Two events in the first-ever PokerGO Stairway to Millions series at Aria in Las Vegas are already in the books. At the final table of the second step — $2,150 No-Limit Hold'em — poker pro Chance Kornuth came out victorious for a $51,600 payday.
The Chip Leader Coaching founder beat out a field of 129 entrants, continuing on from his 2021 success. Last year, Kornuth finished second to Ali Imsirovic in the Global Poker Index Player of the Year standings. He scooped his third career World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in October when he shipped Event #29: $10,000 Short Deck for $194,670.
Stairway to Millions Event #2 Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chance Kornuth | $28,500 |
| 2 | Eric Baldwin | $36,120 |
| 3 | Jovan Santiago | $28,380 |
| 4 | Joelle Parenteau | $23,220 |
| 5 | Brock Wilson | $18,060 |
| 6 | Jeremy Ausmus | $12,900 |
Kornuth on Top of his Game
At the Stairway to Millions final table Friday afternoon, which aired on PokerGO, the talented poker pro dominated play once again. He faced some difficult competition, including runner-up Eric Baldwin, a Las Vegas local tournament crusher, three-time WSOP bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus, and up-and-coming star Brock Wilson.
Kornuth also cashed in the first event of the series, an $1,100 buy-in no-limit hold'em tournament, the only game played during the series. He finished in 16th place for $3,800 in that one. In doing so, like everyone who cashes in each Stairway to Millions event, he received a free entry into the following tournament. The entire series schedule is as follows:
| Date | Buy-In | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 12 | $1,100 | $100,000 |
| Jan. 13 | $2,150 | $100,000 |
| Jan. 14 | $4,200 | $100,000 |
| Jan. 15 | $8,400 | $200,000 |
| Jan. 16 | $15,800 | $300,000 |
| Jan. 17 | $25,100 | $500,000 |
| Jan. 18 | $52,000 | $500,000 |
| Jan. 19 | $102,000 | $1,200,000 |
Kornuth again earned his way into a free buy-in for Event #3: $4,200 No-Limit Hold'em, as did the other 18 players who cashed in Event #2. Other notables who reached the money outside of the final table include Vikenty Shegal (eighth place for $10,320) and Michael Wang (13th place for $5,160).
Event #3 began Friday afternoon inside the Aria poker room with 84 entrants, 12 of whom will be paid. The tournament is playing down to the final table before the evening concludes. At the time of publishing, nine players remained and Kornuth was once again on top of the leaderboard. Jesse Lonis and Joseph Cheong were also still standing.
The final table is set to air at 1 p.m. PT Saturday on PokerGO.
