Image courtesy of PokerGO Tour
Justin Saliba added another $300,000 to his constantly growing tally of lifetime tournament earnings, which is swiftly approaching $11,000,000. Saliba’s most recent score came as a result of a triumph in Event #9 of PokerGO Tour’s Poker Masters.
This win represents the second PGT title in Justin’s career, and although it’s certainly not his biggest in terms of prize money, it’s significant because he had to overcome formidable opposition on his way to victory.
Saliba, who is a regular on the PokerGO Tour, has earned the respect of the poker world as a verifiable tournament crusher and one of the top coaches for Pokercoaching.com, one of the largest and best-known poker training sites.
Holding His Own Against the Best
The PokerGO Tour stands out from most other poker events in that it has been created as a battleground for some of the best poker players in the world. Featuring five and six-figure buy-ins, PGT events tend to attract smaller fields, but every table is filled with proven winners.
The $15k Event #9 was no different in that respect. The field of 67 entrants eventually dwindled down to the final table of six crushers. Saliba came back for the final day second in chips, facing off against Kristen Foxen, Chris Hunichen, Cary Katz, Jesse Lonis, and Sam Laskowitz.
If you’re a poker fan, you’ll immediately recognize four of those five names. As for Sam Laskowitz, he may not be as well-known, but in the few years he’s been around, he’s accumulated over $4,000,000 in winnings, so his on-the-felt experience was not in question.
That said, Laskowitz was the first to depart from the final table, after losing a flip to Lonis. After his exit, Saliba kicked things off in high gear, establishing control at the table.
First, he sent Cary Katz packing after prevailing in a battle of the blinds. He then put those chips to work to create a big gap between him and the rest of the field.
Foxen managed to close that gap somewhat by eliminating Chris Hunichen and claiming his stack, but Saliba went one for one, taking out Lonis.
With Jesse’s departure, the tournament got down to a heads-up skirmish between Justin Saliba and Kristen Foxen. Saliba held a significant chip lead to start, though, and managed to grind down his opponent without too much flop action.
Eventually, Kristen decided to take a stand after hitting a pair of nines, but it was no match to Justin’s flopped pair of kings, and that was it. Saliba closed the deal, picking up $301,000 and the Purple Masters trophy to add some color to his growing collection.
PokerMasters Event #9 Final Table Results
| Finishing Position | Player | Payout |
| 1 | Justin Saliba | $301,000 |
| 2 | Kristen Foxen | $196,000 |
| 3 | Jesse Lonis | $135,000 |
| 4 | Chris Hunichen | $105,500 |
| 5 | Cary Katz | $75,500 |
| 6 | Sam Laskowitz | $55,500 |
What’s Next on the PGT Calendar?
The Poker Masters series is winding down at the time of writing this article, with the final event down to its last seven players. However, there is much more action coming this October, giving Saliba, Foxen, and the rest of the high roller crowd more opportunities to put their skills to work and collect points needed to win the coveted Purple Jacket.
Right now, Alex Foxen and the 2025 WSOP Main Event winner Michael Mizrachi are leading the pack, but things can change quickly.
Coming mid-October is the PGT PLO Series II, featuring another ten tournaments, all of the Pot Limit Omaha variety. With buy-ins ranging $5,100 – $25,200 and formats like Mystery Bounties added to the mix, we expect another exciting series.
Rounding things up is the $100,500 PLO Super High Roller Bowl on October 27. With a six-figure buy-in, this tournament will offer a hefty sum for the winner, and we’re bound to see all the usual suspects getting involved.
Things are heating up on the PokerGO Tour as the race for the Purple Jacket continues, and the best of the best continue to go up against each other, showing the world how the game of poker is played at the highest level.
