“LuckyChewy” Fends Off Red-Hot Nick Schulman to Win PokerGO Kickoff Opener

Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger is the primary winner of the PokerGO Tour Kickoff collection as he held off red-hot Nick Schulman to win $117,600 and his seventh PGT title.

The $5,100 buy-in occasion marked the beginning of a collection with 5 excessive curler tournaments in PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas from Jan. 20-25. It drew 84 runners for a prize pool of $420,000.

The ultimate desk included Poker Corridor of Famer Erik Seidel (seventh – $16,800), on-line all-star Patrick Leonard (sixth – $21,000) in a uncommon PokerGO Studio look and two-time bracelet winner John Riordan (4th – $39,900).

PGT Kickoff Occasion 1 Closing Desk Payouts

Cooling Down Schulman

Schulman’s runner-up end is simply weeks faraway from ending runner-up to PGT Participant of the 12 months Jeremy Ausmus within the $1 Million PGT Championship for $200,000. Not lengthy earlier than, he received a PGT Final Probability excessive curler for $283,050 in Las Vegas and his sixth World Collection of Poker bracelet and $145,000 at WSOP Paradise.

Schulman had a robust begin on the remaining desk as he cracked Seidel’s queens with ace-queen to ship the 10-time bracelet winner to the rail in seventh place. He later eradicated third-place finisher Matthew McEwan as his ace-eight pipped McEwan’s nine-eight.

Lichtenberger and Schulman had been close to even in chips as they performed a virtually hourlong heads-up battle. Schulman was on the ropes when he moved all in with jack-seven as was referred to as by Lichtenberger with a suited king-nine. Neither participant improved on the flop however “LuckyChewy” turned a king to have the poker commentator drawing useless.

The victory introduced Lichtenberger his seventh PGT title and his first stay match win since September 2023 when he received a PokerGO Masters occasion for $204,000, including to his $21 million in Hendon Mob earnings.

There shall be 4 extra winners topped within the PokerGO Studio this week, together with within the at the moment underway Occasion #2: $5,100 No-Restrict Maintain’em that drew 96 gamers for a prize pool of $480,000.

Try the ultimate desk motion of the PGT Kickoff opening occasion on YouTube.

*Lead photograph courtesy PokerGO

Connor Richards is an Editor & Dwell Reporter for PokerNews and host of the Life Exterior Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for 2 World Poker Awards for his writing.