PGT Texas PLO High Roller: Adam Hendrix, Curtis Muller, & Ronald Keijzer Emerge as Champions

The PokerGO Tour stormed into Texas this past weekend, bringing its signature high-stakes action to the Champions Club for the Texas PLO Roundup High Roller. Over three intense events, some of the best PLO players in the game went head-to-head, vying for glory and a share of the massive prize pools. When the dust settled, three champions emerged, each etching their name into PGT history.

#ICYMI The Texas PLO Roundup featured three $5,100 Pot-Limit Omaha High Rollers, and the winners were:

🏆 Adam (@AdamHendrix10) Hendrix ($51,750 and 52 PGT points)
🏆 Curtis (@lokfablepoker) Muller ($54,000 and 54 PGT points)
🏆 Ronald Keijzer ($40,150 & 40 PGT points)

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— PokerGO Tour (@PokerGOTour) November 25, 2024

In Event #1: $5,100 PLO High Roller, Adam Hendrix delivered a masterclass in poker dominance. He didn’t just defeat the field of 23 players; he crushed them, claiming his fifth PGT title and a staggering $51,750 prize. Hendrix’s final victim was Sean Rafael, who put up a valiant fight but ultimately settled for the runner-up spot and $32,200.

Event #2: $5,100 PLO High Roller saw Curtis Muller rise to the occasion, conquering a field of 20 seasoned PLO pros. This victory marked Muller’s first recorded live title and earned him a handsome $54,000 payday – the third-largest score of his career. Arthur Morris gave Muller a run for his money, finishing as the runner-up and taking home $30,000.

The final event, Event #3: $5,100 PLO High Roller, witnessed Ronald Keijzer, the Dutch poker phenomenon, add another PGT title to his impressive resume. Keijzer outmanoeuvred 21 opponents, ultimately defeating Arthur Morris (who also finished second in Event #2) in a thrilling heads-up match. Both players agreed to a deal, each receiving $40,150 and leaving the trophy as the ultimate prize.

Adam Hendrix’s Houdini Act: From Short Stack to Event #1: $5,100 PLO High Roller Champion ($51,750)

The Lone Star State was the scene of a poker showdown for the ages this past weekend as the PGT Texas PLO Roundup series got underway. Event #1: $5,100 PLO High Roller drew a field of 23 of some of the most feared pot-limit Omaha specialists in the game, all with their eyes on the $115,000 prize pool. But when the dust settled, Adam Hendrix stood tall, claiming the title and a cool $51,750 in cash.

Hendrix, no stranger to success, has been making waves in the live circuit for years. He first burst onto the PGT scene in 2021, snatching his first title at the Poker Masters Event #3: $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha. He followed that with victories at the US Poker Open Event #3: $10,000 No Limit Hold’em and Poker Masters Event #4: $10,000 No Limit Hold’em. And last year, he added a fourth PGT title to his resume in the PLO Series II Event #4: $15,100 Pot Limit Omaha – Progressive Bounty.

Hendrix, Alaska’s all-time money list topper with over $6.76 Million in live earnings, wasn’t handed an easy victory. He entered the final table as the short stack, a daunting prospect considering the calibre of his opponents. Names like Josh Arieh, a PGT regular with nine cashes already this season, loomed large.

The early stages of the final table saw Ronald Keijzer and James Chen fall by the wayside. Then came the agonizing bubble, with Jose Rodriguez the unfortunate player to exit empty-handed in fifth place when his middle pair was bested by Arieh’s completed straight draw.

Orod Ashegh, making his PGT debut, managed to secure a fourth-place finish and his first PGT cash. He got his chips in good with two pair on the flop, but Hendrix, with a world of outs, went runner-runner to send Ashegh to the rail.

Josh Arieh, who had climbed back from the bottom of the chip counts, ultimately met his demise at the hands of Hendrix. A flopped set of queens for Hendrix, which miraculously turned into quads on the river, ended Arieh’s run.

Heads-up play saw Hendrix facing off against Sean Rafael. Holding a 9:5 chip advantage, Hendrix had seized control of the match. The climactic hand unfolded with a dramatic all-in on the flop . Hendrix tabled while Rafael showed . The turn brought Rafael two pair, but the river counterfeited him, improving Hendrix to queens and fours, giving him the win!

This win adds another impressive accomplishment to Hendrix’s poker career. He now sits in 482nd place on the PGT leaderboard with 78 points, while Rafael (207 points) and Arieh (470 points) hold the 229th and 103rd spots, respectively.

Complete Results (USD)

1. Adam Hendrix – $51,750
2. Sean Rafael – $32,200
3. Josh Arieh – $18,400
4. Orod Ashegh – $12,650

Curtis Muller Conquers Event #2: $5,100 PLO High Roller ($54,000)

Curtis Muller turned heads (and cards) this weekend at the Champions Club, edging past a field of 20 seasoned PLO professionals in Event #2: $5,100 PLO High Roller. He seized his first recorded live tournament victory and a hefty $54,000 – the third-largest score of his already successful career. Arthur Morris fought hard, ultimately finishing as runner-up for $30,000. This victory boosted Muller’s total live earnings to a remarkable $237,566.

With a prize pool of $100,000, the stakes were high, and the turbo structure ensured the action was fast and furious. The field quickly dwindled, revealing a final table packed with poker giants like Jim Collopy, Anthony Hu, Ky Nguyen, Phu Vo, and Ravee Sundara.

