Sam Soverel And Jeremy Ausmus Pick Up PGT Titles At Venetian PLO Series

Pot-limit Omaha action is in full swing at The Venetian Las Vegas, with some of the biggest names in tournament poker returning to the winner’s circle on the PokerGO Tour. Following Bruno Furth’s victory in the opening event of the PGT PLO series, tour regulars Sam Soverel and Jeremy Ausmus each added to their PGT legacies.

Soverel picked up the trophy in event no. 2, a $5,300 single-day affair. He beat a field of 55 entries on his way to an $89,1000 first-place prize, as well as 134 PGT points. Ausmus finished seventh in that tournament, and the following day, he emerged victorious from a field of 49 in a $5,300 PLO quattro bounty for $51,450 and multiple bounty prizes.

For Soverel, it was a record-extending 14th PGT title, two more than Alex Foxen and Stephen Chidwick. Ausmus’ eighth career PGT trophy puts him in a tie for sixth-most on the tour’s all-time list.

Dylan Linde and Artem Maksimov both made back-to-back final tables, while Chino Rheem also cashed in both events.

Soverel Supplements His Record

It took almost 10 hours, but event 2 of the PGT PLO series finally burst the bubble around 10:30 p.m. Rheem (8th – $10,800) was the first player to fall inside the money, with Soverel making an eight-high straight to beat Rheem’s turned wheel.

Ausmus went out in seventh place ($10,800), as previously mentioned, and was soon followed by Maksimov (6th – $16,200). It was top and bottom pair on a Q♦6♣4♥ board for Maksimov, but he ran into Linde’s top two pair, and failed to catch up. Ky Nguyen got all in with 9♦9♣6♠6♦ on a 7♥5♠3♥ board, and ran headfirst into Michael Wang’s flopped seven-high straight. There would be no eight, or runner-runner, and Nguyen went out in fifth ( $21,600).

Soverel picked off Jeremy Druckman in fourth place, rivering a queen-high straight to beat Druckman’s flopped two pair. Linde then flopped a full house with A♣K♦7♦5♣ on a K♥K♠7♠ board, and was in a seemingly great position for a key double-up. But by the time the chips went in on the river, the Q♥ had given Soverel a better full house with his A♦K♣Q♦8♥. Despite only having to fade three outs to lose and two outs to tie going into the river, Linde’s tournament ended in third place ($37,800).

Soverel and Wang battled for nearly two hours heads up, exchanging the chip lead as chips swung back and forth. Wang eventually made his stand with A♥Q♠7♣6♥ and Soverel held J♦5♠4♠3♥. The board ran out 9♠7♠3♣K♥5♦, and Soverel’s two pair, fives and threes, won him the tournament.

Soverel earned 240 Card Player Player of the Year points, adding to his total in the yearlong race presented by CoinPoker.

$5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha – Final Table Results

A Bounty Blitz

Undeterred by falling short the previous day, Ausmus returned to the Venetian to do battle in a PLO quattro bounty event on Mar. 24. Each elimination was worth $8,000, starting at 13 players left, except for the final bounty, which was worth $2,000 heads up.

John Riordan, Rheem, and ultimately Ausmus collected multiple bounties in the playdown to a winner. On the bounty bubble, Rheem had exactly three clean outs against Thomas Brown, and promptly made a ten-high straight flush on the turn to take Brown out in 14th. Philip Shing burst the money bubble in the primary prize pool, and set the final table, by flopping a king-high club flush to bust Eric Backlund.

Jordan Glazer went out in seventh place ($5,880), and a short-stacked Linde wasn’t far behind. Linde was in good shape to double against Riordan with Q♠Q♥10♥7♦ facing Q♦J♦8♠2♠, especially after a K♦5♥3♣ flop. But a jack on the turn and an eight on the river gave Riordan two pair to send Linde packing in sixth ($8,820).

Riordan repeated his runner-runner performance to eliminate Maksimov in fifth ($11,760). Despite Maksimov getting it in good with A♦A♣4♣4♦ on a K♣10♠3♣ flop against Riordan’s K♥9♦7♦2♦, Riordan once again found a jack on the turn, and an eight on the river, making a winning jack-high straight.

Riordan’s spree of good runouts continued. He put Rheem all in on a K♥9♣8♣ flop with K♠10♣6♥4♣, and seemingly needed a flush or a straight to catch up against Rheem’s set of nines. The flush came through in the form of the K♣ turn, but it gave Rheem a full house. Riordan promptly drilled his third runner-runner winner as the 6♣ gave him a higher full house.

Ausmus Ascends To Victory

After Rheem’s elimination in fourth ($15,435), Ausmus, Riordan, and Shing traded the lead during an extended three-handed session. Shing ultimately needed only a flopped pair of sevens to knock Riordan out in third place ($21,315).

Ausmus sealed the victory in short order. The chips got in on a 10♣5♠3♠ board, with Shing ahead, holding Q♠Q♣10♠7♦ against Ausmus’ A♠J♣8♥7♠. Ausmus was in search of a spade or an ace, and though he missed on the 2♦ turn, the A♦ river gave him a winning pair and the title.

For his win, Ausmus earned 129 PGT points. Shing secured $32,340 as the runner-up.

$5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha Quattro Bounty – Final Table Results

Photo credit: PokerGO Tour / Antonio Abrego.