Chino Rheem scored four of the final five knockouts on his way to winning the 2025 PokerGO Tour Bounty Blitz $5,000 no-limit hold’em progressive knockout (PKO) title inside the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
The unique trophy will join his already extensive collection that includes three World Poker Tour main event titles and the 2019 European Poker Tour PokerStars Caribbean Adventure main event title. Rheem is also a two-time PGT Mixed Games series champion.
Rheem defeated a field of 36 entries to earn $28,100 from the main prize pool and another $37,000 in bounties. He now boasts lifetime tournament earnings of nearly $16.9 million.
This win also came with 54 PGT points for Rheem, bringing his total to 1,401 on the year. As a result, he now sits in seventh place in the tour’s season-long standings.
Exciting Action Early
The final day began with six players remaining and Rheem in a virtual tie for the chip lead with Chris Hunichen.
It didn’t take long for the first elimination hand to arrive. The first deal saw short stack Alex Condon get his last six big blinds in with K♦8♠ leading the J♠8♣ of Rheem. Condon not only stayed ahead through the flop and turn, but also picked up a flush draw with 10♦4♣2♦6♦ to leave Rheem drawing to just two outs. One of them showed up on the end in the form of the J♥, which ended Condon’s run in sixth place ($8,600).
The next key showdown was a three-way all-in that pitted recent PGT Bounty Blitz kickoff event winner Jeremy Becker’s pocket jacks against the pocket fives of Hunichen and A-J of Mike Zulker. Becker was covered by both opponents, with Hunichen at risk in the side pot. The case jack appeared on the river to see Becker triple up while Hunichen, who had a rough go of it at the final table, was eliminated in fifth place ($10,800 plus $3,000 in bounties) by Zulker’s pair of jacks.
Three-way all in at the final table!!! 😲😲😲
Watch the @PokerGOTour Bounty Blitz on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/hLOZpHHn6U
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) September 5, 2025
Speeding Across The Finish Line
The next knockout resulted from a classic preflop race. Zulker got the last of his stack in with A♣Q♦ facing the J♠J♥ of Rheem. The board came down 9♣6♣4♠K♦2♣ and Rheem’s pocket jacks held to narrow the field to three. Zulker earned $14,000 and $5,000 in bounties as the fourth-place finisher.
Jeremy Becker
Andrew Kelsall was the next to fall. He three-bet shoved from the small blind over Rheem’s button min-raise to 80,000 with 8♣7♣. Rheem called the 785,000 jam with K♦10♦. The A♠4♦3♦6♣J♠ runout improved neither player and Kelsall was eliminated in third place ($18,400 plus $5,000 in bounties).
With that, Rheem entered heads-up play with 3,930,000 to Becker’s 570,000. He was soon able to convert his lead into the title. Rheem open-ripped from the button with K♠Q♠ and Becker called off for around 16 big blinds with Q♣J♠. The K♥7♠3♦ flop took much of the suspense out of the hand. The K♦ turn made it official: the tournament was over. The river 3♠ was a mere formality and Becker was eliminated in second place.
He took home $28,100 and $7,000 in bounties. This was Becker’s third final table of the series. He also placed sixth in the Quattro bounty tournament just two days earlier. He now has nearly $3.2 million in career earnings after this latest deep run.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | Bounty Payouts | PGT Points |
| 1 | Chino Rheem | $28,100 | $37,000 | 54 |
| 2 | Jeremy Becker | $28,100 | $7,000 | 39 |
| 3 | Andrew Kelsall | $18,400 | $5,000 | 31 |
| 4 | Mike Zulker | $14,000 | $5,000 | 23 |
| 5 | Christopher Hunichen | $10,800 | $3,000 | 18 |
| 6 | Alex Condon | $8,600 | $2,000 | 14 |
Photo credit: PokerGO Tour / Antonio Abrego.
