The inaugural high-stakes race PokerGO Tour ended on December 21, with the completion of the 2021 season ending PokerGO Tour Championship $ 50,000 buy-in in no-limit hold’em high roller. A total of 46 entries made for a prize pool of $ 2.3 million, including $ 689,000 for future champion Rok Gostisa. He won on the last day as a short stack to take the title and the biggest live win of his tournament career.

“I didn’t expect to win because I got there seven out of seven so it’s amazing,” said Gostisa. PokerGO journalists after the victory.

Slovenian poker pro won 510 Card player Player of the Year points for victory. He’s having his best year on the live tournament circuit, having made eight POY-qualify the final tables and win three titles along the way. With over $ 1.4 million in POY gains, he now sits in 84th place in 2021 POY race sponsored by Global Poker.

He also scored 413 PokerGO Tour points as a champion. With 1,042 points to his credit, he finished the first PGT season in 40th place.

Although the score didn’t count for any of the points races mentioned earlier, Gostisa also got a Online poker world tour title of the main event earlier this year, surpassing a field of 1,179 entries in a $ 5,300 buy-in event to win $ 959,493 and its first WPT Title.

Gostisa overcame a stacked final table on his way to this latest title, quickly moving from the smallest stack at the table to one of the leaders before the first knockout of the day. Four-time bracelet winner Dominik Nitsch was the first to fall, losing a classic race to Sergi Reixach to finish seventh ($ 92,000).

Ren Lin (6th – $ 138,000) was next, his J-10 failing to outrun Gostisa’s pair of sixes. Recent WPT Rock’N’Roll Poker Open runner-up Jacob Ferro placed fifth in this event after going all-in with A-2 offsuit and couldn’t beat the pocket tens of a growing Gostisa.

2018 Card player Player of the Year winner Jake Schindler ran a pair of sevens against quadruple bracelet winner Michael Gathy’s pair of aces and was eliminated in fourth place ($ 253,000).

The three-way action lasted over 90 minutes, but ultimately, Reixach was knocked out in third place ($ 345,000) when the accomplished Spanish poker pro moved all-in with QJ and found himself dominated by KQ’s. Gostisa.

With that, Gostisa took 4,475,000 one-on-one with Gathy, who sat down with 2,425,000. Gathy took the lead late in the battle after calling all-in with jacks up against a Gostisa’s all-in bluff. Gostisa managed to score two quick double-ups to regain the lead just in time for the final hand of the event. He pushed the button with 76 and Gathy called all-in for just under 20 big blinds with QJ. The board came down AAsevenA6 and Gostisa made aces full of seven to lock the pot and the title. Gathy earned $ 598,900 for the best salary of his career, increasing his lifetime earnings to over $ 3.8 million.

Here’s a look at the wins and ranking points awarded at the final table:

Photo credit: PokerGO / Antonio Abrego.