button in SafariIs Jonas Kronwitter Poker's Next PLO Star After Dominant PGT Series?
The PGT PLO Series brought some of the best Pot-Limit Omaha players in poker to the PokerGO Studio, and after eight events, one name stood above the rest.
Jonas Kronwitter entered the series with plenty of PLO pedigree, but what followed was arguably the best performances of his career.
The Austrian finished atop the 2026 PGT PLO Series leaderboard with 598 points after racking up five cashes and two victories, earning $576,088 along the way.
He nearly won the opening tournament, finishing runner-up to Sam Soverel in Event #1: $5,300 PLO for $79,625. A ninth-place finish followed in Event #2: $5,300 PLO before another ninth-place result in Event #4: $10,500 PLO Quattro Bounty.
The trophies soon came as Kronwitter defeated Richard Gryko heads-up in Event #5: $10,500 PLO to collect $201,600 and his first victory of the series.
Event #5: $10,500 PLO Results
Kronwitter returned to the winner's circle just two tournaments later in Event #7: $15,700 PLO.
He and Joni Jouhkimainen struck a heads-up deal that saw the series' champ secure the title and a $267,563 payday.
Across the eight-event series, Kronwitter reached heads-up three times, won twice and cashed on five occasions. It was enough to finish comfortably atop the standings and further establish himself as one of the names to watch whenever four cards are in play.
Event #7: $15,700 PLO Results
*indicates heads-up deal
Soverel Adds Two More Titles to Record Collection
Kronwitter may have taken the series crown, but Soverel continued adding to his already impressive PGT record.
He opened the festival by beating Kronwitter heads-up in the first $5,300 PLO, collecting $122,850. The victory came after Soverel topped a 91-entry field and claimed the biggest share of the $455,000 prize pool.
Event #1: $5,300 PLO Results
Four events passed without another Soverel cash, but when he returned to the money, he went straight back to the winner's circle.
Soverel took down Event #6: $15,700 PLO Mystery Bounty for $160,000 from the regular prize pool, while another $90,000 in bounties pushed his total payday to $250,000.
More significantly, the victory gave Soverel a record-extending 17th PGT title. He finished second on the PGT PLO Series leaderboard with 376 points and $282,850 in PGT earnings, while his $90,000 mystery bounty haul took his total winnings from those two events to $372,850.
Event #6: $15,700 PLO Mystery Bounty Results
Garcia Wins $26K PLO Championship
While Kronwitter had done enough to take control of the series standings, there was still the small matter of the biggest buy-in on the schedule.
The $26,000 PLO Championship attracted 48 entries and generated a $1.2 million prize pool, with Cesar Garcia coming out on top for $420,000.
Garcia had just one previous cash during the festival, a fifth-place finish worth $34,450 in Event #2, but victory in the finale took his series earnings to $454,450 and helped him finish third on the leaderboard.
Robert Cowen took second for $264,000, having already finished runner-up to Soverel in the Mystery Bounty. Lautaro Guerra continued his consistent series with fourth place for $126,000, while Youness Barakat, Sean Rafael and Brevin Andreadis completed the paid positions.
Event #8: $26,000 PLO Championship Event Results
Chorlian, Koliakoudakis and Chen Join Winners' Circle
Kronwitter and Soverel were the only two-time champions, but there were plenty of other notable winners across the eight-event schedule.
Robert Chorlian claimed his first PGT title in Event #2: $5,300 PLO. Chorlian began the six-handed final table as the short stack before working his way into heads-up play against Guerra.
He entered the final duel with roughly a 2:1 chip advantage and made it count, collecting $135,150 for the biggest live tournament cash of his career.
Event #2: $5,300 PLO Results
Roussos Koliakoudakis then found redemption in Event Event #3: $10,500 PLO.
Three years after finishing runner-up in the opening event of the 2023 PGT PLO Series, Koliakoudakis returned to heads-up play at the PokerGO Studio and this time finished the job.
He began the final table with more than half of the chips in play, eliminated each of his final four opponents and needed just one hand of heads-up play to seal the victory. The $198,000 top prize was also the largest live tournament cash of his career.
Event #3: $10,500 PLO Results
James Chen (US) kept his Omaha winning streak intact in Event #4: $10,500 PLO Quattro Bounty.
According to The Hendon Mob, each of Chen's recorded live tournament victories has come in an Omaha variant, and the WSOP bracelet winner made it four with his latest success.
Chen collected $107,000 from the regular prize pool and another $132,000 in bounties for a $239,000 total haul. He had also finished fourth in the opening event, taking his winnings across those two cashes to $279,950.
Event #4: $10,500 PLO Quattro Bounty Results
Guerra and Cowen Among Series Standouts
Winning a trophy wasn't the only way to make an impact during the series.
Guerra finished with four cashes and $302,725 in PGT earnings. His best result came with a runner-up finish to Chorlian in Event #2, while he also made the money in the Quattro Bounty, Event #7 and the $26,000 PLO Championship.
Cowen also put together an impressive series despite missing out on a title. He finished runner-up to Soverel in the $15,700 PLO Mystery Bounty before another second-place finish behind Garcia in the Championship helped him reach $365,000 in PGT earnings and fifth place on the leaderboard.
Gryko was another player who repeatedly went deep. He finished tenth in Event #3 before back-to-back runner-up finishes in Events #4 and #5, collecting $246,200 across those three results.
PGT PLO Series Full Results
The eight events attracted a combined 542 entries and generated $5.48 million in prize pools, with Kronwitter and Soverel accounting for four of the eight titles between them.
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $5,300 PLO | 91 | $455,000 | Sam Soverel | $122,850 |
| Event #2: $5,300 PLO | 106 | $530,000 | Robert Chorlian | $135,150 |
| Event #3: $10,500 PLO | 66 | $660,000 | Roussos Koliakoudakis | $198,000 |
| Event #4: $10,500 PLO Quattro Bounty | 57 | $570,000 | James Chen (US) | $239,000** |
| Event #5: $10,500 PLO | 63 | $630,000 | Jonas Kronwitter | $201,600 |
| Event #6: $15,700 PLO Mystery Bounty | 46 | $460,000 | Sam Soverel | $250,000** |
| Event #7: $15,700 PLO | 65 | $975,000 | Jonas Kronwitter* | $267,563 |
| Event #8: $26,000 PLO Championship Event | 48 | $1,200,000 | Cesar Garcia | $420,000 |
*indicates heads-up deal
**includes bounty prizes
