Ask Jonathan Little how he would like to be seen and the modest professional might well include poker author and coach in his hybrid role in the game he loves. As a poker professional, however, Little is often underestimated and he underlined a period of success in the high rollers on Monday night as he claimed a win worth $229,500 as he won his first-ever PokerGO Tour title. Claiming Event #3 of the 2024 PokerGO Cup, Little came into the final day in the middle of the pack, but jumped to the top over the course of several hours, pleasing PokerStake investors in Jonathan’s action too.

Third Strong Field of Successful Series

PokerGO by no means took a huge risk kicking off January with a slew of top tournaments, but there were still questions marks as to how many players would arrive to play the opening events of the PGT Leaderboard season given how recently the previous season had concluded. If there were doubts at the start of this month, January ends with a confirmed statement from PokerGO – they rule the Las Vegas high roller world and the fields have been stronger than ever.

With 85 entrants in this third event of the series, the average for attendees is not ticking towards 100, with 111 in Event #1 and 89 in Event #2. With just 13 players paid amongst those putting down $10,100 to play the No Limit Hold’em Event #3, it was Ed Sebesta who missed out on the money by one place, busting to Brock Wilson in 14^th place when was no good on a board of against Wilson’s . The chips went in on the turn and the 13 money places were confirmed without needing to see the river.

Once into the money places, Jonathan Little began his ascent to the summit of the payouts when he won a coinflip with ace-king against Stoyan Madanzhiev’s pocket sixes. After Jeremy Becker (13^th for $21,250) min-cashed, the Bulgarian Madanzhiev would bust himself, crashing out in 12^th for the same amount as Bcker when an ill-timed bluff with just king-high and a gutshot draw ran into Jesse Lonis’ set of aces which became a full house on the river just to underline the point.

Kid Poker Crashes Out Early on Final Day

With the final table of seven looming, each bust-out became more important in the overall narrative. Jonathan Little wielded the axe, busting Joey Weisman in 11^th for $25,500 before Alex Foxen busted Brian Luo in 10^th for the same amount. When PokerGO favorite Jeremy Ausmus busted in ninth place for $25,500 too, only eight remained, and it was John ‘Johnny World’ Hennigan who departed in that position. All-in with , Hennigan lost to Lonis’ when the chips went in before the flop and the board landed , sending Johnny World to the rail to collect $34,000.

Foxen and Lonis were marginally ahead of Daniel Negreanu at the top of the leaderboard when the seven reconvened on the final day. Despite that, an early hand went against Kid Poker as Lonis again chipped up, taking a big lead over the field in a hand that didn’t go to showdown. Soon after, a flop if saw Negreanu bet all-in with and Alex Foxen called with . Kid Poker was out of candy in the shop other than two fives or running straight cards and needed to avoid diamonds too. The latter happened, but a turn of and river of was one card away and sent Negreanu to the cash desk for $34,000 too.

Brock Wilson’s earlier heroics around the bubble were long forgotten by the time he moved all-in pre-flop with , called quickly by Dan Shak with . The flop of almost doomed Wilson immediately, and although he picked up a sweat on the turn, the river of ensured he left in sixth place for $42,500.

Little Gets the Big Prize

Down to five-handed poker, the chips were evenly spread, so much so in fact that Little, lowest in the counts with 1.42 million had no need to panic with the chip leader Lonis only on 2.59 million. Canadian Daniel Weinand attempted pick up the Maple Leaf baton from Negreanu, but lost out in fifth for $59,500 when his call on the turn of a board showing 7c] with just a flush draw holding was no good against Alex Foxen’s , a river of denying Weinand a miraculous recovery.

Out in fourth was Lonis, whose previous dominance was ended when Little first doubled through him with ace-ten against Lonis’ king-queen, then eliminated him. Lonis shoved for his remaining 400,000 chips after losing the previous hand, this time holding . Little had an easy enough call with and no drama came on the board, leaving Lonis to collect $76,500.

All three remaining players had over 3 million chips but less than 4 million. As tight as play was in terms of the counts, these were three men all shooting for victory and lifting the trophy and no quarter was given at the felt. Dan Shak missed out on the final duel as he lost a coinflip to Foxen then the rest of his stack to Little, no match for Little’s when the board of landed and sent Shak home with $106,500. Little had the lead, but almost immediately, Alex Foxen drew level in chips, but Little won a key hand with winning when all-in against Foxen’s pre-flop and outchipped by three-to-one, Foxen called off his stack with . Little had and as an eight-high board of played out, he stood up as the champion, finally a deserving winner of a PokerGO Tour event after some consistent cashes in the high roller circuit, taking home the top prize of $229,500.