David Chen youngest-ever PGT champ after Poker Masters win

Posted on: September 16, 2024 18:22 PDT

The PokerGO Tour 2024 Poker Masters continued today with Day 2 action in Event #5: $10K No-Limit Hold'em following a break from the series grind on Sunday. After Jonathan Little put on a dominant display in Event #4 to win his third PGT title of the year, players returned to the PokerGO Studio for the final $10,000 buy-in of the series. The event garnered 75 entrants to generate a prize pool of $750,000, with 11 places paid and $217,500 awaiting the eventual winner.

David Chen, a newcomer to the PokerGO Tour, notched his first-ever live tournament victory, outlasting a field stacked with the best of the best. Notably, the 21-year-old Chen became the youngest-ever champion in Poker Masters history and it took him only two and a half hours to collect every chip on the final table, eliminating all four of his remaining opponents. The $217,500 win represents the largest cash and first six-figure score of Chen's poker career.

Rheem starts on short stack

Chino Rheem at the Poker Masters

Antonio Abrego

Filipp Khavin began the all-American, five-handed final table - his third PGT final table appearance - with the chip lead, followed closely by Chen in second. Jim Collopy and Sam Laskowitz came in to the proceedings third and fourth in the counts, respectively, with a slim margin separating the two.

For Collopy, a third 2024 Poker Masters cash illuminated a path to the top spot on the series leaderboard, provided he reach heads up play. Chino Rheem, no stranger to the PokerGO Studio final table lights, started the day as the short stack. The final five players began the day with $52,500 in prize money already locked up, but each had their eyes on the top prize and the title.

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Chen picks them off, one by one

The first to bow out, Laskowitz, slipped down the chip counts in the early goings, committing the rest of his stack with after defending his big blind and calling all-in on the flop. Unfortunately for Laskowitz, his opponent, Chen, had for an overpair to the board. The turn and failed to improve Laskowitz and his day ended with a fifth place finish.

Sam Laskowitz continued his Poker Masters run with a second cash

Chen set his sights on Khavin next, scoring another elimination. From the button, he raised with and Khavin responded with an all-in re-raise. Chen made the call and saw he was ahead, up against Khavin's . Both players paired their sidecard on the flop and Khavin failed to improve further to keep his tournament run alive.

Rheem, after securing two pay jumps despite starting as the short stack, went up against Chen next, much to his own detriment. Rheem's final hand saw him defend his big blind with off of a stack of about seven big blinds. Chen, the preflop raiser, held and, with plenty of chips in his arsenal, he bet enough to out Rheem all-in on the flop. Both players had gutshot straight draws, but it was Rheem who needed to improve to stay alive. The turn narrowed his path to a win and the river ended his day in a third place finish.

Jim Collopy takes the lead in the race for the Poker Masters purple jacket with a second place finish

Chen held a decent chip lead to start heads up play against Collopy, but the PGT veteran clawed his way back to even the fight. Then, a rivered two pair saw Chen scoop a massive pot to widen the gulf between him and his opponent before the final clash of hands.

With a little less than ten big blinds remaining, Collopy committed his stack with and Chen deliberated for a few moments before making the call with . Chen needed to improve to claim victory and improve he did on the flop, leaving Collopy drawing stone dead and ending the tournament in spectacular fashion.

Collopy's second place finish sees him vault into the top spot on the 2024 Poker Masters leaderboard, edging out Event #2 winner Jeremy Becker in the race for the purple jacket.