John Monnette Wins PGT Mixed Games Eight-Game Event For $211,200

It took a few more days than was originally scheduled, but John Monnette eventually emerged victorious in the 2023 PGT Mixed Games $10,300 buy-in eight-game mix event. The four-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner earned $211,200 for the win. He now has more than $3.6 million in career tournament earnings despite primarily focusing on cash game play for most of the year.

Monnette entered the event on Sunday, Feb. 5, with the tournament scheduled to finish the following evening. Monnette made it down to heads-up play against Albert Daher on Monday, when the two agreed to pause the heads-up match in order for them to both participate in event no. 3, the $10,300 triple stud mixed event, which was about to close the late registration window.

Monnette ended up making that final table, further pushing back his delayed showdown with Daher from the originally agreed-upon resumption time of 11:00 AM on Tuesday to the same time on Wednesday. Monnette finished fourth in event no. 3 earning $60,000 for his efforts before he returned to finish off event no. 2. The two big scores saw Monnette secure 271 total PokerGO Tour rankings points, enough to move him into the lead in the player of the series race. He also now sits inside the top 10 on the PGT leaderboard.

The eight-game mix event featured the most common selection of games played under this moniker: no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, stud, Omaha eight-or-better, razz, limit hold’em, stud hi-lo, and limit deuce-to-seven triple draw. Day 1 came to a close in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas with the elimination of Michael Noori in eighth place ($35,200).

Five-time bracelet winner Brian Rast held the chip lead among the final seven, with Daher being his nearest competition. Daher soon edged ahead of Rast, then extended his advantage by busting two-time bracelet winner Chris Vitch in seventh place ($44,000) with a king low besting a pair for Vitch in a hand of triple draw.

Mike Thorpe (6th Place – $52,800) was the next to fall, with his 8-5 suited unable to overcome the A-4 of Rast in no-limit hold’em. Damjan Radanov got all-in in a hand of Omaha eight-or-better with the second nut low draw facing the same low draw and a pair of queens for Daher. The turn and river were no help and Radanov was eliminated in fifth place ($70,400).

Monnette won a big hand during the same round, scooping Rast to close the gap between the two considerably. Rast made some chips back in a hand of pot-limit Omaha. Craig Chait got all-in preflop and ended up flopping jacks and fives with an ace kicker. Rast had made the same hand, but each had live side cards, and one of Rast’s came in on the end. He made jacks and eights to narrow the field to three, while Chait was awarded $88,000 for his fourth-place showing.

Despite winning that hand, Rast was ultimately the next to be knocked out. He and Daher played a massive PLO pot. The two saw a flop of 1062 and Daher checked. Rast bet 325,000 and Daher check-raised the pot to 1,725,000. Rast moved all-in for around 3,700,000 total and Daher called with KK55 for an overpair and a flush draw. Rast revealed the A1096 for top two pair and backdoor spade possibilities. The J on the turn completed Daher’s flush and the 7 kept him ahead. Rast finished third for $105,600, increasing his career earnings to $23.2 million in the process.

Daher took more than a 4.5:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Monnette. After about 90 minutes of play, Monnette had battled his way into the lead. The two swapped the lead back and forth again, with Monnette being the one on top when they two agreed to pause the event in order to each enter event no. 3.

When play did finally resume on Wednesday, Feb. 8, Daher quickly won a bit triple draw deuce-to-seven lowball pot with a 9-6 beating a queen low for Monnette to all but even things up.

Monnette was able to re-establish a lead, though, and eventually extended his advantage to roughly 10:1 in time for the final hand of the event. Monnette raised on the button playing PLO with A875 and Daher three-bet all in for 1,200,000 with Q10108. Monnette called and the board ran out Q6324, giving Monnnette a straight to secure the pot and the title. Daher cashed for $149,600 as the runner-up finisher. He now has more than $3.7 million in recorded tournament cashes to his name.

Here is a look at the payouts and rankings points awarded at the final table:

Photo credit: PokerGO Tour.

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