Chi-Jen Chu Takes Down Penultimate PGT Last Chance Event

Prior to Saturday’s action, Chi-Jen Chu had never so much as recorded a single cash inside the PokerGO Studio. But after his victory in event no. 5 of the PGT Last Chance series, Chu stands on the precipice of a berth in the PGT $1,000,000 Championship.

Chu’s win in the $10,100 no-limit hold’em event earned him $263,850, the second-biggest live result of his career. It also came with 293 PGT points, which won’t be enough to move him into the top 40 in the season-long leaderboard, but may well be enough to earn him a PGT dream seat. The top five points earners from the PGT Last Chance series who haven’t already qualified from the season-long leaderboard win a direct seat into the $1 million freeroll that kicks off on Monday.

With a single day event still playing out inside the studio, Chu’s win puts him in the fifth and final position to qualify for a dream seat.

Chu’s come-from-behind win in this tournament ended with a heads-up victory over David ‘ODB’ Baker. After a heads-up deal to flatten the payouts, Baker, a four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner and World Poker Tour champion, won $210,000 and a virtual lock on a dream seat as the highest ranked at-large qualifier.

Chu and Baker also raked in a nice start to their 2026 Card Player Player of the Year resumes. Chu earned 600 POY points, while Baker claimed 500 POY points in the race presented by CoinPoker.

Chu’s Comeback Story

Seven players returned to play out the final table of PGT Last Chance event no. 5. Baker held a considerable chip lead, with Chu sitting near the bottom alongside Nick Seward. Connor Rash (7th – $46,800) was the first player to go, though, three-bet jamming 20 big blinds with A♦5♥ only to run into Chino Rheem’s A♦5♥.

Chu made his move up the counts with back-to-back doubles through Rheem on pre-flop all-ins. Chu held the first time, making a full house with A♦J♦ to beat K♣8♣. The second time around, his pocket tens were in a world of hurt against Rheem’s pocket aces, only for Chu to find a 10♦ on the flop to double again.

Rheem reversed the script shortly thereafter, cracking Seward’s pocket aces with pocket fives. Rheem got a 5♦ on the flop, and his set put Seward out in sixth place ($58,500)

A big hand finally held, as Chu’s pocket kings took McEwan out in fifth place ( $76,050).

A Wild Finish

To that point, Kristen Foxen had largely stayed out of the big pots. But the last of her chips went in with pocket threes against Baker’s pocket aces. For once at this final table, the aces held, and Foxen was out in fourth. The women’s all-time money and bracelet leader secured $99,450 for this fourth-place showing.

Chu found another key double through Rheem, winning a coinflip with K♣J♥ against Rheem’s pocket fours. Chu proved he had Rheem’s number at this final table one last time, as Chu’s A♥2♣ found an A♣ on the flop to beat Rheem’s K♥J♠. Baker got the last of Rheem’s chips in a brutal runout. His Q♠3♥ stayed well behind Rheem’s Q♥9♣ on a K♦9♦3♠ flop, but Baker found the two outer with a 3♣ turn. Rheem, a European Poker Tour main event winner and three-time WPT champion, secured $128,700 as the third-place finisher.

Baker had a sizable chip lead, and was one card away from the title at one point. Chu found a five-outer on the river, though, extending the heads-up match. The pair made a deal to slightly flatten the payouts, and the chips flew back and forth from there. Baker was once again a single card away from victory, with A♠Q♦ against Chu’s A♥3♦ on a K♥5♠2♣10♥ board. But Chu found magic on the river one more time with a 3♣.

After a few more wild swings, Chu finally finished the job. His A♦4♥ went up against Baker’s J♦8♠, and the board came out K♥3♦3♣2♣A♥ to earn Chu the victory. Baker now has more than $9.4 million in career cashes to his name.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: PGT / Antonio Abrego.