The 2026 PGT PLO Series is underway at the PokerGO Studio inside ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and its first two events have produced very different champions. Sam Soverel, the most prolific winner in PokerGO Tour history, won Event #1 outright for $122,850. A day later, Robert Chorlian came from the shortest stack at the final table to win Event #2 for $135,150, his first PGT title and the largest live score of his career.
The series, presented by Global Poker, has eight Pot-Limit Omaha events with buy-ins from $5,300 to $26,000. The player who earns the most PGT points across all eight is crowned series champion and receives a $10,000 PGT Passport.
The 2026 PGT PLO Series schedule
| Date | Event | Buy-in |
|---|---|---|
| Thu Sep 24 | #1 Pot-Limit Omaha | $5,300 |
| Fri Sep 25 | #2 Pot-Limit Omaha | $5,300 |
| Sat Sep 26 | #3 Pot-Limit Omaha | $10,500 |
| Mon Sep 28 | #4 PLO Quattro Bounty | $10,500 |
| Tue Sep 29 | #5 Pot-Limit Omaha | $10,500 |
| Wed Sep 30 | #6 PLO Mystery Bounty | $15,700 |
| Thu Oct 1 | #7 Pot-Limit Omaha | $15,700 |
| Fri Oct 2 | #8 Pot-Limit Omaha | $26,000 |
Events #1 through #5 start with 125,000 chips, #6 and #7 with 150,000, and the $26,000 finale with 250,000.
Event #1: Soverel extends his PGT record
Event #1 drew 91 entries, building a $455,000 prize pool with 13 places paid. Soverel registered shortly before late registration closed and was among the chip leaders within 90 minutes. He brought roughly a third of the chips in play to the seven-handed final table and never really let go.
The bubble burst when John Riordan, down to two big blinds, got his last chips in with Q♦8♥8♠2♠ and lost to Joao Simao's K♥T♥T♠5♠.
At the final table, Soverel knocked out Michael Wang in seventh, then sent Sean Winter home in sixth. Winter had A♣Q♥J♦5♥ against Soverel's A♠K♦Q♠J♥, paired his five on the flop, and watched Soverel run out a straight. Three-handed play lasted about three levels before Soverel eliminated John Dapkus.
Heads-up against Austria's Jonas Kronwitter, the final hand came on a T♥7♥3♣ flop. Soverel held A♣A♦5♦2♣; Kronwitter had A♥8♥6♣3♥ — a pair with a flush draw and straight draws. The 5♠ turn and 7♣ river missed Kronwitter completely.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Soverel | US | $122,850 |
| 2 | Jonas Kronwitter | Austria | $79,625 |
| 3 | John Dapkus | US | $56,875 |
| 4 | James Chen | US | $40,950 |
| 5 | Ariel Mantel | Argentina | $31,850 |
| 6 | Sean Winter | US | $22,750 |
| 7 | Michael Wang | US | $18,200 |
| 8 | Joao Simao | Brazil | $18,200 |
The win was Soverel's third PGT title of 2026 and his 16th PGT win overall, extending a record he already held. It also earned him 184 PGT points.
Event #2: Chorlian's comeback from the short stack
Event #2 drew 106 entries with 16 places paid. Robert Chorlian started the six-handed final table as the shortest stack and needed a double-up early. He got it against chip leader Lautaro Guerra, with A♣K♠5♠5♣ holding against 9♦7♦6♥5♥.
His biggest moment came against Taylor Paur. Paur four-bet all in with A♥A♣J♣8♠, and Chorlian called with A♦K♥Q♣J♥, about a 27% underdog. After a 4♥4♠3♣ flop, Chorlian was down to roughly 5%. Then he hit runner-runner hearts for a flush. Paur finished sixth.
Other key hands:
- Cesar Garcia (5th) flopped a straight on K♣Q♥J♣ against Sean Rafael's set of queens, and the K♠ turn filled Rafael up, leaving Garcia drawing dead.
- Ky Nguyen (4th) briefly held the lead four-handed but got his last eight big blinds in and lost to a rivered straight from Guerra.
- Sean Rafael (3rd) was all in for less than a blind and lost to Chorlian.
Chorlian went into heads-up with better than a 2-to-1 chip lead. On an A♠T♦9♥5♠ turn, Guerra check-raised all in with A♦9♠5♥3♣ for aces and nines. Chorlian had A♥J♦T♠9♣ for aces and tens. The 7♥ river changed nothing.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Chorlian | US | $135,150 |
| 2 | Lautaro Guerra | Spain | $84,800 |
| 3 | Sean Rafael | US | $60,950 |
| 4 | Ky Nguyen | US | $47,700 |
| 5 | Cesar Garcia | Spain | $34,450 |
| 6 | Taylor Paur | US | $26,500 |
Bryce Yockey, Nick Palma, Chino Rheem, Matthew Wantman, Jim Collopy and Jeremy Ausmus were among the other cashes.
Event #3 heads to Monday
The $10,500 Event #3 drew 66 entries for a $660,000 prize pool, with $198,000 reserved for the winner. Four players remain, each guaranteed $66,000, and play resumes on Monday, September 28:
| Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| Roussos Koliakoudakis | Greece | 4,310,000 |
| Chino Rheem | US | 1,690,000 |
| Sean Rafael | US | 1,190,000 |
| Brevin Andreadis | US | 1,055,000 |
Koliakoudakis burst the bubble in brutal fashion, rivering a queen-high straight with a set of sevens against Lautaro Guerra's flopped nut straight. Rafael is now into his second final table in two days.
Why the PLO Series matters for the PGT race
The PGT season leaderboard is tight at the top. After the latest update on September 26, Eelis Parssinen leads with 1,799 points, ahead of Sean Winter (1,792), Brock Wilson (1,681), Alex Foxen (1,642) and Yuri Dzivielevski (1,602). With eight events and escalating buy-ins still to come, a deep PLO run can move a player several places — and the top of the leaderboard earns a seat in the season-ending PGT Championship.
That's why the PLO Series draws a mix of PLO specialists and hold'em-first high rollers. Winter, who is fighting for the top spot, already has a cash from Event #1.
Soverel's place in PGT history
Soverel has been the defining player of the PGT era. Sixteen tour wins puts him well clear of anyone else, and three in 2026 shows no sign of slowing. His Event #1 win is a reminder that PLO has been a big part of that record; he is equally at home in hold'em high rollers and the big-bet Omaha events that fill the PokerGO Studio calendar.
Chorlian's story is the opposite: a first title in a field full of established pros, earned with the help of a runner-runner flush. That is the nature of PLO. Equities run closer than in hold'em, so short stacks can come back and chip leaders are never safe.
What this means for players
PLO is a high-variance game — plan for it. Chorlian's 27% call against aces and Guerra's bubble-bursting beat show how often big hands get outdrawn. Our Omaha guide and Hold'em vs Omaha comparison explain why equities run so much closer, and our poker odds calculator lets you check spots like these yourself.
Bankroll more deeply for Omaha. Because swings are bigger, most coaches suggest carrying more buy-ins for PLO than for hold'em at the same stakes. See our bankroll management guide.
You can play PLO online. US players who want to practice the game without a $5,300 entry can find PLO cash games and tournaments at BetOnline and other sites in our real money poker rankings.
The PGT PLO Series resumes Monday with the Event #3 final four and the $10,500 Quattro Bounty, and runs through the $26,000 finale on October 2.