The third event of the 2024 Poker Masters had a new winner as American player Justin Zaki went wire-to-wire in an impressive display of power poker to claim victory. Taking down a final table featuring some of the best players in the world such as Jeremy Ausmus, Victoria Livschitz and Ren Lin, Zaki claimed a massive $244,400 for winning the third event of the series as the leaderboard remained as close as ever.

Following the Leader

With a huge turnout of 94 players, a prizepool of close to a million dollars saw just 14 players paid. It was the popular PokerGO legend Bill Klein who bubbled as the philanthropist who often donates his winnings lost out with to Michael Brinkenhoff’s .

Nguyen Le was the player who left with a min-cash worth $23,500. All-in pre-flop with , he started and ended his final hand behind PokerStake player Victoria Livschitz’s An ace in the window was enough to take out the unfortunate Le as Livschitz once again made the money places her own, rising up through the ranks.

Nick Seward won a third cash of the series in 13^th place for the same amount of Le, and he was followed by Livschitz’ fellow PokerStake player David Coleman busted in 12^th for $23,500 too, as he lost a coinflip to Brinkenhoff. Kristen Foxen was the next to go, as her pocket jacks lost to Justin Zaki’s ace-king as another coinflip decided the fate of a poker master… or rather mistress.

The final seven players would enjoy a night’s rest but before they got to do so, three more players busted. Aram Zobian made the money for his PokerStake investors too, cashing for $28,200 when his pair of queens were ahead when the money went in, only for Jim Collopy to his trip tens on the turn and survive the river.

Katz Can’t Get the Cream

With nine left, Daniel Negreanu busted for $28,200. All-in pre-flop from the button with , Kid Poker was called by Collopy with and a board of sent the Canadian Poker Hall of Famer home. Negreanu’s exit was swiftly followed by that of Lucas Foster, whose tournament was over when his were ran out of town by Livschitz’ as a ten-high board delivered Foster from the event for a score of $37,600 in eighth place.

Heading into the final table with a good lead of 2.85m chips to Livschitz’ 2.19m, Zaki went into the action on the attack, though it was not the chip leader who was first to wield the axe. Ren Lin moved all-in with and was called by Jeremy Ausmus with and the biggest stack. A flop of kept the Chinese player ahead but a on the turn propelled Ausmus into the lead and a on the river sent Lin from the field with $37,600.

Jim Collopy was the next to leave the party, cashing for $47,000 when his was shot down by Brinkenhoff’s . The flop of put Collopy in a position to survive but after a on the turn gave Brinkenhoff a straight draw to add his two overcards, a fateful landed on the river to give him a victorious Broadway straight.

Cary Katz had already lost a few chips in a battle with Livschitz before he risked his stack with . He was looking good for a double-up when Zaki called with but a brutal flop of not only hit Zaki’s hand but threw up flush-card blockers too. A on the turn and on the river ended Katz’ event, sending him from the felt with $65,800.

Ausmus the Bridesmaid Yet Again

With four left, Livschitz had gone from second in chips to fourth and she busted in that later position for $84,600. On a board of , Livschitz bet half her stack with for a flush but Zaki shoved with for the nut flush and when Livschitz called it off, she was ending her own tournament.

With three players left, Jeremy Ausmus was short-stacked but he wasn’t the next to go, as Brinkenhoff lost a huge flip when second in chips with as Zaki’s hit a king on flop and river. With no threes on the board, Brinkenhoff claimed $112,800 in third as Ausmus faced a worse than 3:1 deficit as the final battle began.

While Ausmus doubled up once with a dominating king, he was still facing a player with double his chips and his next brave move ran into trouble, as he lost a pile to Zaki’s rivered flush. Doubling again, this time with beating , Ausmus was all-in again soon after, calling off his stack with . Zaki had moved all-in with and a dream flop of fell.

Ausmus needed a miracle to avoid yet another runner-up finish in a 12 month period including several of them but didn’t get it as a turn of and river of completed the board, giving Ausmus the runner-up prize of $155,100 and handed Zaki the title and $244,400, the second-largest score of Zaki’s year behind his runner-up finish in the PokerGO Cup Event #8 back in February according to The Hendon Mob.