Michael Wang Leads as Bubble Looms With Six Paid
The final event of the 2025 PokerGO Tour season reached its final seven players at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas, as the $1,000,000 PGT Championship Freeroll wrapped up Day 1 with the money bubble still intact.
Michael Wang finished the day as the chip leader, bagging 2,890,000 to pace the field heading into Day 2. He is followed by Andrew Lichtenberger with 2,410,000 and Aaron Kupin, the last Dream Seat winner still in contention, with 1,690,000.
Daniel Negreanu also secured a seat at the final table, ending Day 1 with 1,020,000 in chips. The Canadian star sits fifth in the counts, just behind John Riordan and ahead of the two shortest stacks, Chad Eveslage and Eric Blair.
Only six players will reach the money, with a minimum payout of $40,000. First place pays $500,000.
Momentum Shifts Define Day 1
Day 1 featured several sharp momentum swings as the 54-player field narrowed quickly. Philip Sternheimer enjoyed an early surge after eliminating Jason Koon and Dream Seat qualifier Timothy Tuveson in the same sequence. His run came to an abrupt end later in the day after back-to-back losses to Andrew Lichtenberger sent him out of the tournament.
Negreanu drew attention during the session for a hand that reflected his instinct-driven approach. After rivering a set, he opted to just call with the fourth nuts in a spot where many players would have raised for value.
“This is part of what makes me a good poker player!” Negreanu said at the table.
Another key exit came when PGT Player of the Year Alex Foxen, who had built a stack earlier in the day, was eliminated by Lichtenberger as the tournament reached its final two tables.
Several notable names fell short of the money, including Eric Wasserson, Bryce Yockey, Adam Hendrix and Stephen Chidwick. Chidwick’s elimination finalized the seven-handed table, and play concluded at the end of Level 15 with no further knockouts.
End of Day 1 Chip Counts
- Michael Wang – 2,890,000
- Andrew Lichtenberger – 2,410,000
- Aaron Kupin – 1,690,000
- John Riordan – 1,230,000
- Daniel Negreanu – 1,020,000
- Chad Eveslage – 800,000
- Eric Blair – 685,000
PGT Championship Freeroll Payouts
- $500,000
- $200,000
- $120,000
- $80,000
- $60,000
- $40,000
The remaining seven players return for Day 2 at 1 p.m. local time, with play continuing until a champion is crowned.
