YouTube superstar Masato Yokosawa wins first PGT title

The 2025 PokerGO Tour (PGT) Kickoff series continued Thursday with action from the final table in Event #3: $5,100 No-Limit Hold'em. Throughout Day 1 play, the tournament attracted 112 entrants to create a prize pool of $560,000, with the top 16 players paid and $142,800 for the eventual winner. 

When the final hand was dealt, it was start-of-day chip leader Masato Yokosawa who held all the chips and laid claim to the $142,800 top prize and the PGT Kickoff Event #3 title. 

Yokosawa powered through a rollercoaster of a Day 1 to surge into the chip lead late in the evening and looks to capitalize on his advantage to win a first-ever PGT title. There was a sizable gap between Yokosawa and second-place Erik Seidel in the counts and a similar gulf separating Michael Vanier in third place. Nick Seward and Neil Warren fill out the middle of the pack in fourth and fifth places respectively, while Blake Vogdes and Justin Saliba round out the final table as the short stacks. 

Saliba coolered, Vanier makes a move

It was a short-lived appearance for Saliba as he ran into the buzzsaw of Yokosawa's pocket aces. Following an open from the chip leader, Saliba looked down at and moved the majority of his stack across the betting line as a three-bet. The action folded back around to Yokosawa who quickly called with . The offered no improvement to either player and Saliba's pair remained the inferior of the two, sending him to the payout desk in seventh place. 

Michael Vanier took a shot at spinning up his short stack, but couldn't improve to the winning hand.

The short-stacked Vanier followed Saliba shortly after when he collided with Warren in a blind versus blind confrontation. With a little more than five big blinds remaining, Vanier moved all-in from the small blind with and Warren called it off with . The flop provided Vanier with plenty of outs to the winner, but the turn and river failed to improve his holding and Warren's ace-high held on to notch the elimination. 

Seidel outdrawn, Vodges can't connect

After a rapid ascent up the chip counts, Warren took a shot at scoring another elimination in a blind versus blind confrontation with Seidel. When the action folded to him, Warren moved all-in from the small blind with and Seidel called with to put his tournament life on the line. The flop provided a flush draw to go with Warren's two over cards and the turn left Seidel's pair drawing dead. While he wasn't able to clinch a podium finish in Event #3, the Hall of Famer has made two final tables in the Kickoff Series, accruing a solid tally of PGT Leaderboard points in the process. 

Erik Seidel's second final table appearance of the PGT Kickoff series came to an end in a fifth-place finish.

With the blinds on the rise, Vodges took his chances at the double up when he moved all-in for less than ten big blinds with from the button. Warren looked down at a pair in the big blind – – and made the call to put Vodges at risk. The runout changed nothing for either player and Warren's pair remained best as he scored his third knockout at the final table. 

Yokosawa's aces down Seward

As the stacks shifted around during three-handed play, Yokosawa found a perfect spot to lay a trap for his opponent. In a blind versus blind confrontation, Yokosawa opted for a sneaky line by limping in from the small blind with . Seward, in the big blind, looked down at and put in a raise. The Japanese vlogging superstar continued to sneak along with a mere flat call and the two players went to the flop – a disaster for Seward as he made a no-good top pair. 

Nick Seward made a no-good top pair against Masato Yokosawa's slow-played aces.

In the face of a small continuation bet, Yokosawa continued to play his hand slowly with a call and the turn left Seward drawing even more thinly to the winner. Undeterred, he bet once again when checked to and Yokosawa called once more. On the river , Yokosawa sprung the trap and led out for an all-in shove. Seward didn't take too long to think about his decision as he flicked a single chip over the betting line, only to see the bad news as Yokosawa rolled over his pocket aces. 

Yokosawa vs. Warren

The heads-up battle between Yokosawa and Warren didn't last too long as the two players clashed in an early pot to finish the tournament. With just over ten big blinds remaining, Warren moved all-in from the button with and Yokosawa made the call with . It looked as though Warren might find the full double up, but the flop paired Yokosawa and left Warren pulling at his three pair outs and a gutshot straight draw. The turn added a few extra outs to his arsenal, but the river improved Yokosawa to a full house and confirmed Warren's elimination as runner-up. 

PGT Kickoff Event #3 final table results