Path to the Title
The tournament saw a total of 54 players, featuring the top 40 from the annual PGT leaderboard and 14 qualifiers who earned the 'Dream Seat.' Eveslage secured his spot by amassing 1,423 PGT points during the season, significantly aided by his March victory in the $100,500 Super High Roller Bowl and a summer title in the $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller at the WSOP.
Starting the final day with the second smallest stack, Eveslage fought his way to the top. "My first goal was to make it to the money," Eveslage admitted in a post-tournament interview. After the bubble burst with Eric Blair's exit in 7th place, Eveslage secured several crucial victories.
He faced Andrew “LuckyChewy” Lichtenberger in heads-up play, entering with a significant 4:1 chip advantage. The final hand saw Eveslage call Lichtenberger's all-in with J s J d against Lichtenberger’s 8 c 6 c. The board 2 d Q d 4 s J h 3 s confirmed his victory by the turn.
You could follow this impressive comeback from short stack to triumph live via PokerGO's YouTube livestream, where the full final table is also available:
Negreanu's Show
The world's most famous poker player, Daniel Negreanu, also drew considerable attention, marking his first tournament appearance in 2026. True to form, Negreanu entertained not only with his play but also with lively table talk, ranging from aliens to nutrition tips.
His tournament journey was cut short by none other than eventual winner Eveslage, when Daniel's A c 6 c failed against Chad's J h J d. The flop 5 s 3 s 4 d gave him hope for a straight, but the turn T c and river 3 h didn't favor the legendary DNegs.
Ultimately, six top players shared the winnings, with champion Chad Eveslage taking a hefty $500,000. He became the fifth champion of this event, joining the ranks of Rok Gostisa, Jason Koon, Daniel Smiljkovic, and Jeremy Ausmus.
2025 PGT Championship Final Table Results:
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Prize |
|
1. |
Chad Eveslage |
USA |
$500,000 |
|
2. |
Andrew Lichtenberger |
USA |
$200,000 |
|
3. |
Michael Wang |
USA |
$120,000 |
|
4. |
Daniel Negreanu |
Canada |
$80,000 |
|
5. |
Aaron Kupin |
USA |
$60,000 |
|
6. |
John Riordan |
USA |
$40,000 |
With the conclusion of the PGT Championship, the final chapter of the 2025 season officially closes. However, the PokerGO Tour is far from over as the 2026 season kicks off on January 26 in Las Vegas with the PGT Kickoff series. Players can look forward to February's PGT Mixed Games and the Super High Roller Bowl featuring mixed formats.
Sources: PGT, PokerNews, X, YouTube
