Nine Lives and a Texas-Sized Victory: Lawrence Chang Champions Inaugural PGT Texas PLO Roundup Main Event For $300,000

Lawrence Chang (cover image) just proved that persistence pays off in poker as he navigated through a record-breaking field of 474 entries in the inaugural PGT Texas PLO Roundup $3,300 Main Event at Champions Club in Houston, Texas. It took him nine bullets to get there, but Chang ultimately took home the title and a career-defining $300,000 payday.

Chang’s victory was hard-fought, culminating in an intense heads-up battle against Andrew Ige. Ige, a formidable opponent, put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell short, taking home $200,000 for his second-place finish.

Lawrence Chang wins inaugural Texas PLO Roundup $3,300 Main Event at @ChampionsClubTX.

Chang topped the 474-entrant field to win the $300,000 first-place prize, 300 PGT points, and the belt buckle trophy.

Congratulations to Lawrence, and to every entrant who made the Texas PLO… pic.twitter.com/nHae1x9pSB

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What makes Chang’s victory even more remarkable is his unwavering determination. While some players fired as many as 18 or even 22 entries, Chang kept his focus, and on his ninth attempt, he found the path to glory. This victory is not just Chang’s first PokerGO Tour title of the season but also his largest career score to date, more than doubling his lifetime live tournament winnings to over $488,573.

For Chang, a Texas-based player, this win marks his first-ever six-figure score. His previous best was a modest $25,650 for a fourth-place finish in a $500K GTD $120 buy-in NLHE event at the 2019 L.A. Poker Classic, which drew a massive field of 6,454 entries. This was also his second final table appearance of the year, following a sixth-place finish in a $5,000 PLO High Roller at ARIA earlier this year.

The $3,300 buy-in Texas PLO Roundup Main Event was a landmark event, shattering its $1 Million guarantee to generate a staggering $1,422,000 prize pool – the largest ever for a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament in Texas history.

Day 2 of the Main Event saw 55 players return to the felt, each guaranteed a min-cash of $5,500. The day was filled with exciting action and featured a who’s who of poker talent.

Some of the notable names who made deep runs but fell short of the final table included Event #4: $1,100 PLO champion Stephanie Chung (11th for $29,000), three-time bracelet winner Sean Troha (20th for $14,000), Ren Lin (26th for $11,000), 2024 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jordan Griff (27th for $11,000), Ronald Keijzer (30th for $9,000), Martin Zamani (32nd for $9,000), Adam Hendrix (34th for $9,000), six-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh (41st for $7,500), and 2019 WSOP Main Event third-place finisher Alex Livingston (44th for $6,500).

The official final table bubble burst with the elimination of David Mzareulov in eighth place, who took home $35,500. The remaining seven players then locked horns in a battle for the title.

You can watch the replay of the featured table coverage of Day 2 below.

You can watch the complete final table replay below.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Lawrence Chang – 9,430,000
2. Kyle Arora – 5,960,000
3. Senovio Ramirez – 4,140,000
4. Sean Rafael – 3,275,000
5. Andrew Ige – 2,475,000
6. LaDarren Banks – 1,815,000
7. Sterling Savill – 1,350,000

Final Table Recap

LaDarren Banks was the first to hit the rail on Day 3, unable to turn the tide as the table heated up. Banks committed his stack with , only to run into Andrew Ige’s . The board sealed his fate, sending him to the rail in seventh place.

We have our first elimination at the 2024 Texas PLO Roundup 2024 $3.3K Main Event Final Table at @ChampionsClubTX

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Sean Rafael, already riding high from a runner-up finish in Event #1: $5,100 PLO High Roller, was looking to continue his hot streak. He found himself all-in on a flop, holding (pocket kings and a nut flush draw). He was up against Senovio Ramirez, who had flopped middle pair and a wrap draw with . The turn and delivered a seven-high straight for Ramirez, ending Rafael’s journey in sixth place.

The cards – and players continue to fall at the Main Event Final Table of the 2024 Texas PLO Roundup.

Don't miss out on who is taking home the top prize and the iconic belt buckle 🏆🏆🏆

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Kyle Arora experienced the highs and lows of tournament poker, leading the chip counts at one point before finding himself short-stacked. His final hand saw him all-in with , but Andrew Ige woke up with . The board bricked out for Arora, pairing Ige twice with and ending Arora’s impressive run in fifth place. Despite the tough exit, this result marked Arora’s third-largest score, further cementing his status as a top player.

Sterling Savill showed incredible determination, grinding his way from the shortest stack to a top-four finish. His last stand came when he shoved with only to run into Andrew Ige’s . The flop gave Savill top two pair, but the turn gave Ige trips, and the river completed his flush, ending Savill’s impressive run in fourth place. This finish brings Savill’s career earnings to nearly $1.20 Million, solidifying his spot as a formidable player on the circuit.

Senovio Ramirez played a patient and calculated game, navigating his way to the final three. In a massive four-bet pot that swelled to over 8.70 Million, Ramirez’s faced off against Ige’s . The flop looked promising for Ramirez, but Ige turned a straight with the . The river was no help to Ramirez, sending him out in third place with his third third six-figure payout.

Things have heated up inside @ChampionsClubTX as we've reached heads-up play at the Final Table of the Main Event at the 2024 Texas PLO Roundup 🔥🔥🔥

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The final duel began with Andrew Ige holding almost a 2:1 chip lead over Lawrence Chang, but the momentum see-sawed between the two as both players displayed impeccable skill. The turning point came in a dramatic final hand.

With blinds at 125,000/250,000, Chang raised to 1 Million on the button with . Ige defended his big blind with . The flop came , and both players checked. The turn brought the , and the action exploded. Ige bet 1.60 Million with his jack-high straight and nut flush redraw, only for Chang to pot with his ten-high straight and heart flush draw! Ige shoved all in, and Chang called. The river was the , giving Chang a flush and the victory! The crowd erupted as Chang celebrated his incredible win, etching his name into poker history.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Lawrence Chang – $300,000
2. Andrew Ige – $200,000
3. Senovio Ramirez – $120,000
4. Sterling Savill – $80,000
5. Kyle Arora – $60,000
6. Sean Rafael – $51,000
7. LaDarren Banks – $43,000

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO Tour