Lawrence Chang Wins PGT Texas PLO Main Event

The 2024 PokerGO Tour Texas PLO Roundup $3,300 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha Main Event drew a record-breaking field of 474 entries at Champions Club Texas in Houston. This turnout not only crushed the $1 million guarantee but also set a new benchmark for the largest PLO prize pool in Texas history, totaling $1,422,000. The top 55 finishers shared the prize money, with $300,000 going to the eventual champion, Lawrence Chang.

For Chang, a Texas native, this victory marked his first six-figure tournament score. His previous best was $25,650 for finishing fourth in a $120 buy-in event with a $500,000 guarantee at the 2019 L.A. Poker Classic, which drew 6,454 entries. This win also earned him 1,080 Card Player Player of the Year (POY) points, pushing his total for 2024 to 1,160 and placing him within striking distance of the top 500 in the POY rankings presented by Global Poker. Earlier in the year, Chang had finished sixth in a $5,000 PLO high roller event at ARIA.

Several poker notables made deep runs in this event. Among them were 2019 WSOP Main Event third-place finisher Alex Livingston (44th), four-time bracelet winner Brad Ruben (43rd), six-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh (41st), and high roller champions Adam Hendrix (34th) and Ronald Keijzer (30th). Other notable finishers included two-time bracelet winner Martin Zamani (32nd), 2024 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jordan Griff (27th), Ren Lin (26th), Ben Ludlow (24th), three-time bracelet winner Sean Troha (20th), Anthony Hu (18th), Arthur Morris (15th), and preliminary event winner Stephanie Chung (11th).

The Final Day

The last day began with seven players remaining, led by Chang. LaDarren Banks was the first to fall, finishing seventh for $43,000. After more than two hours of six-handed play, Sean Rafael exited in sixth place ($51,000) when his overpair of kings and nut flush draw was cracked by Senovio Ramirez’s seven-high straight. This marked Rafael’s second final-table appearance of the series, following a runner-up finish in one of the $5,100 buy-in high rollers.

Kyle Arora, who had briefly taken the chip lead earlier in the day, found himself short-stacked and was eliminated in fifth place ($60,000) when his hand, 8♦6♦6♣4♣, lost to Andrew Ige’s A♦J♣8♥3♣. This marked Arora’s third-largest career cash.

Sterling Savill, who began the day as the shortest stack, managed to climb to fourth place ($80,000). His A♦K♦Q♦J♣ fell to Ige’s A♠7♠5♥4♥ when Ige hit a flush on the river. Savill’s career earnings now approach $1.2 million.

Ramirez’s run ended in third place ($120,000) after a dramatic blind-vs-blind confrontation. His A♥A♣10♥9♠ was outdrawn by Ige’s Q♥J♣10♣8♥ on a board that gave Ige a queen-high straight. Ramirez’s finish marked his third career six-figure payout.

Heads-Up Showdown

Heads-up play started with Ige holding a 9:5 chip lead over Chang. After multiple lead changes, the decisive hand occurred with blinds at 125,000-250,000 and a big blind ante of 250,000. Chang raised to 1,000,000 on the button with 8♠6♥5♣4♥, and Ige called holding A♣J♣9♦8♥. The flop came 10♥9♣3♥, prompting both players to check. The turn brought the 7♣, where Ige bet 1,600,000 with a jack-high straight and a nut club redraw. Chang responded by potting with his ten-high straight and heart flush draw. Ige moved all-in, and Chang called. The river was the A♥, completing Chang’s flush and securing him the victory. Ige earned a career-high $200,000 for his runner-up finish.

Chang’s remarkable win capped an unforgettable event, solidifying his place among the rising stars in the poker world.

Texas PLO Roundup $3,300 Main Event Final Table Results