Obst, Rheem, and Negreanu Shine in 2025 PGT Mixed Games

James Obst Closes Out the 2025 PGT Mixed Games with $25K 10-Game Victory

If anyone doubted James Obst’s mixed game credentials, his latest win should put that to rest once and for all. The Australian pro took down the $25,000 10-Game Mix Championship for $462,000, closing out the series in style.

Obst, who stepped away from poker for a while to chase a professional tennis career, has been on a tear since returning to the felt at the 2023 WSOP. This latest win marked his third victory in under a year, and his third title in his last four cashes — but who’s counting.

The final hand, fittingly enough, came in Badugi, with Obst locking up the win after making a six-five dugi, leaving Aaron Sacks drawing dead. Sacks collected $294,000 for his runner-up finish, while Michael Duek took third for $196,000. Obst’s win capped off a final table packed with talent, including Jason Mercier, Nick Guagenti, and Philip Sternheimer — all well-known mixed game specialists.

Event #7: $25,300 10-Game Championship Payouts 

Place	Name	Country	Prize
1st	James Obst		$462,000
2nd	Aaron Sacks		$294,000
3rd	Michael Duek		$196,000
4th	Philip Sternheimer		$140,000
5th	Robert Wells		$112,000
6th	Nick Guagenti		$84,000
7th	Jason Mercier		$56,000
8th	Maxx Coleman		$56,000

Chino Rheem Tops Series Leaderboard

While Obst took the final trophy, Chino Rheem was busy walking away with the title of overall 2025 PGT Mixed Games series champion, thanks to his consistent run throughout the PGT Mixed Games series.

Rheem’s week included a chop in Event #4: $10,200 8-Game with Josh Arieh, where both players pocketed $195,500. That result, combined with a deep run in Event #3, put Rheem at the top of the leaderboard with 384 points, edging out Nick Schulman and Maxx Coleman.

Rheem’s performance also earned him an additional $25,000 PGT Championship bonus seat, securing his spot in the year-end showdown where the top players from across the PGT compete for even more prize money.

2025 PGT Mixed Games Top 10 Leaderboard

Rank	Player	Country	Winnings	Points
1st	Chino Rheem		$348,500	384
2nd	Nick Schulman		$374,525	336
3rd	Maxx Coleman		$363,500	322
4th	Daniel Negreanu		$359,500	302
5th	Ryan Miller		$293,400	285
6th	tbd	tbd	$462,000	277
7th	Samuel Sternfield		$212,250	213
8th	David Funkhouser		$191,050	192
9th	Josh Arieh		$221,500	178
10th	tbd	tbd	$294,000	176

Daniel Negreanu Steamrolls Event #6 Final Table

Of course, no poker headline is complete without Daniel Negreanu, and the GGPoker ambassador delivered in Event #6: $15,200 Dealer’s Choice, picking up his first tournament win of 2025 at the 2025 PGT Mixed Games.

Negreanu didn’t just win — he steamrolled the final table, building a monster stack early and putting on a clinic against a tough lineup that included Nick Schulman, Maxx Coleman, and Yuri Dzivielevski. By the time they got to heads-up, Negreanu’s lead over Schulman was 30-to-1.

But Schulman didn’t make it easy. A string of double-ups brought the match back to almost even, and poker fans tuning into the PokerGO stream were treated to a back-and-forth battle featuring some wild Stud hands and big PLO clashes.

In the final hand, Negreanu’s pocket aces held up in PLO to finally end Schulman’s comeback bid and lock up the $292,500 first prize. Schulman took home $190,125 for second, while Dzivielevski claimed $131,625 for third.

Event #6: $15,200 Dealer’s Choice Final Table Payouts

Place	Name	Country	Prize
1st	Daniel Negreanu		$292,500
2nd	Nick Schulman		$190,125
3rd	Yuri Dzivielevski		$131,625
4th	Maxx Coleman		$97,500
5th	Dylan Smith		$73,125
6th	Philip Sternheimer		$53,625
7th	Ryan Miller		$39,000

Photo Credit: PGT