2023 PGT Mixed Games: Eli Elezra Ships Event #3: $10,300 Triple Stud Mix to Win Maiden PGT Title ($155,000)

The eight-event-long PGT Mixed Games series is underway at the PokerGO Studio inside the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas! The inaugural series found its first winner in Shaun Deeb, who won Event #1: $10,300 H.O.R.S.E. Event #2: $10,300 8-Game, scheduled to play down to a winner on Tuesday, witnessed an unusual delay, and the play was halted heads-up. John Monnette (Event #2 chip leader) was running deep run Event #3, so he and Albert Daher agreed to continue the match on Wednesday, February 8, at 11 AM (PT).

With Event #2 delayed, Eli ‘Mr. Vegas’ Elezra (cover image) was named the second champion at the festival after the five-time WSOP bracelet winner obliterated a 60-player field in the two-day-long Event #3: $10,300 Triple Stud Mix, winning his first PGT title for $155,000 in first-place prize money.

Elezra agreed to a heads-up deal where he locked in $135,000, and Yuval Bronshtein was guaranteed $145,000. The duo continued playing for the $20,000 left on the table and the alluring PGT memento. Elezra clinched both the extra perks left out of the deal after relegating Bronshtein to a runner-up finish.

David “ODB” Baker tweeted about Eli Elezra’s dominating run in the tournament.

Like a wild animal in his natural environment. The Stud king dominating the $10k triple stud event @PokerGO pic.twitter.com/AGUuo2yzNE

— David Baker (@audavidb) February 6, 2023

Elezra’s first recorded score came back in 1996, and his present-day live earnings amount to over $5.46 Million. His career-best score continues to be the $1,024,574 he won for taking down a $10,200 NLHE event at the Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas in 2004.

John Monnette (at least 210 points) has climbed to the top of the 2023 Mixed Games leaderboard standings after his fourth-place finish in Event #3 and is assured of adding to that tally as he commands an overwhelming heads-up chip lead in Event #2. The Event #1 champion Shaun Deeb (209 Points), has slipped to #2, while Event #3 winner Eli Elezra (180 Points) is sitting at #3 on the series leaderboard.

Five-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Phil Hui (8th for $24,000) and Michael Filipiak (9th for $18,000) were notables who made the payouts but couldn`t reach the final table in Event #3.

The $10,300 buy-in tournament attracted 60 entrants, creating a prize pool of $600,000. The top nine finishers got paid.

David Funkhouser (finished 10th) was eliminated on the money bubble.

Final Table Chip Count

1. Eli Elezra – 2,400,000
2. Yehuda Buchalter – 2,350,000
3. Yuval Bronshetin – 1,625,000
4. John Monnette – 1,150,000
5. Dan Zack – 560,000
6. Jennifer Harman – 400,000
7. Philip Sternheimer – 200,000

Final Table Recap

Jennifer Harman ($30,000) was the first final table casualty and Day 1’s last elimination, walking out in seventh place, courtesy of Eli Elezra.

Day 2 Recap

Yehuda Buchalter made a quick exit on Tuesday, falling in sixth place after losing his stack to Philip Sternheimer.

Philip Sternheimer couldn`t put those chips to use as he was sent packing in fifth place by Yuval Bronshetin in a stud hand.

John Monnette fell in fourth place, followed by Dan Zack in third.

Shortly after Zack bowed out in third place, Eli Elezra found an early double-up through his heads-up opponent, Yuval Bronshtein. With almost even stacks, the duo, Bronshtein (5,325,000) and Elezra (3,675,000) struck a deal. Bronshtein locked up $145,000 and Elezra $135,000, and they continued playing to decide who would get the trophy and the remaining $20,000.

After the heads-up deal was struck, all went in Elezra’s favor as he steadily increased his lead before winning most of Yuval Bronshtein’s chips in the hand of Stud.

Eli Elezra [x][x]//[x]

Yuval Bronshtein [x][x]/[10]/[x]

Elezra tabled his three cards, for sixes full of eights, and Bronshtein put his cards in the muck. After the massive blow, Bronshtein was reduced to a single T25,000 chip. He doubled up on the penultimate hand but ran out of chips in the subsequent hand.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Eli Elezra – $155,000*
2. Yuval Bronshtein – $145,000*
3. Dan Zack – $84,000
4. John Monnette – $60,000
5. Philip Sternheimer – $48,000
6. Yehuda Buchalter – $36,000
7. Jennifer Harman – $30,000

*denotes a heads-up deal

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO Tour

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