2025 PGT PLO Series: Plastic Surgeon Dr. Christopher Costa Operates Flawlessly to Win Event #5: $10,100 PLO Progressive Bounty ($313,200)

In Las Vegas, Dr. Christopher Costa (cover image) is usually the guy you see for cosmetic enhancements at Platinum Plastic Surgery. But this week, he was performing a very different kind of procedure – dismantling a high-stakes poker field. Monday was supposed to be a regular surgery day for the Doc. Instead, he found himself staring at a mountain of chips, leading the final table of the 2025 PGT PLO Series Event #5: $10,100 PLO Progressive Bounty.

A quick, crucial call to his office manager, a rapid reshuffling of patient schedules, and Dr. Costa was green-lit for a very different kind of high-pressure performance. This wasn’t just any game; it was the third-largest $10K PLO event the PGT has ever hosted, drawing an elite crowd of 116 entries.

Once the field narrowed down to the last 12 players, something clicked for Costa. He went on an incredible tear, knocking out nine of the final ten opponents. It was a display of dominance that left little doubt about who controlled the table. When the last card fell, Costa had captured his very first PGT title, bagging a career-high $123,200 in prize money. But thanks to the progressive bounty format, he stacked up an absurd $190,000 in bounties, bringing his total haul to an eye-watering $313,200.

Dr. Christopher Costa surgically dismantled the final table in PGT PLO Series Event #5 to win $313,200 ($123,200 + $190,000 in bounties).

Recap: https://t.co/FZ6gNaSp32 pic.twitter.com/IS6FfV5UBJ

— PGT (@PokerGOTour) April 1, 2025

Costa started the final day holding a commanding lead with over 63% of the chips in play. He gave no ground. Early on, he skillfully sniffed out a river bluff from Bruno Furth, boosting his stack above the 70% mark and signalling his intent for the rest of the day. It was clear he was there to finish the job.

The last player standing in his way was Alex Foxen, a poker superstar with a stacked resume including multiple PGT trophies and three WSOP bracelets. It shaped up as a fascinating clash, with Foxen making a brief comeback but Costa held his ground. Foxen had to accept the second-place finish, still walking away with a respectable $123,200 plus $10,000 in bounties.

There’s a certain irony to the man known for cosmetic surgery skillfully dissecting a Pot-Limit Omaha field. Costa calls himself a “weekend warrior” when it comes to poker. He’s far from a daily grinder; he’s a family man with three kids, running his own practice and juggling other business ventures. Poker fits into his life where it can, often in bigger private games he finds through his network.

But Costa is no rookie. His poker roots go back to around 2008 on the East Coast, where he spent a couple of years playing $2/$5 cash at the Borgata before committing to the demanding life of a doctor. His first recorded cash is from 2011.

This huge win gives Costa 236 PGT points, vaulting him into third place on the PGT PLO Series leaderboard after just one cash. Chino Rheem, winner of Event #4, still leads with 307 points, followed by James Chen (runner-up in Event #3) with 245 points. Neither Rheem nor Chen added points in this event. With this victory, Costa’s lifetime live tournament earnings have jumped significantly, now standing at $341,839, according to The Hendon Mob.

Event Highlights

The $10,100 buy-in Event #5 generated a $1.16 Million prize pool, 40% of which was set aside for the bounties. The top 17 players made the money, with the minimum payout being $10,700.

The dreaded bubble position went to Christian Roberts in a particularly tough spot. He got his chips in with trip sevens, only to discover his opponent had made a straight.

Plenty of well-known players made it into the money but couldn’t reach the final table, including Tomasz Krzesinski (17th for $10,700), Bryce Yockey (16th for $10,700), Cary Katz (15th for $13,920), Dylan Smith (14th for $13,920), Sean Rafael (13th for $13,920), John Riordan (12th for $20,880), and Allan Le (11th for $20,880).

For those who missed the action live, the final table was streamed (on a delay) on PokerGO’s YouTube channel. You can watch the replay below.

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Christopher Costa – 9,175,000
2. Alex Foxen – 2,395,000
3. Bruno Furth – 1,505,000
4. Kamel Mokhammad – 795,000
5. Jordan Glazer – 625,000

Final Table Recap

With the final table set, five players returned, but all eyes were on Christopher Costa, who held a commanding chip lead with 9,175,000. His closest competitor was the seasoned pro Alex Foxen at 2,395,000, followed by Bruno Furth (1,505,000), Kamel Mokhammad (795,000), and Jordan Glazer (625,000).

