2024 PGT Last Chance: Martin Zamani Conquers Record-Breaking Field in Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em to Win Third PGT Title & $302,500!

The PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas was buzzing with excitement as the 2024 PGT Last Chance Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold ’em unfolded. A record-breaking field of 121 entries converged in the second-last event of the series, but in the end, Martin Zamani (cover image) emerged as the champion.

Zamani, a live poker veteran, added another impressive victory to his resume, capturing his first title of the year and his third PGT win overall. He entered the final table with the chip lead but had to navigate a wild four-handed stretch that saw short stacks double up six times in a row before he finally pulled away. In the final showdown, Zamani defeated Kristen Foxen heads-up to claim the record-breaking $302,500 first-place prize and 303 PGT points.

Congratulations to @martin_zamani, winner of Event #5: $10,100 No-Limit Hold'em at PGT Last Chance.

Zamani wins his third PGT title after topping the record-setting 121-entrant field to collect the $302,500 first-place prize.

He now sits third on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard… pic.twitter.com/b1RVQwGyXi

— PokerGO Tour (@PokerGOTour) January 8, 2025

Foxen, the most decorated female player in WSOP history with five bracelets and the 2024 GPI POY Female runner-up kicked off her year with a bang, finishing as the runner-up and adding $187,550 to her bankroll.

Zamani, who now boasts over $5.89 Million in total live earnings, including two WSOP online bracelets, has cemented his place among poker’s elite. His career highlights include a career-best $895,110 win at the 2019 PCA High Roller and two previous PGT titles: Poker Masters Event #6 and US Poker Open Event #10.

Event #5 set a new attendance record for a $10,000 buy-in PGT tournament, with 121 entrants battling it out for a record-setting $1.21 Million prize pool. This surpassed the previous record of 119 entrants set during Events #2 and #3 of the series. The top 18 players all took home a share of the prize money.

Mike Lang was the unfortunate bubble boy, finishing 19th and narrowly missing out on a cash.

Many PGT regulars made deep runs but fell short of the final table, including Adam Hendrix (8th for $48,400), Jeremy Becker (9th for $36,300), Event #1 winner Shannon Shorr (13th for $24,200), Darren Elias (16th for $18,150), and Nicholas Seward (17th for $18,150).

The final table was a star-studded affair, with players like Rania Nasreddine (3rd for $133,100), Brekstyn Schutten (4th for $102,850), Ren Lin (5th for $72,600), Chris Brewer (6th for $60,500), and Joey Weissman (7th for $48,400) all vying for the title.

The Race to the PGT Championship Heats Up!

The PGT Last Chance series is the final opportunity for players to earn a coveted spot in the PGT $1 Million Championship, a high-stakes showdown exclusively for the top 40 players on the PGT leaderboard. Despite fierce competition, no players from outside the top 40 in the 2024 PGT standings managed to climb into the qualifying range after Event #5.

Leading the pack on the PGT Last Chance leaderboard is Brandon Wilson, who went back-to-back to win Event #3 and Event #4, racking up an impressive 583 PGT points. Shannon Shorr, the Event #1 winner, holds second place with 322 PGT points, while Martin Zamani, fresh off his Event #5 victory, is hot on their heels in third with 303 PGT points. These players are all in contention for one of the three Dream Seats into the PGT Championship.

If you missed the live action, you can catch the final table replay on PokerGO’s YouTube channel.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Martin Zamani – 4,750,000
2. Rania Nasreddine – 3,370,000
3. Brekstyn Schutten – 3,020,000
4. Ren Lin – 1,280,000
5. Kristen Foxen – 1,235,000
6. Chris Brewer – 1,175,000
7. Joey Weissman – 300,000

Final Table Recap

Martin Zamani wasted no time asserting his dominance at the final table. He kicked things off by sending Joey Weissman to the rail in seventh place. Weissman, who began the day as the short stack, couldn’t get his king-ten to hold up against Zamani’s king-nine.

Next, Zamani watched from the sidelines as Brek Schutten’s pocket eights cracked Chris Brewer‘s ace-jack, sending Brewer to the rail in sixth place.

With the remaining players all relatively short-stacked, Zamani took a breather. Rania Nasreddine seized the opportunity, eliminating Ren Lin when his pocket fives couldn’t improve against her pocket queens. Lin exited in fifth place.

Then, it was back to business for Zamani. He busted Brekstyn Schutten in fourth place, his ace-eight out-flopping Schutten’s ace-jack.

Rania Nasreddine looked poised to reach heads-up play, but a brutal beat changed everything. Her ace-jack was miles ahead of Kristen Foxen’s ace-ten, but a cruel ten on the flop gave Foxen a much-needed double-up, crippling Nasreddine in the process. She managed to hang on for a bit, but Zamani ultimately delivered the final blow, taking her out in third place with a seven-five suited after getting lucky on the turn and river.

The head-up play between Martin Zamani and Kristen Foxen was swift and decisive. Zamani entered the match with a commanding chip lead, holding 85% of the chips. On just the second hand, Zamani moved all-in with , and Foxen called for her tournament life with . The board ran out , offering no help to Foxen. Zamani’s ten-kicker played, and he was crowned the champion.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Martin Zamani – $302,500
2. Kristen Foxen – $187,550
3. Rania Nasreddine – $133,100
4. Brekstyn Schutten – $102,850
5. Ren Lin – $72,600
6. Chris Brewer – $60,500
7. Joey Weissman – $48,400

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO

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