opponent down multiple times only to double him up again. At one point, Pugh-Jones took the chip lead and it was Ausmus fighting for his tournament life. After re-taking the chip lead, Ausmus had his opponent on the ropes yet again, but the Welshman wasn't going down easy and another double went his way. All told Pugh-Jones found five full doubles during the heads-up battle, but the final hand was the one that really mattered. 

Gruffudd Pugh-Jones continued his PLO heater with a big finish in Event #7.

Ausmus limped from the button and Pugh-Jones checked his option from the big blind to send the two players to the [a] flop. Facing a check from his opponent, Ausmus bet out and Pugh-Jones made the call to bring in the turn. Ausmus bet again and, this time, Pugh-Jones responded with an all-in raise. The American made the call and flipped over his to show the wheel. Pugh-Jones had turned two pair with and would need to improve to a full house to stay alive one more time. The river paired Pugh-Jones, but it was the wrong pair and his day ended with a second-place finish. 

PGT 2024 PLO Series II Event #7 final table results