He's done it again. Ali Imsirovic picked up right where he left off when 2021 ended, as he shipped yet another high roller Saturday night, this one a $25,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em event at Venetian in Las Vegas, which was a part of the PokerGO Tour.
The Bosnian poker star beat a field of 20 entrants to win $270,000, his 15th high roller win over the past 365 days, nine more than any other player. Imsirovic was the 2021 Global Poker Index Player of the Year, PokerGO Tour presented by Guaranteed Rate Player of the Year, and unquestionably the top high-stakes live tournament performer last year.
Capping Off the Series with a Win
Imsirovic was unable to cash in the first three events at Venetian this past week. Punnat Punsri won the first two, both $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em events, and then Alex Foxen took down the third one, a $15,000 buy-in NLH tournament via a heads-up chop with Michael Wang, for $153,615.
In Friday's $15,000 event, after Foxen won a race to bust Steven Grady in third place, Wang and Foxen agreed to chop. The 26-entrant tournament had officially come to an end with Foxen receiving the largest share due to holding a sizeable chip advantage, and Wang taking home $134,984.
Venetian $15,000 High Roller Final Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Foxen | $153,615 |
| 2 | Michael Wang | $134,985 |
| 3 | Steven Grady | $62,400 |
| 4 | Erik Seidel | $39,000 |
Imsirovic, who now has over $15.3 million in live tournament cashes, was again on top of his game Saturday evening. In total, just 13 players entered the $25,000 buy-in PokerGO Tour event, along with seven re-buys. Three players cashed in the NLH match — Imsirovic, Masashi Oya, and Grady.
Grady took third place for $80,000, which left Oya and Imsirovic to battle it out for the tournament title. The match ended with a bit of a minor cooler. With the board reading 3♦️
Venetian $25,000 High Roller Final Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Imsirovic | $270,000 |
| 2 | Masashi Oya | $150,000 |
| 3 | Steven Grady | $80,000 |
Next Up for PokerGO Tour
The PokerGO Tour will stay in Las Vegas for a while with its next stop taking place at the Aria Resort and Casino on the Strip. That event, dubbed the Stairway to Millions, will give low-stakes players a shot to turn $1,100 into a $100,000 buy-in poker tournament, and then potentially millions of dollars.
The series runs from January 12-20, with one two-day event starting daily until the 19th. Final tables are scheduled to take place inside the PokerGO Studio, just steps away from the Aria poker room.
Competitors can start at the first step, an $1,100 buy in no-limit hold'em tournament on January 12. Each player who cashes in each event will receive a free entry into the next step, a higher buy-in tournament. The series concludes with a $100,000 buy-in tournament beginning January 19. The full schedule is listed 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 |