Jim Collopy, the recent Purple Jacket winner, held an early advantage and seemed to be the player to watch, but his advance was abruptly checked after he ran into Nguyen’s pocket aces. This key hand gave Nguyen a significant advantage, doubling him up and leaving Collopy on the back foot. Collopy’s luck further turned sour after his pocket kings were cracked by Nguyen’s pocket jacks, ending his run in sixth place.

Ravee Sundara and Phu Vo were the next to exit, finishing in seventh and fifth place, respectively. Anthony Hu became the unfortunate bubble boy when Nguyen, on a hot streak, made a straight flush against Hu’s pair and straight draw.

Three-handed play began with Ky Nguyen holding a commanding lead over Morris and Muller. But we all know anything can happen in poker. Nguyen suffered considerable losses against both opponents, eventually finding himself all-in with a pair and a flush draw against Muller’s straight and smaller flush draw. Though Nguyen seemed to be in good shape to get back in the game, Muller hit his straight outs, eliminating Nguyen in third place and adding a second cash to his PGT season tally.

Heads-up play commenced with Curtis Muller holding a considerable 5:1 chip advantage over Arthur Morris. Despite the odds, Morris refused to give up, even managing an early double-up to narrow the gap. But it wasn’t meant to be. The final hand saw all the chips go in on the flop . Muller tabled for top pair and the nut flush draw, while Morris showed for an open-ended straight draw. The tension mounted as the landed on the turn, followed by the on the river. Muller’s hand remained best, cementing his victory.

This win moved Muller to 335th on the PGT leaderboard with 122 PGT points. Morris climbed to 95th place with 511 points and Nguyen to 547th with 66 PGT points.

Complete Results (USD)

1. Curtis Muller – $54,000
2. Arthur Morris – $30,000
3. Ky Nguyen – $16,000

Ronald Keijzer Delivers a Dutch Masterclass in Event #3: $5,100 PLO High Roller ($40,150)

The final high roller event of the PGT Texas PLO Roundup witnessed a Pot-Limit Omaha clinic courtesy of Ronald Keijzer. The Dutch pro dismantled a field of 22 top-tier players in Event #3: $5,100 PLO High Roller, seizing his fifth PGT title and a hefty $40,150 prize. The final duel was an epic clash, with Keijzer ultimately striking a deal with Event #2 runner-up Arthur Morris, who, despite a valiant effort, settled for another second-place finish while also banking the same $40,150.

This victory marks Keijzer’s ninth cash and second PGT title this season, pushing his career live tournament earnings beyond the $3.20 Million mark. Renowned as an Omaha specialist, Keijzer has conquered the PGT, WPT, and WSOP circuits, with his most significant score being a near $700,000 payday for a fourth-place finish in last summer’s WSOP $50,000 PLO High Roller.

With a prize pool of $110,000, the final high-roller event of the series saw the who’s who of the poker world in attendance, featuring heavyweights like Jim Collopy, Adam Hendrix (fresh off his high roller victory), Isaac Kempton, Alex Livingston, Ren Lin, and reigning World Champion Jonathan Tamayo.

The turbo structure ensured a fast-paced game, and the field rapidly dwindled to a final table of seven, featuring notables like Kempton, Ky Nguyen, Mark Ioli, and David Wang.

Keijzer amassed a colossal chip lead early on and maintained his dominance, becoming the first to break the million-chip mark. Though Arthur Morris, who had narrowly missed victory in the previous high roller event, managed to snag a crucial four-way pot and put a dent in Keijzer’s stack, the Dutchman remained the man to beat.

David Wang and Gary Horn began the final table as short stacks but struggled to gain momentum. Wang was the first casualty, exiting in seventh place, with Horn following soon after in sixth.

Then came a pivotal moment: Isaac Kempton, facing the bubble, shoved all-in with an overpair, only to be met with a devastating blow from Keijzer. Keijzer’s open-ended straight draw hit the river, sending Kempton to the rail.

Mark Ioli maintained a middling stack throughout the final table but surged ahead after winning significant pots against Morris and Keijzer during the five-handed play. However, his momentum was halted after losing a crucial coin flip to Morris. His tournament ended in fourth place when his ace-king-queen-five was bested by Keijzer’s ace-queen-queen-five.

The three-handed play saw Ky Nguyen initially short-stacked, and he found the perfect spot for a double-up, getting dealt pocket aces against Morris’ jacks. But poker can be cruel, and a jack on the flop sent Nguyen packing in third place.

Heads-up action commenced with Ronald Keijzer holding a commanding 3:1 chip advantage over Arthur Morris. Morris, however, fought back, scoring an early double-up to even the playing field. Sensing unpredictability, the two agreed to a deal, ensuring each received $40,150, leaving only the coveted belt buckle trophy as the ultimate prize.

The final hand arrived swiftly. Morris raised Keijzer’s button limp and fired a pot-sized bet on an ace-eight-four flop. Keijzer moved all in with king-ten-eight-four, and Morris called off with ace-jack-jack-deuce. Keijzer’s two pair held strong, eliminating Morris as the runner-up.

This victory propelled Keijzer to 54th on the PGT leaderboard with 791 PGT points. Morris surged to 85th with 569 points, Nguyen currently sits in 436th position with 93 points, and Ioli takes 380th place with 101 PGT points.

Complete Results (USD)

1. Ronald Keijzer – $40,150*
2. Arthur Morris – $40,150*
3. Ky Nguyen – $17,600
4. Mark Ioli – $12,100

*denote heads-up deal

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO Tour