PGT Kick-Off Opening Event Won by Octopi Co-Creator Andrew Lichtenberger

Some of the best players ever to play the game made the first final table at the PokerGO Tour Kick Off opening event. The 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Erik Seidel, live and online poker legend Patrick Leonard and the PokerGO Commentator and tournament crusher Nick Schulman all made the final table. When the dust settled, however, it was the Octopi Poker co-creator Andrew ‘Chewy’ Lichtenberger who reigned supreme, scooping the top prize of $117,600 and the first PGT trophy of the 2025 season.

Strong Numbers for Opening Event

With 84 total entrants paying the $5,000 buy-in, there was a big prizepool of $420,000 for the first event of the PokerGO Tour season. With Day 1 running to the final table and Day 2 producing a winner, the money bubble burst on the opening day of the two-day event. It was the American player Nick Schulte who bubbled the event, all-in with the best hand of pocket queens and eliminated by Dennis Beres with ace-jack of diamonds when three diamonds arrived to give Beres the nut flush.

Inside the money places, Ethan ‘Rampage’ Yau cashed for $12,600, before Jesse Lonis’ bust-out in ninth place for the same amount sent everyone to the same table. One more player needed to miss out on the final day, however, and that turned out to be Nick Seward. All-in with ace-ten offsuit, he lost to Lichtenberger’s pocket queens. A board of K-T-8-8-2 gave Seward a little more hope on the flop but he never found the additional help he needed to survive.

When the opening day concluded, the chip leader was ‘Chewy’. Lichtenberger’s stack of 3.99 million was more than double his nearest challengers, John Riordan (1.56m) and Nick Schulman (1.53m). Patrick Leonard was in fourth place of the seven on 1.17 million, with Matthew McEwan (865,000), Erik Seidel (800,000) and Dennis Beres (650,000) all hoping for a stunning comeback on the final day.

 Seidel Slides Out Early

As the first final table of the 2025 PGT season began, players battled to rack up the PGT leaderboard points, with every point doubled in the opening Kick Off festival. It wasn’t long before one of them busted, as WSOP legend Erik Seidel cashed for $16,800 in seventh place. All-in with pocket queens, Seidel was overtaken by Nick Schulman’s ace-queen when a flop of A-A-9 struck a devastating blow and the board completed with a ten and deuce to reduce the field to six.

Patrick Leonard busted after losing two big hands to Andrew Lichtenberger. The first halved his stack when two-pair beat two-pair. In the next hand, Leonard shoved with pocket tens and was outrun by the king-queen of spades held by Chewy. A flop of A-8-7 was followed by a five on the turn but it came in spades, the third of its kind on the board, completing Chewy’s flush and eliminating the Brit for $21,000.

Soon after Leonard’s departure, Dennis Beres joined him on the rail. All-in with ace-eight, Beres lost to Schulman’s ace-queen. No help at all came on the board for Beres, who went in fifth place for $29,400 as Schulman moved into second place on the leaderboard.

 Schulman Comes Close

In the final four, John Riordan left the party early, his ace-five no good against the pocket fives of Nick Schulman. Riordan cashed for $39,900, and it was a predictable heads-up when Matthew McEwan joined Riordan on the rail.

Shoving with nine-eight, McEwan ran into Schulman’s ace-eight and it wasn’t close, an ace on the flop all but ending hope for McEwan, and that hope never returned as the board played out and he left in third for $54,600.

Heads-up, Chewy won the opening exchanges to set up a lead of 4-to-1 in chips. When Schulman shoved pre-flop with jack-seven offsuit and was quickly called by Lichtenberger with king-nine of spades. A flop of T-4-3 kept Chewy ahead and when a king landed on the river, the win was confirmed.

As Schulman made $75,600 for finishing as runner-up, Andrew Lichtenberger celebrated a famous victory and a top prize of $117,600 and got his hands on the first PGT trophy of what is sure to be a thrilling next 12 months.