The debut of the PGT True Classic Rags To Riches event is officially underway at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The $3,300 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament attracted 51 entries for Day 1A at the ARIA Resort & Casino. By the time the bags were brought out, Michael Rossitto had separated himself from the pack to secure a commanding chip lead.
Only eight players managed to navigate the field to book their seats for Day 2, and they are all currently in the money. Rossitto sits atop the counts with a massive stack of 1,840,000, putting him well ahead of his nearest competitor.
Rossitto Dominates the Opening Flight
Rossitto executed a methodical climb up the leaderboard throughout the session. After building a steady foundation early on, he found a crucial knockout during the late stages of play that vaulted his stack into seven figures.
Once the tournament reached the bubble phase, Rossitto utilized his big stack advantage to apply maximum pressure. He continued to accumulate chips while short stacks tried to survive, ultimately ending the night with nearly 2 million in chips.
While Rossitto is the clear headline of the day, Maziar Keshavarzi also had a strong showing, bagging the second-largest stack with 1,300,000. The field of survivors includes several notable names, including bracelet winner Jared Jaffee and longtime grinder David ‘ODB’ Baker.
Bubble Drama and Day 1A Casualties
The day came to a sudden halt following a dramatic hand on the bubble involving Maziar Keshavarzi and Anthony Hu.
In the final hand of the night, Hu committed his chips holding King-Seven and found himself in a dominant position against the King-Six of Keshavarzi. However, the flop brought a six, shifting the advantage to Keshavarzi. Hu was unable to find help on the turn or river and was eliminated as the Day 1A bubble boy.
Not everyone could turn their opportunity into a payday. True Classic giveaway winners James Morris and Corey Gutilla participated in the flight but were unable to survive the day. Additionally, PGT satellite qualifiers Wu Zhou, Tim Duckworth, and Jose Sanchez were all eliminated before the bags were brought out.
Tournament Schedule and Structure
The action is far from over. Day 1B is scheduled for Wednesday, December 3. This second starting flight will feature 21 special qualifiers, a group consisting of 13 True Classic giveaway winners and eight satellite winners.
The surviving players from both flights will combine for Day 2 on Thursday, December 4, at 1 p.m. Play ended on Day 1A with 28 minutes remaining in Level 17, featuring blinds of 20,000/40,000 and a 40,000 big blind ante.
PGT True Classic Rags To Riches Day 1A Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Rossitto | Italy | 1,840,000 |
| 2 | Maziar Keshavarzi | United States | 1,300,000 |
| 3 | Benjamin Hamnett | United States | 960,000 |
| 4 | Justin Sternberg | United States | 885,000 |
| 5 | Jared Jaffee | United States | 835,000 |
| 6 | David ‘ODB’ Baker | United States | 610,000 |
| 7 | Neil Warren | United States | 600,000 |
| 8 | Gregor Sverko | Croatia | 585,000 |
