This week the identical two gamers battled it out heads-up with a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} on the road on back-to-back days contained in the PokerGO Studio. This wasn’t the most recent version of Excessive Stakes Duel, although. Joey Weissman and Michael ‘Texas Mike’ Moncek had simply managed to every make it right down to the ultimate two gamers in each of the primary two occasions of the 2025 PokerGO Cup. Whereas Moncek got here out on prime in occasion no. 1, Weissman was in a position to even the rating the second time round.
In keeping with the PokerGO broadcast, this was the primary time in PokerGO Tour historical past that the identical two gamers had managed to go heads-up in consecutive tournaments.
Weissman was awarded $295,000 because the champion of occasion no. 2, a $10,000 buy-in no-limit maintain’em occasion with 118 entries. With the $123,900 he earned a day earlier within the $5,000 kickoff occasion with a file area of 177, his complete for the collection now sits at $418,900.
For his half, Moncek has collected $368,750 together with his one-two punch at first of this eight-event competition. The 2-time World Collection of Poker bracelet winner now has almost $4.4 million in lifetime earnings.
This win grew Weissman’s profession haul to just about $8.3 million. The bracelet winner based mostly out of Las Vegas is now ranked fourth within the 2025 Card Participant Participant of the Yr race introduced by International Poker, having already made 5 remaining tables thus far together with this win for 600 factors.
Weissman additionally earned 295 PGT factors with this triumph. This was his fourth certified money on the tour already in 2025, making him the present chief within the season-long standings. He additionally leads the collection factors race because of his unimaginable begin.
The ultimate day of this occasion started with seven gamers remaining and Sam Laskowitz within the lead. Anthony Hu (seventh – $47,200) was the primary to fall, together with his A-10 working into the pocket kings of Andrew Lichtenberger for his remaining six or so large blinds.
Six-handed motion lasted for a few hours, with the stalemate finally damaged because of a cooler on the river. Bracelet winner Andrew Lichtenberger hit his gutshot straight attract an already wholesome pot and worth guess on the tip. 2021 Wynn Hundreds of thousands champion Andrew Moreno had additionally accomplished a backdoor draw of his personal, together with his being to the nut flush. He raised all-in and obtained a fast name, leaving Lichtenberger with only a handful of massive blinds.
.Amo4sho</a> vaults into the chip lead after an motion river card towards <a href=”https://twitter.com/luckychewy?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>luckychewy.
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— PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 14, 2025
Lichtenberger managed a double up not lengthy after taking that hit, however was in the end eradicated not lengthy after that, incomes $59,000 for his efforts. He now has almost $22.1 million in profession cashes to his title.
Laskowitz got here into the ultimate day of this occasion with the lead, however ended up hitting the rail in fifth place when his AQ
bumped into the A
Okay
of ten-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel, who made the nut flush in spades to tug the pot and slender the sphere to 4. Laskowitz walked away with $76,700, which was sufficient to develop his lifetime haul to greater than $3 million.
A traditional preflop race spelled the tip of Moreno’s match, with pocket jacks being outrun by the A-Q of Seidel. Moreno held via the flip, however a queen on the tip gave Seidel his second straight knockout. Moreno was awarded $100,300 because the fourth-place finisher, which moved his profession earnings north of $4.9 million.
Seidel quickly misplaced an enormous chunk of his stack with prime pair, prime kicker towards the overpair of aces of Joey Weissman, who doubled into the chip after getting his stack in on the flip and fading a king on the river. The final of Seidel’s stack went in from the small blind with J-9 trailing the J-10 of Moncek, who known as the shove from the large. Moncek ended up with prime pair of tens by the river to earn the pot and the knockout. Seidel grew his profession earnings to greater than $48.5 million because of the $129,800 payday he secured because the third-place finisher.
We lose Erik_Seidel</a> in third place, that means for the second consecutive occasion it&#39;s <a href=”https://twitter.com/TexasMike2014?ref_src=twsrcpercent5Etfw”>TexasMike2014 versus @JoeyWeissman for the title.
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— PokerGO (@PokerGO) February 14, 2025
The second heads-up match between Moncek and Weissman in as many days started on pretty even footing, after the primary had seen an enormous beginning benefit for Moncek. The primary large hand went Moncek’s means, together with his choosing off a bluff from Weissman with king excessive to drag nicely out in entrance. Weissman doubled again into the lead with A-10 besting Okay-4, solely to have Moncek grind his means again into the lead.
Weisman doubled up once more, this time with Okay-3 besting J-8 suited. Weissman made journey threes to maneuver again in entrance for what can be the final time. Moncek got here near night issues up at a number of factors, however Weissman was in a position to maintain after which lengthen this newest lead earlier than closing out the win.
Within the remaining hand Weissman min-raised to 800,000 from the button and Moncek three-bet shoved for six,875,000 with Okay2
. Weissman known as off with Okay
J
and the board got here down J
7
6
9
J
to present Weissman journeys and the victory. Moncek was awarded $182,900 because the runner-up.
Here’s a have a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the remaining desk:
Place
Participant
Earnings
POY Factors
PGT Factors
1
Joey Weissman
$295,000
600
295
2
Michael Moncek
$182,900
500
183
3
Erik Seidel
$129,800
400
130
4
Andrew Moreno
$100,300
300
100
5
Sam Laskowitz
$76,700
250
77
6
Andrew Lichtenberger
$59,000
200
59
7
Anthony Hu
$47,200
150
47
Photograph credit score: PokerGO / Enrique Malfavon.