The PokerGO Tour (PGT) Bounty Blitz series delivered another thrilling finale at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. On Wednesday, the $5,300 No-Limit Hold’em Escalator reached its conclusion, where Sergio Aido emerged victorious after a chaotic but short-lived final table.
The event drew 48 entries, creating a $240,000 prize pool with seven spots paid. Thanks to the escalating bounty format, eliminations became increasingly lucrative as the tournament wore on. Knockouts started at $500 on Day 1, grew to $5,300 at the 14-player mark, and ended with a juicy $5,100 bounty for the last elimination.
“This format is incredible—it makes every hand matter, every knockout feel like a final,” Aido said after his win. “Pocket aces couldn’t have come at a better time.”
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Becker’s Back-to-Back Dreams Crushed
Jeremy Becker, who had already claimed victory in Event #1, looked poised for another deep run despite beginning the final table with one of the shortest stacks.
His hopes ended in brutal fashion against Aido. Holding a strong starting hand, Becker tangled with Aido in a pre-flop three-bet pot. After committing his stack, the Spaniard’s rockets held firm, improving to a set on the river to dash Becker’s back-to-back title ambitions.
“I thought I had him, but sometimes the deck just doesn’t cooperate,” Becker said afterward. “Still, two final tables in two days feels great.”
Rheem’s Rollercoaster Ends in Fifth
Chino Rheem, always an entertaining presence, couldn’t find stability in this final table. After doubling up Sean Winter when Winter’s full house cracked his queens, Rheem shoved his short stack from the small blind with king-jack. Winter woke up with ace-queen in the big blind, and after the board bricked out, Rheem exited in fifth place, leaving his chips—and his bounty—to Winter.
Winter’s Heat Cools Quickly
For a moment, it looked like Sean Winter might be this event’s story. But his run ended in familiar fashion—coolered and pressured out of chips. In one pivotal hand, Chris Hunichen hero-called Winter with ace-ten high, reading his opponent’s relentless aggression perfectly. Just one hand later, Michael Berk finished Winter off with ace-queen against Winter’s pocket twos.
“That’s just Bounty Blitz poker—you can go from chip leader to railbird in a blink,” Winter remarked with a wry smile.
Berk Bluffs Into Disaster
Berk himself became the next casualty after making a costly stand against Hunichen. Three-betting light, Berk fired barrels across all streets, but Hunichen clung on with second pair and a gutshot. On the river, Berk shoved almost all his chips with just eight-high. Hunichen snapped him off, and Berk was left crippled.
One hand later, Hunichen finished the job, sending Berk out in third place.
Heads-Up: Hunichen vs. Aido
Heads-up play began with Chris “Big Huni” Hunichen holding a 2-to-1 chip lead. Momentum, however, shifted in dramatic fashion when the two clashed in a massive pre-flop all-in pot: Hunichen’s jacks versus Aido’s pocket aces. The rockets held, flipping the script and putting Aido firmly in control.
“That was the hand—aces versus jacks. It decided everything,” Hunichen admitted after the match. “From there, Sergio just played perfectly.”
Hunichen battled back admirably, grinding the stacks close to even again. But Aido maintained composure, gradually applying pressure and chipping away until the decisive hand arrived.
The Final Blow
With just 15 big blinds left, Hunichen limped in with jack-eight offsuit. Aido, holding queen-jack suited, flopped top two pair against Hunichen’s top pair. The Spaniard slow-played, calling Hunichen’s raises until the river, when Hunichen shoved. Aido snap-called, locking up the pot and the Event #2 title. In total, Aido pocketed $47,500 in first-place prize money plus $21,500 in bounties, a tidy profit in less than two hours of final-table play.
“It feels amazing. These formats suit my style—I like fast action and pressure situations,” Aido said after lifting the trophy. “This win gives me great momentum for the rest of the series.”
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FAQs About the PGT Bounty Blitz Event #2
Q1. How many players entered the PGT Bounty Blitz Event #2?
The tournament attracted 48 entries, generating a $240,000 prize pool.
Q2. What made the bounty format unique?
The escalating bounty structure increased the prize for each elimination as the field shrank, with knockouts starting at $500 and reaching over $5,000 late in play.
Q3. Who were the notable players at the final table?
The lineup featured Sergio Aido, Chris Hunichen, Jeremy Becker, Sean Winter, Chino Rheem, and Michael Berk.
Q4. What was the winning hand heads-up?
Aido’s queen-jack suited flopped top two pair against Hunichen’s top pair, sealing the win.
Q5. How much did Sergio Aido win in total?
Aido collected $47,500 in prize money plus $21,500 in bounties, totaling $69,000.