James Chen Wins PGT PLO $10.5K Bounty for $239,000

Jonathan Rodriguez

Written by: Jonathan Rodriguez

Published: Wed Sep 30, 2026, 8:00 am ET

Read Time: 3 minutes

James Chen Wins PGT PLO $10.5K Bounty for $239,000

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Pennsylvania-based PLO specialist James Chen captured Event #4 of the 2026 PGT PLO Series after collecting eight bounties. The $10,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Quattro Bounty tournament attracted 57 entries at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas.

Chen earned $107,000 for winning the event. He added another $132,000 through bounty rewards, taking his total earnings to $239,000.

The victory marked Chen's second PokerGO Tour title. His first came during the 2024 PGT PLO Series II, also in the fourth event.

James Chen Turns the Bounty Format Into a Payday

Event #4 introduced the Quattro Bounty format after three standard PLO tournaments opened the series. The event featured $16,000 bounties, creating another path toward a significant payday.

Fourteen players carried bounties into the tournament's closing stages. Chen claimed eight of them, giving him the largest bounty haul in the field. His bounty earnings also exceeded his first-place prize.

Chen started collecting bounties before the money bubble. He eliminated Sam Soverel and Dylan Weisman during the early stages. He later helped burst the bubble by eliminating Cesar Garcia and Jonas Kronwitter.

Kronwitter finished ninth and earned $11,400 from the main prize pool. Meanwhile, Chen continued building his stack as the remaining players moved toward the final table.

That combination of tournament earnings and bounty payments made Chen's run particularly notable. It also highlighted the importance of knockout opportunities in the Quattro format.

Chen Controls the Final Table

The final table featured several established PLO players, including Jeremy Ausmus, Ben Lamb, Cary Katz and Lautaro Guerra.

A four-way all-in then reshaped the tournament. Lamb tripled his stack, while Ausmus lost his remaining chips. Ausmus finished seventh for $14,300, while Guerra followed him to the rail in sixth.

Chen remained in control as the field narrowed further. He eliminated Lamb in fifth after flopping a set of fours. Chen then sent Katz out in fourth after making a turned full house.

That left Chen, Richard Gryko and Youness Barakat to battle for the title.

Gryko Pushes Chen in Heads-Up Play

Gryko reached heads-up after eliminating Barakat in third place. Barakat earned $47,900 from the prize pool and another $48,000 in bounties.

Chen began heads-up play with a sizable chip lead. However, Gryko doubled through him after making a turned spade flush. The double-up brought Gryko back into contention.

Chen eventually found the tournament's decisive hand. The board showed 10♦ 4♣ 2♦ 7♥ when both players committed their chips.

Chen held Q♦ 9♣ 8♦ 6♠, while Gryko had 5♦ 4♠ 3♠ 2♣. Both players had 50% equity according to CardPlayer's analysis.

The J♥ landed on the river and completed Chen's jack-high straight. That card secured the title and ended Gryko's run as runner-up.

Final Results From Event #4

Place Player Prize Bounties Total
1 James Chen $107,000 $132,000 $239,000
2 Richard Gryko $68,400 $32,000 $100,400
3 Youness Barakat $47,900 $48,000 $95,900
4 Cary Katz $34,200 $0 $34,200
5 Ben Lamb $25,700 $16,000 $41,700
6 Lautaro Guerra $18,800 $0 $18,800
7 Jeremy Ausmus $14,300 $0 $14,300
8 Chino Rheem $14,300 $0 $14,300
9 Jonas Kronwitter $11,400 $0 $11,400

Chen's victory also strengthened his position in the ongoing PGT PLO Series points race. He entered Event #4 after finishing fourth in the opening event.

The win gave Chen 178 PGT points and moved him into the series lead. The result added another significant score to the Pennsylvania player's PLO resume.

For fans following US online poker sites, seeing a Pennsylvania native excel on the live stage highlights the deep pool of talent coming out of regulated domestic markets. The PGT PLO Series continues with more events after Chen's standout performance in the Quattro Bounty format.

Jonathan Rodriguez
Jonathan Rodriguez

Jonathan is an avid basketball fan, and is often looking forward to the next upcoming NBA season when not checking players' stats during games. He also likes to keep his ears on the ground for the latest rumblings in the online casino industry.

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