The action didn’t take long to heat up. Kamel Mokhammad found himself in a promising position, holding the top two pair. However, Alex Foxen was lurking. As the community cards completed, Foxen connected perfectly, rivering the unbeatable nut flush. Mokhammad’s two pair were suddenly worthless, and he became the first casualty of the final day, heading out in fifth place.

Flushed out! 💥 @WAFoxen spikes the river to eliminate Kamel Mokhammad in 5th place.

🔗 https://t.co/I6JV64iCjM pic.twitter.com/A5bqIpIP4m

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) March 31, 2025

Next, attention turned to Bruno Furth, who had been patiently nursing a short stack. Seeing an opportunity, he made his stand, committing his chips with powerful pocket Aces. It looked like a prime spot, but he found himself called in two different directions by both Costa and Foxen. The dealer spread the flop, and disaster struck for Furth as Costa hit trip Queens. Costa placed a bet, forcing Foxen out of the side pot and isolating Furth. The turn card offered no reprieve; it paired the board, improving Costa’s hand to Queens full. Furth was left needing the single remaining Ace in the deck just to survive. The river delivered a seven, a meaningless brick, ending Furth’s run in fourth place.

Three-handed play commenced with Costa wielding an immense chip advantage. Alex Foxen initially held a slight edge over Jordan Glazer. However, Glazer wasn’t ready to concede. In a massive confrontation, fireworks erupted when Glazer flopped quads for a huge double-up and dramatically closed the gap.

Flopping Quads! 🚀 Jordan Glazer scores a sick double-up through @WAFoxen.

🔗 https://t.co/I6JV64iCjM pic.twitter.com/vOL7uGEecg

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) March 31, 2025

Jordan Glazer, who began the day with the shortest stack, had already skillfully laddered up two payout spots. Despite the earlier triple-up and the stunning quads-double, sustaining momentum proved difficult. His stack was gradually whittled back down before he found himself all in again. This time, Glazer held against Costa’s . The flop came down , hitting Glazer hard with top set and giving him a firm grip on the hand. The drama intensified on the turn when the peeled off, presenting Costa with the nut flush draw. The river card was the , completing Costa’s flush and eliminating Glazer in a respectable third place after a hard-fought battle.

This set the stage for the heads-up duel: Christopher Costa versus Alex Foxen. Costa began with a staggering eighty-four per cent of the chips in play – 12.115 Million to Foxen’s 2.38 Million. Yet, Foxen, an experienced stalwart and coach, wasn’t going down without a fight. He chipped away, picking up several small pots before landing a massive counterpunch. In a hand where both players made flushes, Foxen held the higher one, dragging a large pot and boosting his stack above the four million chip mark.

The momentum continued to swing wildly. After Costa put in a three-bet before the flop, Foxen moved all-in on a Ten-high board texture. Costa made the call immediately, tabling pocket Kings. Foxen revealed top pair with the top kicker. Costa needed his Kings to hold, but the turn brought another Ten. This card gave Foxen trip Tens, getting him a full double-up and snatching the chip lead away from Costa by a single big blind.

However, Foxen’s time in the lead was remarkably brief – it lasted just two hands. He attempted a bold bluff, pushing his chips forward. But Costa wasn’t buying it. He instantly called, revealing a made wheel straight (Ace-to-Five). The huge pot slid back across the table, and the pendulum swung violently back in Costa’s favour, giving him a commanding 6-to-1 chip advantage.

The end came just moments later. Costa raised from the button, prompting Foxen to three-bet shove his shorter stack from the big blind with . Costa made the call with . The community cards were dealt , giving Costa nines full of jacks for his first PGT title!

Just what the doctor ordered!

Earlier today, Dr. Christopher Costa won Event #5 of the @PokerGOTour PLO Series.

Stream replay: https://t.co/I6JV64iCjM pic.twitter.com/P7RRvB1QPq

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) April 1, 2025

Final Table Results (USD) (Including Bounties)

1. Christopher Costa – $313,200
2. Alex Foxen – $133,200
3. Jordan Glazer – $85,200
4. Caleb Furth – $94,640
5. Kamel Mokhammad – $56,720

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO

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