The PGT Kickoff, the festival that opened the 2026 PokerGO Tour season in Las Vegas (USA), concluded its activities with its most valuable tournaments last weekend. Of the six events in the series, the last two had higher figures, and Michael Berk took home the main prize.
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Michael Berk won Event 5, with a buy-in of US$ 10,100, beating a field of 103 entries. Completing an impeccable campaign, the American pocketed US$ 262,650, beating Daniel Maor in the heads-up. The runner-up took home US$ 169,950, while Brock Wilson completed the podium for US$ 118,450.
Check out the final standings for Event 5:
| Position | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Michael Berk | US$ 262,650 |
| 2nd | Daniel Maor | US$ 169,950 |
| 3rd | Brock Wilson | US$ 118,450 |
| 4th | Clemen Deng | US$ 92,700 |
| 5th | Neil Warren | US$ 66,950 |
| 6th | Andrew Lichtenberger | US$ 51,500 |
| 7th | Kristen Foxen (CAN) | US$ 41,200 |
Furthermore, the other US$ 10,100 buy-in competition was Event 6, which concluded the PGT Kickoff activities. And in this competition, South America was very well represented. Ariel Mantel, from Argentina, took the title, beating 52 entries to win US$ 171,600. Clemen Deng and Dan Smith completed the top 3.
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See how Event 6 ended:
| Position | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ariel Mantel (ARG) | US$ 171,600 |
| 2nd | Clemen Deng | US$ 109,200 |
| 3rd | Dan Smith | US$ 72,800 |
| 4th | Andrew Lichtenberger | US$ 52,000 |
| 5th | Brandon Wilson | US$ 41,600 |
| 6th | Bin Duan (CHN) | US$ 31,200 |
| 7th | Matthew Wantman | US$ 20,800 |
Just before, there was the last competition with a US$ 5,100 buy-in, Event 4. And in this one, Taylor Paur won, surpassing 145 actions and thus earning US$ 174,000. He defeated Ethan Yau, aka “Rampage”, in the heads-up, and the runner-up took home US$ 105,125. Andrew Moreno, the champion of Event 3, almost achieved a repeat victory, finishing third for US$ 76,125.
Check out the final numbers for Event 4:
| Position | Name | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Taylor Paur | US$ 174,000 |
| 2nd | Ethan Yau | US$ 105,125 |
| 3rd | Andrew Moreno | US$ 76,125 |
| 4th | Jeremy Becker | US$ 58,000 |
| 5th | Paul Roy | US$ 43,500 |
| 6th | Scott Eskenazi | US$ 36,250 |
| 7th | Justin Zaki | US$ 29,000 |
What’s next on the PGT circuit?
The next commitment on the PGT calendar is the PGT Mixed Games, catering to fans of mixed game formats. From February 3rd to 11th, seven competitions across six different structures will take over the tables in the Las Vegas ballroom. Immediately after, from February 12th to 14th, the Super High Roller Bowl Mixed will take place, with a buy-in of US$ 100,000, and Brazilian Yuri Martins is already confirmed.
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