James Obst Wins PGT Mixed Games Finale; Chino Rheem Earns Series Title
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Australian poker pro James Obst continued his mixed game dominance as he took down the $25,000 10-Game Mix Championship in PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas for $462,000.
The victory early Thursday morning in the PGT Mixed Games series finale gave Obst, who rarely plays tournaments outside of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), his third tournament victory in under a year and his third win of his last four cashes.
James Obst Wins Second WSOP Bracelet
PGT Mixed Games Event #7 Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize (In USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Obst | Australia | $462,000 |
| 2 | Aaron Sacks | United States | $294,000 |
| 3 | Michael Duek | Argentina | $196,000 |
| 4 | Philip Sternheimer | United Kingdom | $140,000 |
| 5 | Robert Wells | United States | $112,000 |
| 6 | Nick Guagenti | United States | $84,000 |
| 7 | Jason Mercier | United States | $56,000 |
| 8 | Maxx Coleman | United States | $56,000 |
Australian Pro Makes Most of Return to Poker
Though his first cash dates back to the 2009 Aussie Millions, Obst took a break from poker for several years as he took a shot at professional tennis.
Since reemerging at the 2023 WSOP, he has made six final tables and had four victories across 15 cashes. He won his second bracelet in the $10,000 Limit Seven Card Stud Championship at the 2024 WSOP and went on to win the WPT Australia Championship for $398,488 later that year.
According to PokerGO updates, the winner was determined in a hand of Badugi that saw runner-up Aaron Sacks drawing dead against Obst's six-five dugi.
Six-time bracelet winner Jason Mercier, who won the 2023 10-Game Championship, finished seventh for $56,000 as he came short of a second PGT title.
The final table also included British pro Philip Sternheimer (4th - $140,000) and two-time bracelet winners Nick Guagenti (6th - $84,000) and Maxx Coleman (8th - $56,000), who earlier in the series won Event #5: $10,200 Mori's Mix for $700,000.
Chino Rheem Wins Overall Series Title
There were no shortage of big winners at the PGT Mixed Games series that ran Feb. 25-March 5.
Daniel Negreanu earned his latest PGT title and grabbed his first victory of 2025 as he defeated Nick Schulman in Event #6: $15,200 Dealer's Choice for $292,500.
Before that, Chino Rheem chopped Event #4: $10,200 8-Game with Josh Arieh as both players took home $195,500.
Rheem ended up as the overall series winner with 384 points ahead of Schulman (336 points), Coleman (322 points) and Negreanu (302 points).
| Place | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chino Rheem | 384 |
| 2 | Nick Schulman | 336 |
| 3 | Maxx Coleman | 322 |
| 4 | Daniel Negreanu | 302 |
| 5 | Ryan Miller | 285 |
| 6 | James Obst | 277 |
| 7 | Samuel Sternfield | 213 |
| 8 | David Funkhosuer | 192 |
| 9 | Josh Aireh | 178 |
| 10 | Aaron Sacks | 176 |
Other players who picked up trophies at the Mixed Games festival include Nicolas Milgrom, Adam Friedman, Ryan Miller and Maxx Coleman.
A complete list of winners at the 2025 PGT Mixed Games series is available in the table below.
2025 PGT Mixed Games Series Winners
| Event | Entrants | Winner | Winner Prize | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event #1: $5,100 H.O.R.S.E | 130 | Nicolas Milgrom | $159,250 | $650,000 |
| Event #2: $5,100 8-Game | 148 | Adam Friedman | $170,200 | $740,000 |
| Event #3: $10,200 H.O.R.S.E. | 96 | Ryan Miller | $247,000 | $950,000 |
| Event #4: $10,200 8-Game | 92 | Chino Rheem | $195,500 | $920,00 |
| Event #5: $10,200 Mori's Mix | 70 | Maxx Coleman | $210,000 | $700,000 |
| Event #6: $15,200 Dealer's Choice | 66 | Daniel Negreanu | $292,500 | $975,000 |
| Event #7: $25,300 10-Game Championship | 56 | James Obst | $462,000 | $1,400,000 |
*Photos courtesy PokerGO
