Two more events have concluded in the 2024 PGT PLO Series and after Event #4 was won by the Finnish player Samuli Sipila, Dutch professional Ronald Keijzer became the king of the leaderboard at the halfway stage. Winning Event #5 of the 10 that are scheduled, Keijzer took over at the top of the leaderboard with the $10,000 Championship Bonus and PGT Passport on the line.

Samuli Sipila Wins Event #4 for $240,000

Event #4 saw the second winner representing Finland in the opening four events, with Samuli Sipila beating Stefan Christopher to the top prize of $240,300. There were 89 entries in the $10,000 buy-in event, with 13 of those players making profit. After Event #1 winner Allan Le busted on the bubble, his jacks and nines beaten on the river by Arthur Morris and his runner-runner flush, players such as Bryce Yockey (13^th for $22,250) and the Event #5 winner Ronald Keijzer (10^th for $26,700) made the money places.

When Ian Matakis (7^th for $35,600) bubbled the final table of six, Morris led the remaining half dozen players into the final day. It was some lead, too, with the American holding 4.35 million chips, good for more than double anyone’s stack other than the eventual winner Sipila (2.56m). Russian player Artem Maksimov busted early, his straight losing to Sipila’s flush as he cashed for $44,500.

After Andre Cruz left in fifth for $62,300 and Germany’s Chris Frank busted in fourth for $80,100, Arhtur Morris himself departed, his sevens and queens shot down by Sipila with kings and queens. Busting the overnight leader in third place for $111,250 gave Sipila 6.37 million chips, with Stefan Christopher some way behind on 4.85 million.

Heads-up, Sipila and Christopher duked it out, with both men holding the lead on different occasions. Two pair was looking good for yet another double-up for Christopher in the final hand, only for Sipila to make a better two pair on the river as he counterfeited his opponent to a runner-up finish worth $155,750. Sipila had done it, and in winning $240,300, won the biggest prize of the tournament series so far, moving into 18^th place on the All-time Money List for Finnish players on The Hendon Mob.

Arieh Goes Close as Keijzer Claims Event #5

Event #5 of the PLO Series came with a dramatic conclusion too, as the six-time WSOP bracelet winner Josh Arieh went close to victory, only for Ronald Keijzer to snatch the crown and the overall championship lead with an astonishing comeback. There were a massive 139 entries in the $5,100 buy-in event and that meant a whopping 20 places were paid.

Justin Young was busted on the bubble, losing to James Chen before Arieh took almost all of Erik Seidel’s chips, with the 10-time bracelet winner somehow surviving from having almost no chips to a miraculous ninth place for $12,510. Before Seidel went, players such as Anuj Agarwal (16^th for $6,255), Dylan Weisman (!5^th for $6,255) and Alex Livingston (13^th for $8,340) had all departed.

Bryce Yockey bubbled the final table in seventh place for £16,680 and soon the final table of six was set. Blake Hanson became the first to leave that felt on the final day, as his aces up lost to Keijzer’s turned spade flush for a result worth $28,850 in total. Next to go was Ben Lamb as Arieh’s fellow former WSOP Main Event finalist busted to Arieh along with Bruno Furth, who finished fourth by virtue of losing more chips. Arieh’s Broadway straight sent Lamb home with $30,020 and Furth to the rail for $48,360.

After Ukrainian player Kamel Mokhammad lost ot Arieh too in third for $58,780, the writing looked to be on the wall with the impressive Arieh holding a 12:1 chip lead. Pot Limit Omaha is a brutal game for variance, however, and so it proved. Two big doubles for the Dutchman propelled him into the lead and while Arieh himself managed to double once after falling to a similar deficit as Keijzer had experienced, he couldn’t do it again.

Losing with two pair to Keijzer’s runner-runner two pair aces and sevens, it was all over for Arieh, although his $111,275 score will no doubt soften the blow. Keijzer took home $160,275 and the overall lead in the Championship.

Keijzer the King as PLO Series Reaches Halfway Stage

With five events of the 10 scheduled already in the can, the best performers from Events #4 and #5 are prominent on the overall leaderboard. Ronald Keijzer seized the lead with that Event #5 victory but in truth, it is his other two cashes from the opening four events that see him ahead of Finnish player Samuli Sipila. Fellow Finn Eelis Parssinen features in the top four places as Europeans dominate the highest spots on the leaderboard.

Strong showings from North Americans Bryce Yockey (with four cashes), Josh Arieh (winning over $154,000) and Daniel Negreanu (a big winner in Event #3 for $147,500) mean that it is anyone’s championship with five events still to come. Plenty of the biggest cashes are to come and Events #8 (the $15,100 PLO Progressive Bounty event) and Event #9 (the $25,200 PLO Championship) will likely decide the destiny of the 2024 PGT PLO Series trophy.